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edslunch · 02-01-2024, 07:15 PM

I watched Smith's follow-up press conference on parental choice, now reframed as protecting the ability for kids to make informed choices as adults by preventing them from making choices as children. I have to say it was a master class in deflection. She focused almost entirely on gender transition surgeries, their irreversible nature, and side effects and consequences that can go with them. Individuals should wait until they are adults before making such an important life-changing decision.

I think most people would be on side with that, or at least understand that position, and Smith stated that Alberta currently doesn't allow people under 18 to have transitional surgery. This, coupled with pledges of additional support and supportive words makes it a hard position to attack.

What it was though, was a smokescreen for more impactive parts of the policy. The pronoun issue has been talked to death but got barely a mention or question. Smith talked about every child deserving supportive parents and that the 'very few' cases of abuse can be addressed through Children's Services, but made no statement or acknowledgement about the hell many of these kids go through with their families.

The other big issue slipped in with the surgery Trojan horse is opt-in for sex ed. This is straight out of the conservative religious right playbook and will have serious consequences. Kids can choose to take a spare by not delivering the form to their parents, parents can out right refuse or more likely just not get around to submitting the form, particularly if their child isn't hounding them to sign up for this uncomfortable topic. Make no mistake, this is the nugget of gold in this policy for TBA and other like-minded folk. David Parker decries falling birth rates so apparently he'll make it up with unplanned pregnancies.

The chef's kiss was Smith responding to a reporter's question about opt in creating red tape for teachers: 'if indeed they are talking about sex every day then that shows why this policy is required'. F you Smith.

02-01-2024, 07:15 PM	#17603
edslunch Franchise Player Join Date: Apr 2009 Exp:	I watched Smith's follow-up press conference on parental choice, now reframed as protecting the ability for kids to make informed choices as adults by preventing them from making choices as children. I have to say it was a master class in deflection. She focused almost entirely on gender transition surgeries, their irreversible nature, and side effects and consequences that can go with them. Individuals should wait until they are adults before making such an important life-changing decision. I think most people would be on side with that, or at least understand that position, and Smith stated that Alberta currently doesn't allow people under 18 to have transitional surgery. This, coupled with pledges of additional support and supportive words makes it a hard position to attack. What it was though, was a smokescreen for more impactive parts of the policy. The pronoun issue has been talked to death but got barely a mention or question. Smith talked about every child deserving supportive parents and that the 'very few' cases of abuse can be addressed through Children's Services, but made no statement or acknowledgement about the hell many of these kids go through with their families. The other big issue slipped in with the surgery Trojan horse is opt-in for sex ed. This is straight out of the conservative religious right playbook and will have serious consequences. Kids can choose to take a spare by not delivering the form to their parents, parents can out right refuse or more likely just not get around to submitting the form, particularly if their child isn't hounding them to sign up for this uncomfortable topic. Make no mistake, this is the nugget of gold in this policy for TBA and other like-minded folk. David Parker decries falling birth rates so apparently he'll make it up with unplanned pregnancies. The chef's kiss was Smith responding to a reporter's question about opt in creating red tape for teachers: 'if indeed they are talking about sex every day then that shows why this policy is required'. F you Smith. Last edited by edslunch; 02-01-2024 at 07:17 PM.