Mark E. Sullivan: A real fairy tale of HB2

Once in a while a fairy tale floats into the pages of this paper. That last happened in the Jan. 12 Point of View “HB2, a fairy tale,” although it was not what the writer intended.

Weaving his tale about restroom accommodations in “a popular restaurant” and a store, the author lamented laws in North Carolina, which restricted taking his grandchild into the men’s room when the women’s restroom door was locked and which barred his generous offer of access to the men’s room to five women who were waiting to get into the women’s room.

Why he would link these tales with House Bill 2, which provides reasonable rules for public restroom facilities – not private stores or restaurants – is a mystery. Perhaps it was “magical thinking.”

The laws of North Carolina do not restrict access to private facilities, and they don’t tell business owners how the public can utilize their restrooms. That’s not the state’s business.

I hope the other readers got as much amusement as I did in reading this unintended fairy tale, one which points out a valuable moral: “Be sure you know what you’re talking about.”

This story was originally published January 29, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Mark E. Sullivan: A real fairy tale of HB2."