Dear Editor,
President Barack Obama didn't hide his 'evolution' on same-sex marriage during his visit to Jamaica, and was not bashful about his Administration's and nation's fundamental views on human rights that are ensured in their constitution. In fact, during his presentation he made the effort to point out a LGBT/women's rights activist and endorsed her efforts to advance these rights for the communities she represents.
It would be foolish to assume that the bilateral Obama-Simpson Miller discussion at Jamaica House excluded human rights, specifically Jamaica's LGBT community. Therefore, it is was foreseeable that any group/person was prepared to say "told you so" if the United States decided to initiate serious diplomatic discourse on the issue, as we see now implied with the visit of special envoys.
Any attempt to lead an impressionable population down the path of believing that nothing is wrong with how human rights are talked about and dealt with currently in Jamaica is dangerous. We can't continue rejecting the outside criticism of our internal affairs if we proclaim to be a Western democracy. We can't decide to isolate and block out the noise of the international community that we are a part.
Jamaica, in the eyes of the international community, has many things for which it can be praised and rebuked; our culture, music, athletics, economy management, and homophobia. It was not too long ago the Time magazine labelled us the most homophobic place on Earth, so many other headlines came before and still continue to be seen even as we improve.
The international community is still concerned about our how our laws and culture continue to affect the treatment of some vulnerable groups and minorities as reported by the Minister of Justice Senator Mark Golding in the brief of the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.
We are surely reaping what we have sown. It's equated to our economic 'mismanagers' label that has brought us to our knees before the IMF, as the world watches closely to see if we stay the austerity course and become fiscally prudent before they decide to seriously invest in Jamaica.
Our main developed international partners are far advanced in human rights. Like many other developing nations, Jamaica will continue to be influenced as long as we are free and open to a progressing world.
Mario Boothe
m.raphael.b@gmail.com
Jamaica reaping what it has sown
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President Barack Obama didn't hide his 'evolution' on same-sex marriage during his visit to Jamaica, and was not bashful about his Administration's and nation's fundamental views on human rights that are ensured in their constitution. In fact, during his presentation he made the effort to point out a LGBT/women's rights activist and endorsed her efforts to advance these rights for the communities she represents.
It would be foolish to assume that the bilateral Obama-Simpson Miller discussion at Jamaica House excluded human rights, specifically Jamaica's LGBT community. Therefore, it is was foreseeable that any group/person was prepared to say "told you so" if the United States decided to initiate serious diplomatic discourse on the issue, as we see now implied with the visit of special envoys.
Any attempt to lead an impressionable population down the path of believing that nothing is wrong with how human rights are talked about and dealt with currently in Jamaica is dangerous. We can't continue rejecting the outside criticism of our internal affairs if we proclaim to be a Western democracy. We can't decide to isolate and block out the noise of the international community that we are a part.
Jamaica, in the eyes of the international community, has many things for which it can be praised and rebuked; our culture, music, athletics, economy management, and homophobia. It was not too long ago the Time magazine labelled us the most homophobic place on Earth, so many other headlines came before and still continue to be seen even as we improve.
The international community is still concerned about our how our laws and culture continue to affect the treatment of some vulnerable groups and minorities as reported by the Minister of Justice Senator Mark Golding in the brief of the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.
We are surely reaping what we have sown. It's equated to our economic 'mismanagers' label that has brought us to our knees before the IMF, as the world watches closely to see if we stay the austerity course and become fiscally prudent before they decide to seriously invest in Jamaica.
Our main developed international partners are far advanced in human rights. Like many other developing nations, Jamaica will continue to be influenced as long as we are free and open to a progressing world.
Mario Boothe
m.raphael.b@gmail.com
Jamaica reaping what it has sown
-->