Friday, January 9, 2015

Congressman Lieu: Wrong on Transgenderism

Ted Lieu
Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance

Congressman Ted Lieu tweeted the following message on New Year's Day, 2015:

Being is not a "mistake." It is the beautiful expression of what it means to be human.

This is one of the most offensive tweets I have read from a politician.

Does Congressman Lieu understand the health implication which afflict individuals who insist that although they were born as one sex, they are in fact another?

I am deeply concerned with Lieu's decision to tweet about this issue, in the face of budget concerns, an overblown national debt, plus the insecurity of our nation's borders, combined with the exasperating arrogance of the President. His executive actions have ruined any chances for reform and progress in Washington.

The death of Leelah Alcorn, in reality a young male named Josh, struggled with identity issues.

CNN reports:

When Josh Alcorn voiced a desire to live as a girl, the Ohio teenager's parents said they wouldn't stand for that.

So the parents are at fault because they respected their son's physical and well as mental integrity?

"We don't support that, religiously," Alcorn's mother told CNN on Wednesday, her voice breaking. "But we told him that we loved him unconditionally. We loved him no matter what. I loved my son. People need to know that I loved him. He was a good kid, a good boy."

The son's suicide note read:

"Please don't be sad, it's for the better. The life I would've lived isn't worth living in ... because I'm transgender," the note said. "I could go into detail explaining why I feel that way, but this note is probably going to be lengthy enough as it is. To put it simply, I feel like a girl trapped in a boy's body, and I've felt that way ever since I was 4. I never knew there was a word for that feeling, nor was it possible for a boy to become a girl, so I never told anyone and I just continued to do traditionally 'boyish' things to try to fit in."

One has to ask: how did he know that he was really a she trapped in a boy's body? The struggle to fit in, to define oneself, to understand a place in life, these issues do not get resolved right away for young people, and their minds are still developing.

Here's a larger part of the problem. The issue has nothing to do with the individual traditions or beliefs of families. The small-time crisis of transgenderism is a health problem, a malady of identity.

SexChangeRegret.com writer Walter Heyer shared the following points on his website:

She (or he) confirms the point I made in my book, Paper Genders--the brain hasn't matured enough to make this decision until the person reaches their mid-20s. So why would we encourage any child to undergo "treatments" with such long-term consequences?


Transgenderism
Young people are still trying to get answers in a world which seems destined to occlude or even shame the pursuit of answers.

Young people who believe that they should change genders are not demented or evil, but they need help. Creating another entitled minority class called "transgender" is not only foolish and without merit, but inherently dangerous, a form of biological insanity.

Heyer also criticized administering hormone blockers to children:

One controversial treatment for children with gender dysphoria is the administration of drugs called hormone blockers to delay puberty. The practice is gaining traction without any scientific proof that it is appropriate or effective, and despite the evidence that it can be harmful.

The real problem, gender dysphoria, needs to be treated in a clinical setting. Mental health specialists are now overrun with politically-correct doctors intent on accommodating rather than treating the dysphoria.



Walt Heyer, born male then altered to female, returned to himself
Heyer notes that at a young age, he was abused by his grandmother, who insisted on his wearing a purple dress and pretending to be a girl. Many men who suffered abuse as children struggle to share this pain with others, whether medical professionals, or even their wives and close and relatives. The trauma, the shame of sexual predation, or abuse, is so great, that many young men usually choose a homosexual or trangender identity rather than dealing with the shame.

Celebrity talk show host Oprah Winfrey conveyed the difficulty of facing the truth about sex abuse, for example. In a recent interview with Barbara Walters, Winfrey acknowledged that she was forty-two years old when she finally grasped that her abuse was not her fault. Interviewing convicted child molesters who explained how they manipulated young people, it finally occurred to Oprah why she continued to feel ashamed about the abuse, even though in reality it was never her fault.

The revelation of the truth about who we are, and the strength to overcome the shame associated with it, does not happen right away. Often, it takes time and awareness, something which therapists do not truck in.

Now that Congressman Lieu (among others) has outlawed adults from counseling young people with gender dysphoria, helping young people to lead productive and stable lives has become more difficult.

Transgenderism is a mistake, and the high incidence of depression, health problems, and even suicide associated with the conversion should alarm concerned adults as well as legislators.

People are not mistakes, though, and they need real help. They need to be encouraged to respect and embrace the physical traits they were born with.

Heyer quotes one example of this acceptance:

Seven years ago, Matthew, a male drag queen, became Chelsea. Now Chelsea wants to become Matthew again. In the article published Oct. 1, 2014, Chelsea says:

'I have always longed to be a woman, but no amount of surgery can give me an actual female body and I feel like I am living a lie.

