The Editor, Sir:
It is with much curiosity and interest that I follow the daily events unfolding about the proposed "Bill of Rights" as an amendment to the Jamaican Constitution. What has been the most interesting are the organisations/groups that have expressed the greatest concern about the Bill.
Firstly, I am abashed as a fellow Christian to read about the Christian groups involved in this discourse. I am unable to come to terms with the issues that they have expressed about the Bill of Rights. Though I concede that I may not be aware of all their concerns, I do not see how our Christian values are in any way jeopardised by the letters of the Constitution.
We as a group of people who have been historically discriminated against, and often in the name of Christianity, should not be so willing to impose similar unappealing restrictions on others. We must be able to respect the view and values, not only of those with whom we agree, but also of those with whom we disagree, so long as there is no infringement of others' rights. In an effort to further one's own values and beliefs, one is infringing upon the rights of other citizens.
respecting the rights of all
Secondly, I am even more perturbed by the group of attorneys who have also posited their concerns. In law school, we are taught that in the promotion of justice, one must respect the rights of all people. We have to ensure justice for all the people, whether or not we agree with their beliefs or with their circumstances. We cannot say that murderers and other criminals do not need to have due process before the law.
The fact that you are a criminal does not mean that the justice system should not be just in the administration of justice. Our justice system will never be truly efficient until we have arrived at the point where we can administer justice impartially, and this can only be done by ensuring that each citizen can stand equally before the constitution.
personal rights
The Bill of Rights guarantees a set of personal rights that will serve to further the democratic values that are, or should be, entrenched in our society. It is remiss to argue that the wording of the Bill of Rights will open the gate toward furthering the ideals contrary to our Christian values, such as no prayer in public schools or homosexual marriage. Almost every constitutional democracy has a guaranteed bill of rights as part of their constitution. Yet, the consequences purported by these groups have not resulted in any of these countries.
Countries that have adopted such drastic social changes to upset the status quo have done so largely through legislative actions and not through the judiciary, though some have in fact arrived through constitutional interpretation. Even then, the judiciary's decision can be overridden through other amendments, through future decisions or through other acts of parliament. The Bill of Rights is an important document that should not be encountering so much contention. We should not try to undermine the values and personal liberties that are inherent in a constitutional democracy.
I am, etc.,
ANDRE LEE
dre_lin4@hotmail.com
Buffalo, New York
Via Go-Jamaica
