I am thoroughly enjoying my visit to the Shire (Home to NB) this month. It has been quite a healing experience. Everyone should have a mom and dad like mine. I haven’t cooked a meal or washed a dish (ok I washed ONE dish) since I’ve been here. I watched the activity as they cleaned the house today and thought…wow I need a nap.
And so I did. For an hour.
When I do wake up the window is flung open so I can hear the birds singing, hear the wind in the trees. I can SEE the trees from my window because I’m on the second floor.
Just like the Shire in Lord of the Rings, NB is often more concerned with it’s own local affairs than global ones, neither paying attention to or being paid attention by the world-wide affairs of men. This is no bad thing. People here are kind, friendly, and unlike the hobbits New Brunswicker’s are on average quite well educated. There are 4 Universities and scores of colleges just in NB alone.
ANYWAY. I say that to say this – since I’ve been home I’ve been asked twice in as many days what I think about the transgender/bathroom issue that’s all the rage in the US.
People are really afraid about this bathroom issue. From what I can gather they’re not really afraid of men who genuinely identify as women going into the washroom to use the facilities. They’re actually afraid a pedophile will dress up as a woman, pretend to be transgender, and molest the children.
That’s when I point out there’s really nothing to stop a man from doing that now, there’s no locks on the bathrooms. Most of them don’t even have doors anymore. Also, I imagine a pedophile would find easier, less embarrassing ways to fulfill their dark urges. And, if it did happen we’d call the police and they’d arrest him and charge him and he wouldn’t be allowed within 200 feet of public washrooms, or malls, or something.
Lastly…I think if we look past the fear and aversion we can find the true source of our uncomfortableness and that is….we don’t trust MEN.
No one, not ONE person has said they were worried about a woman identifying as male slipping into the mens washroom and molesting little boys. No one.
The REAL fear isn’t about transgender people but that men, born with the male physical parts if not the spirit, will be allowed where our women and children use the washroom. And we don’t want them there. Because we don’t trust them.
Frankly, for good reason.
A 2013 global study on homicide by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime found that males accounted for about 96% of all homicide perpetrators worldwide. Nine. Six. As in, only 4% weren’t male.
I managed to find a 2011 arrest data report from the FBI posted on Wickipedia:
Males comprised 98.0% of those arrested for forcible rape
Males comprised 89.0% of those arrested for robbery
These numbers should shock us but they don’t, do they? It’s a sort of shared insanity.
If 96% of all violent acts were perpetuated worldwide by men of red hair…would we have as many people with red hair? No. Why?
NO SANE WOMAN WOULD DATE ONE. Or have their children. Red haired men would slowly die out.
Let me put it another way. Let’s say you have two populations of raccoons. One with black ridges on their ears, one without. If the population of raccoons with black ridges committed 80% and higher of all violent attacks what would we do?
We’d research why. We’d run experiments and try to figure out of it’s genetic, environmental, hormonal, if there’s some sort of brain anomaly or disease that is only affecting the ridged raccoons.
Because that kind of behavior would be exceedingly alarming and evidence something is very, very wrong with the ridged raccoons. We’d probably attempt to control the population. Put them out of their misery.
I’m not suggesting population control, less men, less suffering.
Truth is I am married to one. I have an older brother and a dad who is nothing but the best example of what a real man should be. Kind, supportive, hard working, loyal and loving. I just realized for the most part, that describes my husband too.
My point is…let’s wake up and smell the testosterone. The guts of this transgender/bathroom issue is clear to me. We’re not afraid of men who identify as women. (Although that makes some of us uncomfortable.) We’re afraid of men going to places our women and children are, places the other men can’t go (or are socially prohibited from going) to protect us.
Maybe instead of establishing laws in Oklahoma that can’t be enforced (a paid government employee checking for birth certificates at the sinks?) we should be researching why men commit over 85% of all violent crime globally. GLOBALLY.
This isn’t a female issue. This is a HUMAN issue. It’s not as if 96% of men only commit violent crime against women – they’re killing other men too.
So let’s call a spade a spade. NB/the Shire, I love you. Mom, you’ve shown me how to be a good mother to my own children. Dad, you’re the example I looked to for how a man treats a woman he loves.
Humans – let’s figure out why so many of our sons and brothers turn to violence in the first place. Maybe stopping to ask why is a good first step.
“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”
“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
Angela Yeh - Fantasy Author. Dragon Enthusiast. Optimist. 