To the Editor:
Second Opinion.
Well, I’ll be darned. I never thought I’d live to see the day that Martin Farrell advocated for women’s rights. True, he limited it to sports. Give those athletic little gals a chance, he argues. Don’t let born anatomical males take anything away from those hard-working darlin’s. I agreed with his statements supporting girl's and women's opportunities, and I was impressed with his insight. However, Martin soon revealed that his true advocacy is against men who, while retaining their special "body parts” are allowed by sports authorities to compete with women "...in order to palliate some guy who can't make it with real men and facilitates a new subspecies in the gender wars." Uh oh, it was not about women's or girl's rights; the "evils" of Title IX were referenced. It was about transgender women betraying their manhood. Oops.
I can't speak to the biology and chromosomal facts of adult transgender athletes; I just don't know enough about the data around the issue. I can understand that it is of great interest to the women competing against them. But to speak of a "new subspecies" in gender is a clear indication that the speaker is way out of his lane. I will speak here of primary and secondary school athletes in light of Title IX so as not to exceed my competence level.
LGBTQ, or any other term used to label human experience of sexuality or gender, is inadequate to define the experience of the individuals so described by self or others. These are people, first. Many of us have some challenges in understanding, appreciating, or recognizing the burden that much of society places on them, or anyone, for lack of “compliance.” I don’t know how many people labeled in that context would choose it. But what they can do, must do, and we must support them in this, is to accept and take joy in the person they are becoming. That is our lifelong personal mission, too. Anyone striving to become their full self when the world is so clearly resistant to such an aberration, loving and encouraging conformation as it does, we should all take notice and support their human quest.
Especially if one is a believer in a benevolent and intelligent Creator, it is hard to think how one could reject persons for the way they were made in the deepest part of their being. Generally speaking, primary and secondary school sports abilities do not vary widely between younger boys and girls. Girls have been known to play high school football. Young people, including athletes, who were born biologically inconsistent with their hearts, minds, and souls - whether as male or female - should be welcome to engage in their chosen activities as their true selves.
I would ask that people who take issue with Title IX offer an alternate statement giving girl's sports the same opportunities as are given to boys and to boys as are given to girls. It is a constitutional issue. There can be cases where an inequity is occurring. There are ways to deal with challenges. But I’m with Martin. Let’s give those girls a chance. All the girls.
By Kelly Scoles
Fillmore

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To the Editor:
Last Thursday was a big day for the California State Board of Education. They adopted a model curriculum for ethnic studies classes in California public schools. In the curriculum students are encouraged to chant to Aztec gods - Tezkatlipoka and Huizilopochtli, to name two. Human sacrifices were offered to these gods - hundreds per year to Huizilopochtli - the sacrificial victims being captive Indians from tribes subjugated by the Aztecs. The victims were taken to the top of the temple where their hearts were cut out, they were dismembered, and their torsos were thrown off the side of the temple. The priests then ate parts of their bodies, the prized part being the victim's heart. The victims' blood was thought to strengthen the god.
This is all part of the Dept. of Education's plan to foster unity with "marginalized" segments of our society and to elevate the culture and beliefs of "pre-colonial aboriginal indigenous" people.
Of all the things that school children could glorify, these Aztec gods are among the worst. The Board of Education must think that human sacrifice and cannibalism are things to glorify. Ironically, with the adoption of this curriculum school children will be encouraged to chant to these pagan gods but will be forbidden from reciting the Lord's Prayer.
This is what happens when you elect progressive liberals to office. They come up with evil things like this. They don't know God (the real One, that is), so they encourage children to commit idolatry. They are tools of Satan to draw people away from Jesus, and what better way than to have school children seek enlightenment, power, unity, and strength by calling on the gods of the Aztecs?
You can find a good, short article on this new curriculum by searching the following online: "City-journal.org - Calf. ethnic studies curriculum (revenge of the gods)".
Pastor Leslie R. Lanier
Wayfarer's Chapel Lutheran Church
Fillmore