First-time readers, this blog is set in the future (sometime after the year 2020).  Each entry assumes there has been a 5th revolution in the US — the Revenge Revolution.  More about Revenge Revolution and author, Entry #1.  List and general description of entries to date.  Annual assessment whether Revolution plausible.

Note: most characters appear in a number of entries, with many entries building on previous conversations.  Profile of characters.  You’ll catch on quickly.  Thanks for your time and interest…and comments.

Scene: Coffee shop near Jordan’s office in Washington, DC. Jordan meeting with JC, a long-time friend.  They have been discussing a range of topics about the causes of the Revenge Revolution, one of which was the polarization caused by various laws.  More about North Carolina law referenced, entry #200.

Person Sitting at Next Table:  “Excuse me.  I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.  And, you know what?  You’re dead wrong.”

JC:  “And you are?”

Person: “My name is Jack O’Brien.  Most people call me Jacko.”

JC:  “Was that Jacko or Wacko?”

Jordan:  “Careful, JC.”

Jacko:  “Trying to be funny, lady?  I think you and your buddy here are wackos.  You got it all wrong.”

JC:  “OK, Jacko, what’s ‘it’ and what do we have wrong?”

Jacko:  “That bill in North Carolina that protects people from those predators.  Why can’t you support it?  Seems like common sense to me.”

JC:  “What predators?”

Jacko:  “Those cross dressers, the gays.  All those BLT’s or whatever they call ‘em.”

JC:  “Do you mean LGBT’s?”

Jacko:  “I guess so.  What does BLT stand for again?”

JC:  “It’s LGBT and it stands for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender.”

Jacko:  “What’s wrong with those folks?  They’re all weird.  I stay away from those people.”

Jordan:  “Jacko, you know anyone who’s gay or transgender?”

Jacko:  “Just one as far as I know.  My nephew claims to be gay but I don’t believe him.”

JC:  “You don’t believe him or you don’t want to believe him?”

Jacko:  “He just shouldn’t be like that.”

JC:  “Like what?”

Jacko:  “Like claiming he’s in love with some other guy.  I don’t get it.”

Jordan:  “This conversation is beginning to remind me of an old Archie Bunker show.”

Jacko:  “Whadda mean?  I liked Archie Bunker.”

Jordan:  “OK, you liked Archie Bunker.  Do you like your nephew?”

Jacko:  “He was a good kid until he said he was…was gay.”

JC:  “And what changed about him when he said he was gay?  Did he look different?  Did he act different?”

Jacko:  “Nothing else changed.  I guess he’s the same person he was before.”

Jordan:  “Now, let’s suppose he said rather than being gay he wanted to become a woman?”

JC:  “Yeah, he said that all his life he felt as if he was a woman inside a man’s body.  How would you react then?”

Jacko:  “I don’t know.  That all seems so goofy to me.  I don’t get it.”

Jordan:  “I’m sure there are things about you that seem goofy to him.”

Jacko:  “OK, so he wants to become a woman.  But does that give him the right to go in the women’s restroom?  Or, even worse, into the women’s locker room?”

JC:  “Wanna know what I think?”

Jacko:  “Tell me what’s your name again?”

JC:  “Never told you.  I’m JC and he’s Jordan.”

Jacko:  “OK, JC, what do you think?”

JC:  “I think there’s no simple solution.  Both sides have some valid points.  A lot of life is not black and white, but gray.  And a lot of laws are gray.”

Jacko:  “Laws are pretty clear to me.”

JC:  “Some laws are clear.  Other laws include such phrases as ‘reasonable man…or reasonable person.’  So let’s take the bathroom and locker room situation and see what’s reasonable.”

Jacko:  “I’ll tell you what’s reasonable.  I don’t want some pervert guy dressed as a woman in the restroom with my granddaughter.”

JC:  “I agree.  But go to your comment about common sense.  Parents should not let younger children be alone in public restrooms, period.”

Jordan:  “Let me chime in.  There are laws already on the books to prosecute child molesters.”

Jacko:  “Those laws don’t stop molesters.”

Jordan:  “I agree and that’s my point.  Now, think about some high-profile cases of child molestation from just a few years ago.  But these cases were not against children of the opposite sex…but molestation of the same sex.  The coach at Penn State…forgot his name…”

Jacko:  “…Jerry Sandusky…”

Jordan:  “Sandusky, right.  How many young men did he molest?  And then there was Dennis Hastert.  He was a wrestling coach in high school, then ran for Congress and a few years later became Speaker of the House.  How many boys did he molest?”

Jacko:  “What about men in women’s locker rooms?”

Jordan:  “Do you recall locker rooms in high school?  Might be different today but I doubt it.”

Jacko:  “I remember those days.  Several guys I knew were embarrassed to take showers in front of other guys.  Some even skipped showers.”

JC:  “Where is this conversation headed?  Before you answer, I need a break.  Excuse me, please.”

(Continued)