LETTER OF THE DAY - Tony Rebel has the right NOT to remain silent

THE EDITOR, Sir:

ON FRIDAY, August 17, 2012, I was listening to a talk-show host on a popular radio station who was debating with a caller on the issue of homosexuality. I was alarmed to hear the host who, in defending his argument, said that people have the right to choose the lifestyle they want, just like how men have the right to impregnate teenage girls. He reinforced his point by saying that he meant underage girls.

Now, I would like to believe that the host would be cognisant that it is illegal for men to have sexual intercourse with, or to impregnate, underage girls. I would also like to remind him that it is not the right of anyone to commit an act that is illegal. It matters not if individuals have a strong urge to do so.

Similarly, those who are advocating for consenting adults to be allowed to do what they want among themselves in the privacy of their homes could not be any more wrong!

If that were the case, then would it be the right of a father and his adult daughter, or a mother and her adult son, to consentingly cohabit as man and wife in the privacy of their home because that is the lifestyle they so desire. I am sure that the decibels of the cry of incest would reverberate across every hill and valley, and resonate across the length and breadth of this country. The ringing in our ears would be deafening!

However, I must concede that I believe it is the democratic right of any group to lobby the relevant authority for laws to be changed, amended, or even abolished. They should be given the floor to air their views. In like manner, those who believe that we should uphold our tradition and whatever laws we have in place, to prohibit certain activities - must also be allowed to speak. Therefore, I endorse Tony Rebel's statement in his performance at the recently held Grand Gala at the National Stadium that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

Devon Sewell

1125 Gordon Boulevard

Ensom City, Spanish town

Tel: 392-3149