No special rights for gays (Gleaner Letter 30.10.09)

The Editor, Sir;
I see where an editorial in this newspaper has chastised both the prime minister and leader of the Opposition for not pushing to have special protection rights for violence against homosexuals inserted in the Charter of Rights Bill now before the Jamaican House of Representatives.

I am in total opposition to the views of this editorial. I am sure the writer is aware we already have laws to deal with crimes and violence against the person.

Anyone, be he preacher, teacher, gay or straight, having any act of violence committed against him or herself, has protection under existing laws.

Global campaign

Gays have stepped up their campaign across the globe, seeking new legislative protection for their behaviour in public places.

But bowing to these gay rights activists by providing them with separate laws from the rest of the citizenry would only be adding status to their behaviour which is best kept indoors to avoid any violent response, especially in a homophobic society such as Jamaica's.

Laws should never be enacted for special interests because with such precedence just about every interest group would start lobbying for their own agendas.

To add insult to injury, gays seem to be on a lobby, both in Jamaica and the United States, to make the act of extortion a legal entity in their now noted demands of monetary compensation from sales of music by artistes who verbally oppose them. Should recording artistes now lobby for laws to protect them from extortion by gays? No, there is already an existing law to convict extortionists.

Laws are enacted to convict the lawless, whether the offence committed is carried out against gays or straight and, therefore, I trust the passage of the Charter of Rights Bill will give no special legal rights to any persons or groups above any other.

I am, etc.,

MICHAEL DUNN
micberd@yahoo.com
Tampa, Florida

here is my email to him:
Sir,

Nobody is asking for special rights for gays if you haven't noticed President Obama signed the Hate Crimes Bill a day ago maybe you ought to read the document and see what it says.
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:S.909:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO-xUV61eUI&feature=player_embedded here is his message after signing listen carefully to the reasons for doing so.

President Obama on his feet:
"This not about our laws but who we are as a people, it's about whether we value one another whether we embrace our differences than allowing them to becoming a source of malice ....... the moment we fail to see in another our common humanity, the very moment we fail to recognise in a person the same fears and hopes, same passions and imperfections the same dreams we all share .. are free and equal .... able to persue their own version of happiness"

The main thrust of the Gleaner's Editorial was to highlight the weakness of our local politicians to see it as President Obama and many others including Jamaica sees it respect people for people.

The Charter or Rights is to replace section 3 of the Constitution is is not laws but a raft of
rights and freedoms as stated by categories which in the original 1999 and 2006 Joint Select Cmt reports had discrimination by sexual orientation incuded until it was removed out of fear that gays may ask for marriage rights.
So so callled gay marriage rights is now the "red herring" to push for overlooking this section and gay persons all together.
Don't confuse rights vs laws they are separate things in as far as drafting them.

Its about everyone within their space operating freely without fear or favour and tolerance our politicians are nowhere near this kind of realisation and pander to the hate implied sounds as espoused in your letter without fairly looking at the BIGGER issues involved.

I suggest also you get a copy of the hansard notes or the Joint select cmt report and see what actually transpired.

Music:
No one is trying to stop Buju Banton or any other artist from living or saying their piece but there must be a clear distinction between messages of peace, love etc vs inciting violence, hate and bigotry on any group or individual simply because of a misconception of a lifestyle. Be aware that gays also attend Buju's shows especially in their own backyard of San Fran and of course he with his management used the meeting issue as a public relations stunt as any American pop star would to get mileage, just another day in Entertainment goings.

Interestingly these same dancehall artists who some stoutly defend treat women as sex objects, gang warfare (as in the present Gully Gaza madness between Vybz Kartel and Mavado) and promote death to police informants yet we don't have the same outcry about those from the critics and the religious groups.

Simply put sir, tolerance is they key just as how different church groups, religions and races exist.

Respectfully
Peace