Deceit, Harm, and the Loss of Human Values

By Cindy Alia

February 21, 2023

Two more bills that dehumanize and deceive us.  Lets look at what they really want to say.

As discussed in a recent blog, Value Life to Value Property Rights, including abortion as a constitutionally protected natural right goes against the ideal of positive rights creating the foundation of constitutional protections.  It is still urged SJR 8202 is not passed, though it is currently eligible for a vote on the senate floor.  But there are two other bills we must look at to defend our status as human beings worthy of establishing and keeping our liberties.  We must value humanity to value property.

Part of the problem with tracking legislation is the notion of trust and forthright procedural process is but a quaint and antiquated ideal pushed to the side in the rush to pass too many bills with too little debate.  Ideas in the legislature often originate and reverberate within chambers without what we would imagine as the benefit of the wisdom and oratory skills of the populace.  Oratory can be accomplished but had better be accomplished in under three minutes. 

Such modern woes lead to modern thinking rattling around the halls with little careful thought of consequences to others of modern woke ideals. 

Case in point.  SB 5489 - 2023-24 Concerning access to reproductive health care services and gender-affirming treatment in Washington state.

Sponsors: Trudeau, Wellman, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Liias, Lovelett, Nguyen, Pedersen, Randall, Saldana, Stanford, Valdez, Wilson, C.

As seen by the bill title, this bill creates a special status called “Protected Health Care Services” for abortion as well as for gender affirming treatment including social, psychological, behavioral, and medical or surgical interventions.  Sorrowful and gut-wrenching as these kinds of “interventions” or “treatments” may be they are legally carried out in Washington State.  If you read the almost gestapo approach to the protection of these services proposed in the original bill, you may be overcome by the lengths to which proponents of these services will go to be sure the services are not only legal in Washington but are protected in ways many other health services simply are not.  The basic premise is clear, don’t touch what we intend to create, which is not only legally protected medical procedure for Washingtonians but for all people under penalty of serious fines, but also of civil and criminal persecution for interfering with the practice.

Now to the notion of trust and honesty stemming from legislators.  SB 5599 Supporting youth and young adults seeking protected health care services

Having established in SB 5489 the special protected status of abortion and gender affirming treatment and the consequences of going against the will of the legislators, SB 5599 goes on from there to establish that legal protection for individuals under the age of 18 with specific mention in the bill the SB 5489. 

5599 establishes “support” as harboring, and denying parents of children under the age of 18 if that young person is being sheltered by any person, unlicensed youth shelter, or runaway and homeless youth program, a licensed overnight youth shelter, or another licensed organization with a stated mission to provide services to homeless or runaway youth and their families, and the list continues on describing institutions where a child may be in a situation without parental oversight.

This harboring can legally continue under what is termed “compelling reasons” in the statute to be amended with this legislation.  The compelling reasons in the statute are neglect or abuse of the child.  The sponsors of this bill are amending the statute to include as compelling reasons:

When a minor is seeking or receiving protected health care services.

 "Protected health care services" has the same meaning as provided in chapter . . ., Laws of 2023(Senate Bill No. 5489).  In other words if a minor child is seeking abortion or gender affirming treatment as defined in 5489 (abortion or social, psychological, behavioral, and medical or surgical intervention).

A parent could not only be prohibited from intervening to help their child, but would not even be informed that the need to intervene would be necessary. 

SB 5599 has been toned down in a substitute of the bill, but the basic premise is not different in total it only excludes unlicensed shelters, but not any other institutions or homes mentioned in the original bill.

Quite obviously the bills should not pass.  This is my prayer.  Both bills are ready for floor votes.

As bizzare and inhumane as this sounds, one thing these sponsors so sure in their deceit should consider before their aye votes on the floor, the language you have created in 5599 is not specific enough to only protect what you think should be protected, people will suffer from both 5489 and 5599. 

What if the trend of gender affirming treatment were to change as societal norms and treatment progresses as you progressive people are trying to establish.  What if the treatment were to become say social, as in time spent in re-education camp?  What if behavioral and psychological was to become the use of mind numbing drugs rather than hormonal and anxiety prescribing?  What if surgical intervention were also to become mind numbing surgical treatment?  Would that still be progressive, protective, and supporting of youth and young people?  Are you sure your view of reality is on such firm ground as to allow you to harbor and treat children without the protection of their parents and families?  I think not, as the sponsors of the bills have demonstrated, morality and societal norms are sadly not written in stone, or rather, not many have bothered to read the stone as evidenced by the thinking promoted in these bills.  

What sort of 1984 are you actually prepared for?  I, and I am sure others are finding your ideas and tactics deplorable.  Be careful of what you wish for, it might come true! 

Does your Mom know you wrote or sponsored this bill???

The prime sponsors of SB 5489 are Yasmin Trudeau of the 27th legislative district and Lisa Wellman of the 41st legislative district, along with these legislators:

Dhingra, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Liias, Lovelett, Nguyen, Pedersen, Randall, Saldaña, Stanford, Valdez, Wilson, C.

The prime sponsors of SB 5599 are Marko Liias of the 21st legislative district and Claire Wilson of the 30th legislative district along with these legislators:

Dhingra, Lovelett, Nguyen, Randall

If you agree these legislators have worked to deceive, and to harm, as I do, then call them, email them, or call the legislative hotline before a vote comes to the floor!

800 562 6000     All legislative emails work thus:  firstname.lastname@leg.wa.gov


February 22, 2023