By PEDRO GONZALEZ
Democrats are doing some serious soul-searching in the aftermath of the presidential election. Well, some are anyway.
One of the most common refrains you hear now is that the party lost the middle mass of Americans by having gone all-in on identity politics, which was accompanied by an inquisitorial and confrontational attitude toward real and imagined dissenters. Democrats forsook the woes of everyday people in search of ideological monsters to destroy and found no shortage of them over the years. Voters voiced their complaints at the ballot box in November.
One group among Democrats seems keenly aware of their excesses in retrospect: transgender activists. “To get on the wrong side of transgender activists is often to endure their unsparing criticism,” wrote Jeremy Peters in The New York Times. “Now, some activists say it is time to rethink and recalibrate their confrontational ways, and are pushing back against the more all-or-nothing voices in their coalition.”
Better late than never.
It’s worth reflecting on how egregious this political chapter has been now that everyone, including the advocates of transgenderism, seems to be acknowledging that. It is certainly true that culture war items can and do get blown out of proportion. Here this was not the case, and I will show you why.
Back in 2021, City Journal published a report on how social workers across the country were challenging parents’ rights when they suspected a child in their care could benefit from so-called “gender-affirming therapy.” In one instance, a Pakistani immigrant and devout Muslim named Ahmed was forced to flee his home for fear of having the government take away his autistic son, Syed.
Ahmed took a 16-year-old Syed to Seattle Children’s Hospital when the family worried that he might hurt himself. Due to a COVID-19 policy, Ahmed could not stay with his son, who was left in the care of hospital staff and social workers. The isolation of lockdowns had severely exacerbated Syed’s preexisting issues. He had hardly been sleeping at all and was excessively binging on the Internet. His mental health took a serious toll—to the point that he began experiencing visual hallucinations.
Of all the things that could possibly be the source of his distress during such a difficult time, the white coats determined that gender was the true source of Syed’s distress. Ahmed understood what that meant: transition your boy or have him taken into the custody of Child Protective Services. That was what a psychiatrist friend warned him would happen if he resisted. So, Ahmed played along long enough to get Syed back from Seattle Children’s Hospital, then quit his job and moved his family of four out of Washington.
Ahmed’s story is just one example among many, many others, each essentially involving people fighting to keep the state of their homes.
A school administrator in California supported the transition of a child behind the mother’s back, resulting in a $100,000 settlement.
A military family lost custody of their autistic son after they refused to transition him in accordance with the demands of Children’s National Hospital in D.C.
A Montana family whose 14-year-old daughter was taken by the state, allegedly without a warrant, after opposing her transition.
Advocates saw themselves as benevolent warriors in the war for social justice. But mothers and fathers, including those in traditionally Democratic households, saw a threat to the integrity of their families and their rights as parents. If and when they voiced their dissent, they were regarded as backward and bigoted. All that is on top of the locker room and sports issues, which also directly affect children.
The best possible outcome of this election is a period of national reflection among Democrats who saw no downside to ideological excesses until now. It would be good for the party—and the country.
Pedro Gonzalez has joined the editorial staff of Must Read Alaska. His work has appeared in The New York Post, The Washington Examiner, and elsewhere.
Great analysis. In contrast, I’ve run into increasing all-or-nothing, all-in attitudes among conservatives over the past couple of years. Extremism, in any form, should be expected, and is dangerous. Thankfully, this election illustrates that Americans are “slow to anger”, but tend to come to balance before it gets too late.
There may be some on the Left that engage in self-reflection but not many and certainly not most. This is because the virus has embedded itself so deep in their souls that it has consumed the part of the mind that separates right from wrong. Simply put, the Left believes they are doing to right thing. They must only persist in their quest for power. They believe that, being untimely “correct” their success is inevitable and by definition “progress”.
Martin Luther King once declared “the moral arc of the universe is long but it bends toward justice”. While this sounds neat and captures their vision, there isn’t much to support the idea. It is simply wishful thinking but when combined with a belief that Leftist ideas are all “progress” it becomes very toxic.
Democrats should be expected to explain whether something is “progress”. Lots of stuff is not. Maybe some explain; most will avoid it. I am not expecting things to change very much.
While it is an admirable trait to accept diversity, it is despotic to mandate it. Everyone has a right to live their life as they choose so long as they don’t infringe on the rights of others. Our constitution was founded on this principle and folks need to reflect on that.
The poor left knows about losing too bad.
Grow up and learn.
Those who kidnapped children from normal, loving parents for the purpose of “transitioning” should be prosecuted, regardless of their intentions or supposed authority.