'It is exhausting putting on make-up and wearing heels all the time. Even then I don't feel I look like a proper woman.

'I suffered from depression and anxiety as a result of the hormones too.

'I have realised it would be easier to stop fighting the way I look naturally and accept that I was born a man physically.'"

Heyer also argues that no matter how many surgeries or hormone treatments an individual receives, the fundamental genetic identity of an individual cannot change. A male is born with XY chromosomes, and all the surgeries and medicinal tampering cannot alter that.

Congressman Lieu and his like-minded colleagues must encourage young people, and all people, to respect their bodies and acknowledge that they are not mistakes, and they should not regret their inborn, innate sexual characteristics, either.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Lieu Gets Union Nods -- Uh Oh!

Teachers Unions -

https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/452137134636273664

Communication Workers of America

https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/451438988121755649

ILWU Locals endorse

https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/440564117909561344

When will this nonsense end?

We need representatives who care about our local needs, not the disparate, limited concerns of interest groups who amass their funding and support by force and coercion.

Congressman Ted Lieu

Whether I like it or not, State Senator Ted Lieu is now Congressman Ted Lieu.

The last time that I had confronted my representative, in February 2014, he was soliciting a photo-op while listening to the concerns of a local pharmacist, who tried to shut me down and prevent me from addressing my state senator.

He did vote against referring now-expelled convict Roderick Wright from the state senate.

Now, he is in Congress, and in a way, there is nothing to fear.

At least he will remain a member of the much reduced minority for the next two-to-four years.

I anticipate that Democrats will not have a fighting change of regaining the House until 2026, provided that there is no permanent fracturing between conservatives and Establishment Republicans in the House, and the Democrats insist on their mad dash toward a heavily communistic party platform.

I called Congressman Lieu's office, and apparently the staff know who I am, just as the previous staff under retreating Henry Waxman remembered me when I called last month.

The whole business of activism and pressure on our representatives is harder than I thought, but can be effective if done well.

Everyone of us is learning how this works.

Now that I have the attention of my local leaders, I want to press forward to hold them accountable.

Washington DC

District Offices

Friday, July 4, 2014

Ted Lieu with the Power (Socialist) Fist?

State Senator Ted Lieu with Socialist Fist (Source: Twitter.com/tedlieu
Civil liberties and force are incompatible. If we want to be free, that status must include freedom from coercion.

Apparently, State Senator turned Congressional candidate Ted Lieu  (D-Torrance) does not agree. He supported tripling of the state car tax, and "the power to tax is the power to destroy". A massive voter reprisal forced him to pull the measure before he could introduce it for consideration. From the outset of his tenure in the state legislature, Lieu has passed micromanaging legislation, from banning tanning salons for youth to outlawing private puppy sales and protecting bears from hunting dogs, all while ignoring the pension crises and hostile regulations hurting California's economy.

Posing for a photo with the liberal activist group 99% Rise, Lieu retweeted:

Retweeted by
Ted Lieu 99Rise @99rise  ·  Jul 2

@tedlieu Thank you so much for your support! One person, one vote! Money out of politics! #SACsitin #wethepeople
What?! This group claims to support one person one vote, yet at the same time represents itself with the Socialist Fist? Government power fights against individual liberty, and even when the right to vote exists, government coercion attempts to curb or corrupt the vote (consider the suspect voter turnout in Mississippi following the US Senate primary run-off).


Socialist Fist
Then I looked up "Socialist Fist" on Google, and the striking similarity between the fist on the poster and throughout the Internet demonstrates a disturbing connection with Socialism.

Like other statist political philosophies, socialism depends on government force and coercion to enforce "equality", which in fact turns into an equitable poverty, contrasted with a minute, elite minority taking advantage of everyone else. For a group which claims to represent the 99%, 99 Rise is actually promoting the very agenda which they claim to oppose.

State Sen. Lieu wants to overturn Citizens United, yet he has ignored the Tea Party backed candidate, David Brat in Virginia, who overcame a well-financed incumbent's campaign war chest, one which exceeded Brat's financing ten times over.

Let us also not forget that EBay CEO Meg Whitman and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina spent a combined $187 million for California statewide offices, and lost. Money in politics is neither as persuasive nor powerful as Lieu and 99 Rise would suggest.

