Ailment Insults Part 2

I got a response back from Denise regarding my comment on her blog. She wrote:

Christine,

Thank you so very much for your comment! I hope you can discern from my blog that I would never intentionally inflict offense on an innocent person (indeed, I try to avoid offense even on guilty persons!).

My use of the word “hair lip” was completely misplaced. It is a word I remember from my youth — and to be honest I didn’t know it was the same as a cleft palate, nor did I know it was derogatory. My deepest apologies.

As to my reference to a cleft palate, I think you’ve helped me to make my point. A cleft palate *IS* so much more than psychological. So is transsexualism. Indeed, as you clearly point out, both can be life-threatening. But, in the majority of cases, in both instances, the patient can arguably survive in society without surgery. But why should we make them? We have the tools to correct this so-called defect (assuming, of course, that nature (or God) makes defects), so we should use our nature (or God) given talents to make the world a more manageable place for people so afflicted.

I wish you and your child the very best and I extend, again, my deepest apologies for any offense I’ve caused.

Denise

P.S. I also posted this response on my blog.

I still don’t really see the coorelation between transsexual surgery and cleft lip and palate. To me it’s a little like comparing cancer and heart disease. You can die from both, but that’s about where the similiarities end. However, I do see her point. There is so much more to both of these “defects” than lies on the surface. And only those who have been affected by either of these will fully understand the reasons behind the choice for surgery or even the effects of the ailments.