2016 Blogs - (not many)

NEW BATHROOM LAW - August 12, 2016
The new government regulations regarding sexual orientation is creating havoc among architects and builders.

I have been pondering this problem ever since the matter of sexual orientation became an issue with most Democrats and not a few Republicans. As long as it was just their issue I figured that it would never affect me. Wrong! The liberals and radical sexists gained control of what was once the venerable Supreme Court, which not only reinterpreted laws, but also created new laws, redefined the English language and rewrote biology textbooks.

The new government regulations also require changing important documents.

When I married my wife Verna in 1963, we received a marriage certificate with an official government seal declaring that we had become husband and wife. We had three children and with each birth, we had to show our marriage certificate before obtaining a birth certificate for our child. Our daughter's birth certificate stated that she was female and our sons' certificates declared that they were male.

Now I discover that, due to new government regulations, these documents are no longer valid. Our oldest son recently lost his passport and applied for a new one. He was told that his birth certificate is invalid. He must apply for a new one. Here is the ruling direct from the government website:

Beginning April 1, 2011, the U.S. Department of State requires the full names of the applicant's parent(s) to be listed on all certified birth certificates to be considered as primary evidence of U.S. citizenship for all passport applicants, regardless of age. Certified birth certificates missing this information will not be acceptable as evidence of citizenship. This will not affect applications already in-process that have been submitted or accepted before the effective date.

In addition to this requirement, certified copies of birth certificates must also include the following information to be considered acceptable primary evidence of U.S. citizenship:

Full name of the applicant
Date of birth
Place of birth
Raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal of issuing authority
Registrar's signature
The date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office (must be within one year)

Did you notice what is no longer required? If you read carefully, it is no longer required that a person have two parents. There is no place on the new birth certificate that gives the sex (or sexual orientation) of the parent, parents or applicant. The new certificate is open for additional new rulings from the Supreme Court. In the future, parents may not be limited to two nor must they be human.

Whenever I was asked on a form if I was married or single, I always checked "married." I have considered writing in "husband" but have been told that there are often "husbands" and "wives" in gay and lesbian marriages.

Our government has not only legalized, but actually dictated new restroom regulations for public buildings. We must now decide how to label restroom doors. Actually, "door" can be singular because schools and other public places are no longer required to build separate restrooms according to sexual orientation. If that was required, there would have to be multiple restrooms labeled, Female, Male, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual.

My first thought was that restrooms would not need labels, but then people would keep opening doors, looking for the one they need. Office workers and kitchen personnel would not appreciate that.

That made me wonder why restrooms would even need doors. Builders could save money by installing urinals and toilets in the hallway or lobby.

As I contemplated this possibility, it became clear that there are other reasons why people prefer privacy. They may like to read a magazine or do Sudoku puzzles. Others wouldn't want to display certain hidden tattoos or the color of their panties/shorts. Even if there is just one restroom, it would need individual stalls.

After much serious contemplation, the highway department gave me an idea that could resolve the restroom labeling issue. Some genius invented the all-way-stop. It is a red octagon-shaped sign and easily identifiable. I suggest making round green "anything goes" signs for restrooms.