Letter to the Editor
Revisiting that Human RightsBill
Dear Sir,
I am responding to a letter in your Issue39, which addressed my prior letter, published in Issue 37.
My apologies. I misnamed 'Life is Beautiful' to 'It's a WonderfulLife', (the yearly re-run Christmas classic). Thanks! I hadn'tnoticed! From all accounts, this movie was inspired by a real-lifestory. I'll concede if you prove otherwise.
Pseudo. Wow! First time I've ever been called "fake".I'm normally accused of being "too sincere". I'm not"anti-woman". When it comes to the "...will ofGod" in women's lives, wasn't it God who chose woman to bearChrist? Esther, Rahab, Mary Magdalene, Deborah the judge, Huldathe prophetess, the virgins who prophesied God's word in the bookof Acts...none were shrinking wall flowers; rather, they werestrong-minded individuals.
In fact, even the earliest women, (Abraham's and Job's wives)were opinionated, vocal and almost seemed to "wear the pants".As for partaking in church, there's Priscilla, Aquilla, Lydiaand a host of other women who were helpers in Paul's first church.Didn't Paul say: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, neitherbond nor free, neither male nor female, for we are all one inChrist?"
In Bible times, females inherited land when no sons were bornand when husbands passed on. The era you're referring must bethe 'Dark Ages' (prior to the 'Enlightenment') where witchcraftreigned, suspicion of women and their motives caused them to betrodden on, and the oppressive Catholic religion sent out Crusadesin bloody "misrepresentative" wars for Christ. Fromthat point, women had to fight all over again from scratch toregain prior and additional rights.
As for the initial start up of human rights, God himself continuouslygot ticked at how man constantly rose up to smite one another.He often had to intervene, (the Old Testament is rife, like sendingMoses to liberate the Israelites). Even in the New Testament whenChristians were being mass-killed, He rearranged Paul's thinkingto be their defender instead.
From the first book, Genesis, God was already nodding His head,sorry He'd made us. It caused him to annihilate all at one point(save Noah). Genesis 5:6 states: "God saw that the wickednessof man was great in the earth and that imagination of the thoughtsof his heart was only evil continually and it repented the Lordthat He had made man on the earth and it grieved him at his heart".Genesis 6:11: "The earth also was corrupt before God andthe earth was still with violence and God looked upon the earthand behold it was corrupt for all flesh had corrupted His wayupon the earth." Genesis 7: "And the Lord said: I willdestroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, bothman and beast and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air,for it repented me that I have made them." Hence, He latersent Christ to try His hand by giving us parables, the 'goldenrule' and the 'good Samaritan' examples to live by.
Biblical influence was the base for laws of nations. The Greco-Romanlaws, UK and US (which adapted UK's) down to international lawsand leading up to the 'Human Rights' laws of today...but stillwe have a long way to go. Women still earn less than their malecounterparts, Middle Eastern women remain swaddled up to theireyeballs without rights and in certain African tribes, clitoriscircumcision still exists!
Other disparities exist too. Paychecks between blacks and whites,racial violence, police brutality (even in the US system), worldwidecourt systems are rife with corruption and children get molestedand carted off each day never to be seen again in the US. A WallStreet Journal article recently carried that 1.2 billion of the6-odd billion here on earth exist on less than US$1 per day. 2.8billion live on less than US$2 per day. Just over 10% have 85%of the world's wealth hoarded amongst them.
The local daily newspaper on 12th October had the story: 'ChildPoverty soars in Eastern Europe' where diseases like tuberculosisare popping up again because these countries are cutting necessarymedicines since they are cash-strapped. At least 50 million childrenlive in "genuine poverty", of these 40 million are inthe Soviet Union. Of total population, (40%, or 160 million) livein poverty.
The article went on to state that Western governments could helpby easing the region's debt burden. In other news, strange strainsof diseases have mutated above the reach of antibiotics and nowthreaten the planet's humanity. The caseload for 'human rights'is astronomical! The right to medicines and education at low costsshould be top priority because these are the life-impacting issues...notthe forcing of wide open gay laws upon tiny isles such as ours!
Because of Hitler, 'Human Rights' first came into existence. Hecontravened the 'Treaty of Versailles' in 1936, by occupying theRhineland. In 1938, he sent troops to occupy Austria and by March1939 it was Czechoslovakia, then a month later, Albania. The freeworld began to realize it had to act fast and two days after heinvaded Poland, Britain and France declared war. The US laterjoined when an entire Britain-bound convoy loaded with tanks andsupplies got torpedoed. (Some felt the US placed itself as a "sittingduck" to entice a justifiable excuse to join.)