Speaking of moneyed influence in politics, when will Lieu discuss getting union money out of politics? With the donations he takes in from public sector unions (coerced membership, forced dues, nothing about liberty here), including the violent, anti-liberty SEIU? He praised the Supreme Court decision which extended Fourth Amendment protections to our cellphones, yet he said nothing about Harris v. Quinn, which will force this labor group to return millions of forced dues to non-members.
While liberal groups rely on fists and force, the Supreme Court (and advocates for liberty and equality of opportunity) rely on reason and truth. Perhaps Sen. Lieu should associated less with bullying socialism and advocate individual liberty based on limited government. Otherwise, Lieu has no business serving in government.

Friday, April 4, 2014

Democrats Discriminate Against Democrat Lieu

LA Times reporter Jean Merl reported on the rescinded endorsements of six state senators following State Senator Ted Lieu's move to shelve efforts to reintroduce state-sponsored discrimination into
Democrats Are Discriminating Against Lieu
Because He Won't Support Discrimination
post-secondary education.

California voters in 1996 supported the end of state-sponsored discrimination in the public workforce, not just in higher education, but in all public agencies regarding employment, access, and acceptance.

One state senator wanted to amend the constitutional amendment with SCA5, which would have removed the restrictions.

Because Lieu responded to pressures from other immigrant groups, including Asian-Americans, plus demands from gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly, six state legislators have rescinded their support for Ted Lieu's bid to replace Congressman Henry Waxman.

The six legislators (senators Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens, Norma Torres of Pomona and Holly Mitchell of Los Angeles;  Assembly members Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, Anthony Rendon of Lakewood and Jose Medina of Riverside) expressed the following:

"As lifelong Democrats, we support the core democratic values of inclusion and diversity and we expect the candidates we support will share these values. Our constituents depend on us to take even the most divisive issues and use our leadership to help bring people together and guide the path toward progress.

"At this point, we cannot in good conscience endorse a candidate who does not share that perspective."

Merl points out that this letter does not indict Lieu directly for blocking Sacramento's efforts to reintroduce discrimination, but the fact that six lawmakers would pull their support for Lieu so soon after the end of SCA5 should raise more than eyebrows.

Conservatives should take heart. The division among different ethnic groups on "affirmative action"  may draw groups like Asian-Americans away from the Democratic Party to the GOP, the party which supports family values, business sense, a work ethic, and a need to strengthen communal ties -- but not on through the government.

The Democratic Party supports tolerance and diversity in skin color, maybe, but not diversity of thought or ability, or freedom to succeed and fail, for which the Republican Party will well-known (perhaps too well-known through the divisive "mainstream media").

Inclusion should not exclude talent or academic excellence. Inclusion does not preclude the power of culture, bearing, and upbringing in the lives of youth. Chinese-Americans in particular, such as senator Lieu, and Asian-Americans in general have a stronger attachment to values such as family and education, and the children who excel in these cultures should not be punished for their excellence with fewer opportunities to enroll in post-secondary education.

Lieu did the right thing blocking the reintroduction of state-sponsored discrimination, and it is a disappointing shame that his fellow Democrats are hypocritically criticizing him for not supporting discrimination.




Ted Lieu Voted Against Discrimination

In 1996, with the help of Ward Connerly, the state of California voters approved proposition 209, which ended "affirmative action", which in reality was negative discrimination, or state-sponsored racism.

This past year, Fast-forward. State Senator Edward Hernandez introduced SCA-5, an amendment which would have removed the language in the initiative relating to post-secondary education . Senator Hernandez and the senate Democrats endorsed state-sponsored discrimination by passing the bill in January.

State Senator Ted Lieu was one of the state senators, however, who helped shelve the legislation.

The Democratic Party is splitting apart on state-sponsored discrimination, even though the majority of voters approved legislation which would prevent California's public institution from taking into account race, ethnicity, and gender when awarding acceptance to universities or public sector jobs.

Senator Ted Lieu responded to public pressure, including vocal opposition from the Asian-American community as well as gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly and other immigrant groups in the state of California.

We need state senators to reject all forms of government sponsored discrimination, especially in connection with education and employment in the state of California.

Let us hope that Senator Lieu will move for ending other types of discrimination, like the favoritism which permits two indicted and one convicted state senators to retain their salaries even though the state senate has suspended them.


Lieu Votes
Against SCA5 Discrimination

Monday, March 10, 2014

Sumers Report on Lieu's Dem Endorsements -- So What?


Political reporter Brian Sumers reported on 33rd Congressional District Democratic Party officials' decision to endorse State Senator Ted Lieu instead of former City Comptroller and Mayoral
candidate Wendy Greuel.                                       

State Sen. Ted Lieu of Torrance has won the Democratic Party endorsement in his race for Congress, a seal-of-approval that could give him a boost in June’s primary election.

