Posted on 04/11/2016 5:40:47 AM PDT by Kaslin
Dear Bruce,
As a resident of North Carolina since 2003, I read with interest that you decided to cancel your April 10th concert in Greensboro because of HB2, the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act.
In your statement you explained that, in your view, the bill is “an attempt by people who cannot stand the progress our country has made in recognizing the human rights of all of our citizens to overturn that progress.”
You added that it was time for you and your band “to show solidarity for those freedom fighters” (speaking of transgender activists), and you ended your statement with these powerful words: “Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them. It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.”
I also read that your guitarist Steven Van Zandt, has likened HB2 to an “evil virus” that is spreading through the United States in the form of similar legislation.
These are strong words, and they represent strong convictions.
So, let me first commend you and your band members for putting your principles before your livelihood, even to the disappointment of your North Carolina fans.
I have read that you regretted not performing at the 1985 Live Aid concert in Wembley, and perhaps this is your way of saying, “I do care and I’m here to make a difference.”
Whatever your motivation, I admire anyone who puts morality before money.
My question to you and your band is simply this: In boycotting North Carolina and siding against HB2, did you really side with morality? Are you truly standing with “freedom fighters”?
I’m assuming you read HB2 for yourself and you’re not just listening to media reports attacking the bill or, worse still, getting your talking points from biased lobbyist groups like the Human Rights Campaign. (If you’re not really familiar with the bill, then click here and here and here.)
So, please allow me to ask you some questions.
First, how do you know if someone is really “transgender” or not? Is it determined entirely by how they feel about themselves? If so, do you think that it might be hard to make laws based entirely on how people feel? Did you ever stop to consider that?
Second, what’s the difference between someone with “gender dysphoria” (or, as it used to be called, “gender identity disorder”) and someone, say, with schizophrenia or “multiple personality disorder” or some other psychological condition? In other words, if a man is a biological and chromosomal male but believes he is a woman, is he actually a woman, or does he have a psychological disorder?
If he does have a psychological disorder, should we try to treat that disorder or should we celebrate that disorder? And is it right to call biological males who feel they are women and biological women who feel they are men “freedom fighters”? Perhaps that’s not the best use of the term?
If you are deeply offended that I would dare suggest that many transgender individuals are dealing with a psychological disorder, could you kindly point me to the definitive scientific literature that explains that these biological males are actually females and these biological females are actually males?
I’m not saying they don’t deserve compassion.
To the contrary, I’m saying that’s exactly what they deserve: compassion, not celebration.
But perhaps I’m being too abstract here, so let’s get really practical.
Let’s say that a 6’ 4” male who used to play professional football and who has secretly agonized over his gender identity for years finally determines that he must be true to himself and live as a woman.
Do you think it might be traumatic for a little girl using the library bathroom to see this big man walk into her room wearing a dress and a wig? Should we take her feelings into account, or is she not important? What if that was your granddaughter? Would you care if she was traumatized? And when you speak of “the human rights of all of our citizens” does that include little girls like this?
I understand that this gentleman will have difficulties should he decide to dress and live as a woman, but that is still a choice he is making, and it is not fair to impose his struggles on innocent little children, is it?
And what if this same man, whom we’ll assume is not a sexual predator, wants to share the YMCA locker room with your wife and daughter, standing there in his underwear as they come out of the shower stalls wrapped in towels. Is this fair to them?
Let’s take this one step further.
If any man who claims to be a woman can use women’s bathrooms and locker rooms, then how do we keep the sexual predators out? I’ve asked people to watch this short video, giving examples of male heterosexual predators who donned women’s clothing to get into the ladies’ rooms, and I’d encourage you to watch it too.
Without HB2, rapists and voyeurs and pedophiles would have free access to our women and daughters in the safety of their own bathrooms and locker rooms.
Since you don’t like HB2 – indeed, your guitarist called it an “evil virus” – what’s your plan to keep the predators out? How can we tell the difference between a “genuine” transgender person and a sexual predator? Since everyone knows you as “The Boss,” what would you do to keep the ladies and children safe?
And one final question.
When you booked the concert in Greenboro, the laws in North Carolina were just as they are today: In public facilities, people had to use the bathrooms and locker rooms that corresponded to their biological sex.
Why, then, did you agree to come in the first place? Why cancel the concert when things today are just what they were six months ago?
Again, I appreciate your sincerity, but I question your judgment.
In your zeal to do what is right, you have actually done what is wrong.
No talent liberal hack. Unlike Gov. Christie, I wouldn’t part the curtains if he was caterwauling outside my window.
Loose Bedspring to the rescue!!!
Well now I’m even more confused. I thought they said it had nothing to do with the plumbing.
The Liberals want to force people who have deeply held religious beliefs to perform services for people that offend their religion. So why isn’t Springsteen forced to perform the concert anyway? Since he doesn’t agree with
the opinions/lifestyle of North Carolinians?
In fact, I just flashed on something.
_____
That’s just the LSD talking bro.
On 60 minutes show last night, they had a girl who had her breasts removed.
Watching it was so sad. She was such a pretty girl, so young. I think in time, she would have learned to love her body.
So now she is a boy. A boy with a vagina.
The parent called him a ‘him’ then a ‘her’, then a ‘him’, when talking about her. She identified as a lesbian, then saw some speech about transgender.
Kids are so confused during puberty that any suggestion may seem like the answer. Time to grow up is sometimes the answer.
Dear Bruce:
Your music is overly pretentious and sucks. It always has.
Signed,
henkster
Bruce Springsteen is likely a pedophile himself. Shame on anyone who purchased his hooting and hollering disguised as “music”.
Mr. Brown was far too nice to Springsteen in this article. Springsteen is a revolutionary and has been for years. They typically do not care about women and little girls..They care whether the method justifies the means. I do not know whether Springsteen generally considers that women and little girls need protection but his actions in this situation would indicate that he doesn’t give a big ^&%$#% about them.
The START???Where you been the past 10 or 15 years?
This is all about defining deviancy down.
Yes SIR!
lol
Good. He sucks. Bruce, please go away and never tour again.
The most overrated rock star of all time with the possible exception of Mick Jaeger . . .
One would assume that Springsteen signed a contract with Greensboro Coliseum Complex for the concert. I suspect that a lawsuit will be forthcoming against him for lost revenue.
Springsteen And His Band - you're probably right about them - - pedophiles or worse. I know this much - Springsteen and his band don't give a damn about the feelings of our children or us.
Thank you for including the word “shower”.
99.99% of the conversation has been about “bathrooms”. It’s more than that, and includes showers and locker rooms. The anti-HB2’ers NEVER mention the word shower.
This is the recently updated Charlotte anti-discrimination ordinance that was overridden by NC HB2:
“It shall be unlawful to deny any person the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of a place of public accommodation because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin.”
That is FRIGGIN’ wide open!
While the lead Charlotte attorney said “shower access” was a misinterpretation of the new law, and the Police Chief said they would arrest a man in a woman’s shower as a misdemeanor, the previous Charlotte anti-discrimination ordinance specifically disallowed bathroom and shower access by people of the opposing gender. Those specific restrictions were removed when the updated ordinance was passed.
A man in the YMCA shower with my wife or daughter? Nope, ain’t gonna happen.
Worse than rap crap.
In the year 2016, Bruce Springsteen is irrelevant.
A private business can still designate gender neutral multi stall restrooms. That they have not done so shows they know the majority of their customers would not stand (or sit) for that. Instead they offer a “family” single use restroom. Which by the way NC allows under this law for educational facilities and government agencies.
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