Our View

Our View

Arkansas lawmakers right to oppose Obama bathroom edict

While Arkansas may not be one of the initial nine states suing Barack Obama’s directive to U.S. public schools to let transgender students use restrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identities, the state Legislative Council recently approved a resolution encouraging all Arkansas public school districts and higher education institutions to simply disregard such ridiculous and absurd nonsense.

The resolution calls on the U.S. Department of Justice to withdraw its civil-rights lawsuit against North Carolina over the state’s law requiring transgender people to use public restrooms and showers corresponding to the gender on their birth certificates. North Carolina officials have filed suit against the federal government over its attempts to stop enforcement of the law.

The Legislative Council approved the resolution, sponsored by Rep. Stephen Meeks, R-Greenbrier, in a voice vote. We’re told 29 other Republican lawmakers co-sponsored the resolution. It would be interesting to know just exactly how our Crittenden County delegation feels about this controversial issue. We would certainly hope they would be among those who supported Rep. Meeks resolution. After all, even Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, strongly recommended that school districts in Arkansas turn their noses up at this outlandish directive.

Meeks is of the opinion that Obama and the bureaucrats within the Department of Education have simply overstepped their bounds on this matter.

It is certainly difficult to disagree with the argument that it is just not the federal governments business to interfere with state authority or to set education policy. For exposure’s sake, it is important to note the position and remarks of those elected officials who stand by Obama’s direction, such as Rep. Greg Ledling, DFayetteville, who said the federal government’s instructions are “guidance and it’s meant to protect all children.” Now, to us, that is a bunch of malarkey.

Let’s make one thing very clear in this regard by saying that up until now this hasn’t been an issue. In fact, the very minute percentage of human beings frustrated over their gender, despite being born with specific identifying features, have not been an issue until Obama seems to now made it one.

We’re told that most public institutions have taken the necessary steps to deal with sensitive situations, including this particular one.

As we have clearly pointed out, when this president, once again, stirred the pot of public discord, all he did was open the door of opportunity for some pervert to take advantage of the situation.

We seriously doubt any red-blooded American parent would feel comfortable or permit their adolescent child to enter a public school shower where there is a possibility of immoral or criminal behavior on the part of someone claiming “he” or “she” is confused about their gender.

This Obama directive is simply an open invitation for illicit and immoral activity, plain and simple.

Again, we commend this Legislative Council, Rep.

Meeks and all others in public office who have condemned this nonsense, while at the same time challenge our local delegation to take a public stand on this issue most of us take very seriously.