Lia Thomas, left, stands tall (and isolated) on the podium after smoking the competition in the women’s NCAA 500-yard freestyle swimming event. Her competitors, Emma Weyant, Erica Sullivan and Brooke Forde, huddled around the third place position on the podium in what was interpreted as a protest of the transgender’s win.

By Sherman Frederick/Battle Born Media

We have much to worry about these days.

The worldwide pandemic featuring a bat virus developed in a shadowy Chinese lab with the possibility of U.S. money involved certainly moved to the top of my “OMG” list in 2022. And, while it is early, another worry is the specter of nuclear war in Ukraine. It channels a deep-seated fear for those of us who were told to hide under our school desks should the Cuban Missile Crisis go badly. Never underestimate the stupidity of mankind.

Assuming we survive, American culture will have the luxury of exploring  what makes a boy and a girl.

And, as I think we are all aware, we’re way past the nursery rhyme of “snips, snails and puppy-dogs’ tails.”

Meet Lia Thomas. She’s 22 and one helluva swimmer. Last week she smoked the competition to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 1 title in the 500-yard freestyle race. It wasn’t close. The next best girl touched the finish wall 1.75 seconds later.

Here’s the rub. For three years before she competed for the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s swimming team, she competed on the university’s men’s team.

This, as it should, raised objections from women advocates who say the NCAA rules for transgender men make no sense. They say that Lia Thomas transitioned after she fully developed – and competed in college – as a man, therefore giving her an unfair advantage.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t understand all there is to know about transgender issues. The older I get the broader of mind (and girth) I become. But, it must be said that when you see the pictures of Miss Thomas standing next to her “sugar and spice and everything nice” girl competitors and then look at the world records she sets, an average person will say:

“Uh, that ain’t right.”

So, if we survive nuclear war and another worldwide pandemic, I think we should have that discussion.

ONE MORE THING

– Taco Bell: The only place you can still get gas for $1.39.

– If you feel sick when paying for gas, you may have carownervirus.

– Los Angeles heard the good news that COVID infections are miniscule in the face of bad news about $6-per-gallon gas. Californians are genuinely bewildered right now. Just when the COVID regulations say you can go places again, gas prices say, like hell you can, Sunshine. (H/T Argus Hamilton.)

And … that’ll do for this week. Avoid soreheads, laugh a little and always question authority.

Sherman Frederick is a Nevada Hall of Fame journalist and co-founder of Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.