Decision will harm children

Regarding the article, “Mukilteo School Board adopts policy on transgender students”: The newly adopted “anti-discrimination” policy passed by the Mukilteo School Board was an utterly absurd decision that will, to the extent it is enacted, harm the children they are commissioned to serve. Someone please enlighten the members expressing that judgment with a dictionary and a book on logic!

“Discriminate” means to make relevant distinctions between different entities in order to make right decisions. Contrary to the article, it is not a dirty word. Everyone exercises discrimination on all sorts of matters throughout our day. Logic is the standard for ensuring our arguments are framed rationally. This committee is guilty of two gross rational errors. They have committed the double-standard fallacy by their decision to refuse discrimination concerning a few people, while imposing discrimination against another group of people (consisting of individuals too). And they have betrayed defenseless girls and boys, as well as adults, who deserve to have their modesty protected and rights to privacy secured.

When the board fixated on the “internal sense of gender identity” of transgender students, they failed to affirm the internal sense of gender identity of everyone else. The burden of proof on this matter lies with the board, not the casualties from their decree. Their decision rests both on assumptions about sexual identity that cannot be scientifically proven, and assertions which they cannot establish concerning the character of every professed transgender they simply presume to be sincere. Yet every time we open the newspaper we are reminded that the track record of human nature as a whole is replete with acts of dishonesty. So their naïve confidence in transgenders commits an additional double-standard infraction! All the while, young bystanders are being treated like guinea pigs for their ill-considered experiment. Truly inmates are running the asylum.

Gary Jensen

Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church

Snohomish

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

Volunteers with Stop the Sweeps hold flyers as they talk with people during a rally outside The Pioneer Courthouse on Monday, April 22, 2024, in Portland, Ore. The rally was held on Monday as the Supreme Court wrestled with major questions about the growing issue of homelessness. The court considered whether cities can punish people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
Editorial: Cities don’t need to wait for ruling on homelessness

Forcing people ‘down the road’ won’t end homelessness; providing housing and support services will.

RGB version
Editorial cartoons for Monday, April 29

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Comment: Justice delayed, but will a Jan. 6 trial be denied?

The court’s oral arguments raise doubts about Trump facing some if any charges over the insurrection.

Saunders: Free speech isn’t a right to block others’ education

Campus protesters should face jail, expulsion for shouting down officials and disrupting classes.

FILE - The TikTok logo is displayed on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen, Oct. 14, 2022, in Boston. TikTok is gearing up for a legal fight against a U.S. law that would force the social media platform to break ties with its China-based parent company or face a ban. A battle in the courts will almost certainly be backed by Chinese authorities as the bitter U.S.-China rivalry threatens the future of a wildly popular way for young Americans to connect online.  (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
Comment: Social media problem much larger than TikTok

The sell-or-ban law for the video app ignores the harms caused by the entire social media industry.

City of Snohomish property purchase was legitimate

A concerned citizen sent me a copy of a Facebook post by… Continue reading

Was traffic fatality result of relaxed police pursuit law?

I read with horror the article about the poor woman who was… Continue reading

Solar panels are visible along the rooftop of the Crisp family home on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Federal, state program will put more roofs to work

More families can install rooftop solar panels thanks to the state and federal Solar for All program.

Patricia Robles from Cazares Farms hands a bag to a patron at the Everett Farmers Market across from the Everett Station in Everett, Washington on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Editorial: EBT program a boon for kids’ nutrition this summer

SUN Bucks will make sure kids eat better when they’re not in school for a free or reduced-price meal.

Forum: Energy efficiency needs emphasis from utilities, agencies

Snohomish PUD has been a leader in energy conservation, but more work is needed as electricity demand grows.

Comment: Congress can add drones to fight against wildfires

Congress’ passage of the FAA bill can safely put drones to the task of scouting wildfires and other disasters.

Comment: Leave working forests to their vital climate work

State forests managed for timber are more effective in reducing carbon emissions than locking them away.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.