April 2, 2004 - I read a story in the news today that has inspired me to start a column that chronicles how our society has managed to flush itself down the toilet. The article in question discusses a new activity by the transgendered called "Pumping." Apparently, there are many men who are really women inside and they have a need to make themselves look like women. So, what some do now is use silicone, bought from hardware stores, mix it with paraffin or oil, and then inject it directly into the body - cheeks, hips, and other areas that are usually augmented on the female body. As one can imagine, this is dangerous and, recently, a man (woman?) has died as a result of this.

Now, while special interest groups are telling us we shouldn't smoke (and let's not forget lawmakers who have nothing better to do than pass laws banning smoking in bars, yet ignoring the fact that bars are private establishments) and we shouldn't eat Big Macs, I have a feeling that this insane activity will not be attacked like smoking and obesity. For, if it is, the calls of intolerance and "it's not their fault they look like a man but are a woman inside" - the cries of insensitivity will abound. Manufacturers of said industrial-use silicone will be forced to put warning labels on their products and be vexed on end to make their product safer - just in case someone who is transgendered feels the need to make their appearance more like a woman. "Hey, it's my body" will become the calls from the transgendered but what kind of message does this send to our kids - kids who are already going to grow up thinking things like gay marriage are ok? Kids will think it's ok to pump some silicone into their bodies if they didn't turn out right. Then, of course, the maker of the product will be sued when someone gets hurt.

This activity is a direct result of encouraging, or, more precisely, lack of discouraging alternative lifestyle behavior. But, some time a while back, dissuading reckless behavior became insensitive so now we have people performing backroom sex changes on themselves for the cost of tube of sealant.

Here's a link to the story:

Man Charged for Silicone Injection Death