A Fluid Concept

 A FLUID CONCEPT

After reading up on the matter I think if I had to do it all over again, gender fluidity might be the way to go.  I think it would be preferable to oriengender or weekfluid where your gender changes on a set schedule.  The whole idea would be opportunity and if on a set schedule, one would have some limitations - - not many, but now and then for sure.  Of course, I'm jesting don't you know.

So let's simply go with genderfluidity:  it's an easy term to understand and covers a whole lot of territory.  Now let's be clear.  I'm not talking about identity fluidity here.  Identity fluidity can cover a whole lot more - - also called gender identity.  Currently there are in excess of 70 gender identities identified.  Examples include astral gender, cassgender, demiflux, genderpuck, and omnigender.  All good examples of various genders.

I'm thinking that our legislature needs to study up on these two terms:  gender fluidity and gender identity.  They are invading our schools and classrooms; our children are becoming omnigender more or less in total.  We won't be able to keep track of them and the senior proms will become really interesting - - so interesting in fact that the parental chaperones will know not what to do or not do.  They certainly won't be able to tell who is kissing who and who is copping a feel from whom.  

So I think our legislature should be putting this on their agenda for next session.  They have worked diligently to  outlaw transgender, gay, and the sexual activity amongst the underclassmen.  Now it is  time to do a little research and nip all this gender fluidity and gender identity in the bud before it reaches proportions that it can't easily be quashed.  We certainly want to make sure none of this stuff gets into our school libraries where some young dissatisfied soul is looking for  a little  gender experimentation.

After all, according to our legislature, and properly so, sex only appears after graduation - - miraculously - - poof and there it is with the concurrent question of "What do we do with this?"  Our elected officials have forgotten, if they ever knew, that our children have smart phones.  And guess what?  They also have on these smart phones ChatGPT and Bard and Google and Siri and Bing and Pi and Replika and AI Dungeon and probably a hundred more.  Who knew, right?

So, let's do a little research so we are prepared for the next thing that we have to forbid legislatively.  It's simply necessary if we want to continue to live in a world we recognize.

Richard E H Phelps

                                         Mingo

An Entitled Opinion

 AN ENTITLED OPINION

The accepted opinion is that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  I don't know where this idea ever came from, but it simply is not true.  Many people are not entitled to an opinion, in fact, probably most.  Why should you be entitled to an opinion if you know nothing about the subject for which you have an opinion?  Why would you think that simply because you can speak and move around, that you are entitled to an opinion on a subject of which you know nothing?

The answer, of course, is that you don't.  And you shouldn't.  The Declaration of Independence mentions life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  It didn't say a thing about opinions - - totally silent.  This would lead one to believe that opinions were omitted as simply not relevant.  And again, the Constitution to the United States, including the Amendments, are silent when it comes to opinion.  Nowhere does it say that due process or equal protection applies to the opinions of anyone who thinks they ought to have some.

It is clear, simply from absence, that an opinion is not something that was given much thought back when - - and for good reason.  Nothing has changed since 1789 or whenever, that makes it any more likely that a citizen of this country is able to form a knowledgeable opinion now.

The sources of knowledge that are available to be able to form an opinion are numerous and continuance.  One only needs to pay some heed to them which, I know, does require a certain amount of time and attention.  Time and attention are the two factors that are critical in the development of opinion:  It takes time and effort to absorb the knowledge required for an opinion which appear to be the two factors that seem to be absent from the lives of our countrymen.

We have decided, as a people, as Americans, that time and attention are two things we don't have enough of in our busy lives of working, TV, and sporting events.  Just too busy and besides it can be depressing if successfully engaging in opinion forming.  One would actually have to read items in a newspaper, magazine, or book in order to be able to form an opinion on anything beyond our immediate ken and additionally, it might be depressing.  There simply isn't enough time in the day to learn enough to be able to form an opinion and besides, who wants to be depressed.

So, the solution has been and continues to be that we adopt ready made opinions.  It has been observed that currently there usually are two contrary opinions on any given subject - - they would be the opinion expressed on Fox and the opinion expressed on MSNBC.  These are ready made opinions and ones that are simply adopted by the viewers.  Very neat and tidy.  No messing around with newspapers or magazines or books - - not necessary.  These opinions are the opinions that you believe you have the right to possess and they really aren't even yours though you claim them.  So when someone says that you don't have a right to an opinion, give it some thought, and come to the proper conclusion:  you really don't even have any.

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo