by Angelique Reder

Created on: July 16, 2009   Last Updated: July 21, 2009

To be honest my first response to this debate was, absolutely not! And, I found the question to be ludicrous.

However, I assure you not for the reasons that most people reading my above statement would believe.

First, a transgender operation is an expensive, cosmetic surgery. Second, if we begin allowing convicts cosmetic sex reassignment surgeries, we will also have to build separate prisons to house them. Third, and most important of all, no cosmetic surgery for any person should be paid for by the tax payers.

Prisoners are in prison for committing a crime, and should be working to support themselves and the prison system, while they are in prison, and not burdening the tax payers, that they became enough of a threat to, to be imprisoned. Our current prison systems here in America, are nothing more than another exasperating debt to the American Tax payer, and even considering the idea of putting the expense of a cosmetic surgery on them appalls me.

When a person violates the law severe enough to be sent to prison, they should not be given special privileges. And, this kind of surgery would be a special privilege. They are there to be punished, not rewarded by being supported, while doing nothing but breaking more laws while in prison, by smuggling drugs, and running gangs.

The greatest economic supporters of American gangs is the American Tax payer. We provide for them food, clothing, housing, and a base to which they can operate from. Have you ever seen a gang member afraid to go to jail? I know I haven't, at least not in my neighborhood here in Chicago, or on the cop shows plastered on my television.

There is a reason that they are not afraid, life for them is as dangerous on the outside as it is on the inside.

Though I have no intention of trivializing transgender reassignment surgery, as I do understand it's purpose, and I have great compassion for those suffering from the affliction of being trapped in the wrong body. I must also say, that in comparison to the greater struggles that our prison system faces, this question is inappropriate, and no consideration should be given to it.

If the system was self reliant, and did not require American Tax Dollars to support it, I would still say no, as it would require the building of more prisons to house these prisoners, as they will without a doubt face, prejudice, and intolerance in either a male, or female prison. The citizens in prison do not fully conceive the concept of unity, and unbiased, if they did, they would have made a different choice than the one that they chose, that led them to the day that they were incarcerated.

Life is a challenge for us all, and laws do have a purpose, though I, personally do not agree with them all, I do know that I do have to abide by them. And, every person in prison knows that as well, that is why the law does not allow ignorance as an excuse.

It is a standard of living in every country, and no one is denied the knowledge of the basic rules humans are expected to follow.

You don't steal from, rape, or murder any person, or child.

3 simple rules, the rest is trivial in the main stream of life.

In my opinion, I can't get clearer than that.

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