The turning point of the war came when Hitler invaded the Sovietsdeeply, almost up to Moscow, (he'd prior signed a non-war pactwith them called the 'German-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact'). Collaboratingthereafter with Allied troops (who were dropping bombs to softenup resistance), the Soviets marched into Berlin only to find Hitleralready dead by a cyanide capsule and a gun blast inside his mouthcreating a hole in his skull.
Full comprehension of atrocities (as in Stalin's case) did notsurface until after the war and TV coverage finally got insideto record the extent of the slaughters. Today, as quick as atrocitiesbreak out...journalists scramble to bring the world live TV coveragewhilst literally risking their lives. In turn this brings 'HumanRights', 'International Amnesty', other organizations and politicalfigures bounding to their feet quickly to react, after all...thewhole world is awaiting their reaction.
You mentioned I used the cannibal, Idi Amin DaDa...as an excuse.Nope. Only to raise the point that because of him, 'Human Rights'got further shaped in the '70's. Also helping to further shapethe '70's, were the influences of Malcolm X and Martin LutherKing. They added to the racial structure of 'Human Rights', dueto the outrageous atrocities (like lynchings) that US blacks hadendured.
You're right, human rights for Cayman isn't yet a glaring issue.(We already have a form of human rights...after all, we are allowedto vote, to get an education...space does not allow the whole'Human Rights' list). We're not a litigious society, we've alwaysrelied on one another and we've always felt that what consentingadults do behind their doors is their business.
Therefore, my point is: Why then do we need to be saddled withthe whole conundrum of this heavy burden called the 'Human RightsBill'-including the whole 'block and parcel' of 'gay rights'?This is geared for a large country! Further, how can such far-reachinggay rights be incorporated under the umbrella of the 'Human Rights?Discrimination to pay a gay less, I can see, but public marching,marriages and adoption? Isn't this overloading...especially toour small isles? Look deep. Is EU's plan to lift our 'non-reciprocity'(for their accessibility) therefore they now saddle us up whilewe're still standing quietly as a willing horse...before we findout the depth of what we're getting into and bolt quicker thana cow with 'mad cow disease'?
We've had zero input and no thorough explanations. This in itselfshould be an offence under 'Human Rights'! The EU and UK bypassedus...to them we're mere senseless plebeians. To take on a lawthat changes the mores of a country, a petition for it shouldhave to be submitted, not it being forced down our throats! Theinsincere, casual way of Baroness Scotland is disturbing. We'rea mere penciled deadline date in her diary before Christmas, (Compass,Nov 17). 'Sex behind doors with same sex is against the law' hasbeen sitting on the penal codes of all Caribbean isles all alongand we didn't even know...but removing this isn't the issue, it'swhat we're taking on (the 'Human Rights Bill'), that is!
Our main religion, Christianity, is itself now in peril! Otherreligions now won't be ignored. Take a look at the US. Right nowshe is under siege with Satanism.
From 1962, she removed prayers and Bibles in her schools...becauseother religions complained! Is this what we could face too ...a"tug-o-war" to hold on to Christian values?
As far as homosexuality, Biblical references are: Romans 1:18-32,1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and I Timothy 1:9-11. Also, there's the storyof Lot.
As for 'people bashing my beliefs', I'm content with our currentlaws...flexible and adjustable for us, by us. For e.g., when womencomplained of men's abuse, tougher laws went into existence. Whenwe weren't happy about rape carrying small imprisonment time,we petitioned an increase.
You could say our laws grew with us. But, under the new 'HumanRights Bill', there are set mechanisms that can be triggered bythe silliest slight to land us in hot water, for e.g., if a lesbianpropositioned me, (knowing my tart tongue), I could wind up ina discrimination suit and heavily fined. Under our current laws,it would take battery or grievous bodily harm to stand up in court,not an argument.
Becoming more litigious, with less control over governing of ourisles seems the path now. But, isn't this what the EU would want...usbecoming more divided and contentious amongst ourselves? Afterall...should we unite into one mind, we could challenge them!Right now, we're booty in their treasure sack, to do with as theyplease.
As far as 'no one willing to support me in my time of need'...trustme, I've suffered disappointments and lack of support at the handof mankind too many times. This has trained me to lean on my bestfriend in prayer...and He hasn't let me down yet.
Pamela DaCosta
Prospect