Dear Editor,
As a man of facts and truth, I wouldn't use slogans such as "Keep the buggery law" without looking into the type of law and its implications for society as the participants did in the recent condescending "Love March" which took place in September. Jamaica has had an increase in child abuse cases which should concern all of us. The minimum penalty for rape in the Sexual Offences Act is 15 years' imprisonment and the maximum is life. Buggery, however, is a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment. Why is it that in our country the maximum penalty for a child abused anally is less than the minimum for rape? Many anti-gay activists object to the amendment of the buggery laws to fix this discrepancy, as it would allow the law to be challenged judicially and possibly be repealed by a court. They also object to making rape gender-neutral or covering both non-consensual anal and vaginal sex.
Could child molesters one day decide to abuse a girl anally instead of vaginally to avoid a harsher sentence? It seems we need to look into the priorities of the anti-gay movement and their affiliates. Why are they compromising the safety of the nation's children to maintain a law to imprison homosexuals? Throwing gays in prison is more important? How long should children (especially boys) have to wait on groups like the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society which advocates for the retention of the buggery law to explain to them why they do not deserve equal treatment if they are sexually abused? Has the anti-gay movement's obsession with homosexuality trumped the Bible's statements on sexual abuse? Think on these things.
Matthew Thomas
antigayfactcheck@yahoo.com
Keeping the buggery law is preposterous
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As a man of facts and truth, I wouldn't use slogans such as "Keep the buggery law" without looking into the type of law and its implications for society as the participants did in the recent condescending "Love March" which took place in September. Jamaica has had an increase in child abuse cases which should concern all of us. The minimum penalty for rape in the Sexual Offences Act is 15 years' imprisonment and the maximum is life. Buggery, however, is a maximum of 10 years' imprisonment. Why is it that in our country the maximum penalty for a child abused anally is less than the minimum for rape? Many anti-gay activists object to the amendment of the buggery laws to fix this discrepancy, as it would allow the law to be challenged judicially and possibly be repealed by a court. They also object to making rape gender-neutral or covering both non-consensual anal and vaginal sex.
Could child molesters one day decide to abuse a girl anally instead of vaginally to avoid a harsher sentence? It seems we need to look into the priorities of the anti-gay movement and their affiliates. Why are they compromising the safety of the nation's children to maintain a law to imprison homosexuals? Throwing gays in prison is more important? How long should children (especially boys) have to wait on groups like the Jamaica Coalition for a Healthy Society which advocates for the retention of the buggery law to explain to them why they do not deserve equal treatment if they are sexually abused? Has the anti-gay movement's obsession with homosexuality trumped the Bible's statements on sexual abuse? Think on these things.
Matthew Thomas
antigayfactcheck@yahoo.com
Keeping the buggery law is preposterous
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