Or will it? Or will Democrats find themselves divided along a number of issues, which the mainstream media insists on ignoring, while playing up the divisions now actually fading away among the Republican Party?

Lieu received Democratic Party endorsement
So what?
In the quest to succeed Democratic veteran Henry Waxman in Congress, Lieu earned the nod over former Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel and former Bill Clinton administration official and radio host Matt Miller. Lieu was the choice of Democratic activists within the district who met during the weekend at the California Democrats State Convention.

Lieu currently represented state senate district 26, which includes 80%  of the 33rd Congressional district. He is a nice fit, to the extent that he has vetted voters and worked with city leaders up and down the district. But with all the other Democrats running for a seat, plus the division between South Bay Democrats and West Los Angeles liberals, the vote could be split inconveniently, and in favor of a conservative.

“This is a huge deal,” Lieu said. “It shows that I have the backing of the Democratic Party and this is in a congressional district that is heavily Democratic. It also shows that I have the support of the grass-roots Democrats.”

No it does not. No matter what a politician says about his support, there is no certainty that grassroots voters will get behind a state senator who has passed laws regulating all kinds of issues, while trying to triple our car tax.

How much the endorsement affects the race remains to be seen. Lieu immediately will be able to start advertising that he has the party endorsement. The party could also spend money on his behalf, but that is a decision that will be made later, a Democratic Party spokesman said.

Sumers' statement is accurate. Plus the fact the Wendy Greuel's campaign can argue that the Democratic reps voting for Lieu are focused primarily on their own interests, while ignoring the outreach from the former mayoral candidate.

“Campaigns and candidates have fought fiercely for the party’s endorsement,” party spokesman Tenoch Flores said. “The party’s endorsement is something that matters to rank-and-file Democrats throughout California.”

Sean Clegg, a Greuel strategist, said the campaign fought for the endorsement but will be fine without it. He said that Greuel already has strong name identification among Democrats because of her 2013 run for Los Angeles mayor. Clegg said an internal campaign poll conducted in February among likely voters put Greuel up by 13 points with Democrats against Lieu. Clegg also noted that Greuel has been endorsed by two prominent Democrats holding statewide offices — Attorney General Kamala Harris and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The division between local Democratic leaders vs. statewide Democratic representatives is interesting. Are local leaders, no matter what their party affiliation, starting to recognize that Sacramento simply does not understand the needs and views of individual districts? Local control is making a comeback in the Democratic Party?

“The process is what it is,” Clegg said. “It is a really Sacramento-centric caucus process. We’re going to focus on where we have a big advantage, which is with Democrats living in the district.”
A spokesman for Miller, probably the least known among the three Democrats, declined to comment.
A fourth candidate, Marianne Williamson, is an independent and was not eligible for the endorsement. In interviews, however, Williamson has called herself a progressive and said she shares many positions with the Democratic candidates.

Marianne Williamson may pose more of a threat than Democrats realize. She announced her interest in the seat long before Congressman Henry Waxman decided to retire (er, retreat) from office. Will she be able to leave enough of a mark to press into the general election? She may peel away enough Democratic votes to force a greater split for a Republican (a conservative?) to get into the top-two general election.

The only Republican mounting a serious campaign is Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Elan Carr.

The top two candidates, regardless of party, in the June 3 primary will move on to the general election on Nov. 4.

In the general election, the Democratic Party endorsement might be less helpful to Lieu, said Jack Pitney, professor of American Politics at Claremont McKenna College. That’s because while a Democrat is favored to win the 33rd Congressional District race, only about 44 percent of the district’s voters are registered Democrats, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. About 28 percent of voters are Republicans, while about 22 percent decline to state a party.

Thank you, Mr Pitney. Let us not forget, either, that a Republican is back in the mayor's seat in San Diego, even though the city has been trending Democratic over the past few elections. Then there's the Vidak race in 2013, where the Republican cherry farmer from Hanford won by nine points in a two-to-one Democratic district in the Central Valley.

Registration, strictly speaking, means nothing. Democrats are tearing each other up over union power, school choice, "affirmative action" (really stat-sponsored discrimination), and even gun rights may become a focal issue.

The Republican and independent votes will be important in November, Pitney said. And those voters probably won’t be swayed by the Democratic Party endorsement.

Duh!

“The 33rd District is not as heavily Democratic as many others in the Los Angeles area,” Pitney said in an email. “Greuel could build a coalition of Republicans, independents and moderate Democrats.”

The same lady who lambasted Kevin James as some kind of right-wing extremist. Really? Sadly, though, former Republican LA Mayor Richard Riordan has endorsed Ted Lieu. What a shame.