So now that we are all up to speed both locally and internationally let me further point out that this incident took place on the campus of one of the islands leading Tertiary institutions. This effectively means that the future minds of this country are who you are seeing carrying on in this manner calling for the blood of their fellow countrymen. Mob justice or vigilante justice is becoming an increasingly worrisome trend in our country then couple that with justification of violence against homosexuals with bible verses and religious ideology its easy to see for the most part why we are a third world country. This incident from start to finish has been one big clusterfuck of wrongdoing from the gentlemen that were chased, to the security guards, to the mob of students wanting to beat them, to the views of the general populous being that they should have been killed and on and on and on. Lets look at some major factors in this drama...
Even though i'm against the viewpoint of using religion in any sensible argument not everyone shares that thought. So pretty much 90% of all people in Jamaica that share the mobs mentality of homosexuality will usually use the go to excuse that the bible says homosexuality is wrong. They might even go as far as to quote bible scriptures; a tried and true favorite is "Leviticus 20:13 - "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." (NIV)". So let me get this straight you who are in your own right not perfect and just as bad a sinner as anyone else by the standards set in the bible you quote and love so dearly are justifying taking a life. Furthermore this same book these people place all their 'convenient' faith in clearly states as a commandment that you shouldn't kill. I say convenient because most of them only use it as a reference to further/justify their own means. Compound that with the fact that i'm sure it says somewhere in there not to judge others lest you be judged or something paraphrased in that manner about stone casting and so forth. So yet again using an ideal that is based in FAITH and interpretation isn't exactly the best way to go; the laws of the land are the laws of the land. As such the culprits should have simply been apprehended and brought to justice and given due course. Not threatened and beaten and denied their basic human rights.
Frankly speaking only gay women have any rights here in Jamaica. This is only because of a law technicality where it explicitly acknowledges men but makes no mention of females as stated by the LBGT Rights Act. By no means should anyone tell you that you can choose or embrace your sexuality choice but the onus is on you as the individual to recognize your environment and act accordingly. Granted ideally as intellectual beings we should know better and do better, you have to be mindful of close minded people who may not share your particular zeal for your personal choices. This is why things such as invasion of privacy were invented as statures of law, what you choose to do in the comfort of your own home or behind closed doors is the one thing you have as a homosexual that puts the law on your side. This is your best bet for leading a somewhat happy existence that or moving to a more forward thinking country that shares your ideals for human rights. The two gentlemen shouldn't have been that stupid to think getting it on in a bathroom stall was a good idea. Not only are you at risk of getting caught and charges of buggery brought against you but also to be charged for public indecency and risk a beating/lynching from a mob.
This is a no-brainer from a professional standpoint. You are a security guard; essentially a watered down policeman meant to uphold the same ideals of protecting and serving. You do not and I repeat do not take people into custody and beat them at your whim. Not even the freaking military is allowed to do that without just cause; so what the hell makes you think a lowly security guard such as yourself has the right..? Don't you think its a reason that he ran to you and not away from you? Silly security guards punches and kicks are for kids. Adults shouldn't solve problems like that. Public outcry was for them to be fired and charges brought against them but the way I see it that probably wont happen. They will just be fired form the company so it can save face. I wish them the best of luck and hope they are repentant of what they did and never have gay children.
The students of the school; oh the students of the school. Where do I even start? The future leaders of tomorrow seeking tertiary education but cannot seek the common decency to uphold the law and not resort to vigilante justice. Even if something sickens you can you not tolerate it for long enough to remove yourself from its presence or wait for it to remove itself? Granted it is even these same people that fly overseas and interact with homosexuals on a day to day basis. Do they rile up and act like ignorant ass niggers when overseas? I think not, so why not practice the same decorum at home? They regular people like you, granted with slight chemical balance indifference's at times but essentially the same as you and me. If you hate homosexuality and are so intolerant of it then you probably shouldn't be using the computer to read this as one of the main influences of that luxury you enjoy today was gay. Don't believe me feel free to check him out yourself, the one and only Alan Mathison Turing.
