Moore to the Point – the Slippery Slope – Opinion

Note: This “Moore to the Point” commentary aired on NewsTalkSTL on Saturday, April 9th. Below is the audio.

We’ve all heard the term “slippery slope.” It’s a logical fallacy — the idea that taking one course of action will inevitably lead to a series of negative events. It’s a valid point — until it isn’t.

Do you remember the days of arguing over whether trans students should have the right to choose the bathroom they want in school? It was about six to seven years ago. It wasn’t that long ago that we were arguing about whether or not biological male athletes should be allowed to compete with biological females — like, a month.

Now, we’re debating whether or not a state should be allowed to pass a law making it illegal to provide “gender affirming health care” to minors, including puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and sex reassignment surgery — to the extent that the White House, through spokeswoman Jen Psaki, is now pushing back on such legislation, threatening that the Department of Justice will be looking into such laws as a potential violation of the Constitution. Keep in mind, we’re talking about medical procedures that have lasting and permanent effects on children who aren’t yet legally able to make those determinations themselves.

It’s been a long journey. The slippery slope is a fallacy — until it isn’t.