Congratulations if you made it this far; you are either highly pissed at what I have said an dare building a suitable counter argument or you somewhat share my viewpoint and genuinely liked what you read. People of Jamaica I implore to take a step back and think about what this so called tradition and legacy you hold so dear will do to shape this country for future generations. Granted homosexuals can be a bit forward or uppity at times that is their right as human beings just like any other asshole. Try to practice tolerance that is all one can ask. You cannot be judge jury and executioner all in the name of a holy war no one asked you to fight specifically. If you truly believe from a religious standpoint that whatever homosexual acts are being done is truly egregious then leave it to the creator to deal with as he sees fit when the day of reckoning is upon us all. Any Jamaican homosexuals who may be reading this as well please keep in mind where you are and show some respect and decorum for the laws of the land the the mentality of the people. Yes you deserve your rights an dyes you shouldn't have to hide how you feel. Just like it took the slaves years upon years to overcome the oppression they faced it will not happen worldwide overnight for you. Inch the door to your acceptance open bit by bit; don't just try to force it wide open.
15 comments
It's like you said: I don't like it really but in the end proper justice and common sense (although it's not so common these days) and reasoning should be the order of the day. If you don't like something/someone, simply avoid him/her or that object.
Those security guards I believe are a reflection of what happens in the full-blown police service but it's hidden or kept hush-hush. It's really sad.
The whole incident is sad for all parties involved. And of course with youths behaving this way, what's gonna happen to the kids looking at them? The cycle of vigilante justice will continue cycling.
Misheru
couldn't have said it better myself
Damn fine argument if I say so myself. Sigh the misuse of biblical teachings is really getting old don"t u think? Seriously get over iy already and use the good book as you ought to. I'm pretty darn sure that the same accusers and brandishers of the Lord's laws probably have sin bills several times higher than the accssed. Their selectivity for the law obviously blinded them to the fact that their murdering the fellow would only aid in yet again adding another sin to their bill. While I would not class them as "lowly" in general, those dumb ass, illiterate, ignorant ass security guards will deserve anything they get. Seriously, u are going to abuse someone and u didn't even have the common sense to pull the blinds and at least shield your indisgresssions from public view??? Sigh while I am in no way agreeing with their abuse of the fellow they didn't even use the sense God gave them to temper their own feelings abt the issue and sort it out in private. My heart aches for poor Jamrock when i consider that those students who are supposed to be my peers, the future of my country was so excited and pumped abt the abuse of one of their own. Lord what are we coing to? The reaction of the university was most appaling next to the actual abuse. The gentleman claimed it was all a misunderstanding. U damn right it was. Its sad to have seen the students reaction and think "look these r the ppl who the rest of the country will soon emulate." The whole event just clearly shows how desperately we are in need of a complete face lift and brain sweep.
yep firm believer in leave ppl business and mind your own.
amen sistah amen.
humm... u raised some valid points RiRi. I personaly don't like how the situation was handled at all. I believe that the security guards shud have demonstrated much better behaviour and charged him accordingly, as stated by law. In my eyes they are humans just like the rest of us and have rights just like the rest of us. Not saying that i'm in favour of wat he was doing, but If a person does something wrong there are several ways to go about it. I just don't agree with kicking n beating the man, i don't c wat cud ever b accomplished by doing that.Adding to that, it is things like this that probly give JFLAG more ammunition and other pepl who r in favour it, to encourage the government to revoke the buggery law n get wat they want. I just believed it shud have been handled in a much less barbaric manner.
very good word choice. Barbaric indeed. really shows how much of a backwards third world country we are displaying behavior like that.
Wow, I actually read all of that, normally when I come on your blog, the white on black hurts my eyes. Good write.
I agree, one thing that annoys me however and its not personally pointed at you but the fact that the bible versus are used to justify 'human' behavior. I share the same beliefs as christian and believe in God, I have the same faith but do not share the same mentality. It irks me that these people who use the word of God to their fitting.
The level of ignorance, surely the stereotyping of jamaican being hate, aggressive behavior makes no wonder why these are some of the labels given. however, I do agree that the fact that the laws in our country and the mentality of most of the people in this country, those two men should known that the outcome of being caught. with that said, if it was heterosexual pair caught in the bathroom, there would be no mob after them. this country is just filled with too many ignorant, hypocrites and worse that its EDUCATED students as we expected to believe by this behavior?
As for the security, the job to maintain peace and PROTECT our children at school. Those two young men are someone's child and how the subjective nature of personal ignorance so quickly washed away any means of responsibility. This whole thing is just very disheartening and disappointing.
- Tara
glad you enjoyed it
well said Tara. just another nail in the coffin of hope for Jamaica's future so to speak.
Great post Ri!
thanks I do what I can.
To my point of view that's what I call a lovely blog article! Do you use this domain for private aims exclusively or you actually have it as an additional source of income?
Mostly just somewhere to air my views as a hobby. wouldn't mind it being a source of income but im not that popular or have a wide legitimate following.