HRC: MLA abused privilege for hate speech
(CNS): The chair of the Human Rights Commission has called on the premier to condemn the “unstatesmanlike, inaccurate, vitriolic, and thoroughly hateful” comments made against the LGBT community by a veteran MLA during a debate on traditional marriage. The shocking comments made by Anthony Eden in the Legislative Assembly last week abused parliamentary privilege, James Austin-Smith has stated in a letter to Alden McLaughlin asking him to introduce legislation to recognise same-sex unions and to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
In a press release in the wake of the controversy caused by comments made by Eden in particular but also by MLAs Alva Suckoo and Marco Archer, the commission said the members were shocked by the comments and disappointed that members used parliamentary privilege and disgracefully abused it “to peddle inaccurate, vitriolic, and thoroughly hateful misinformation concerning an already maligned section of the public”.
Raising their concerns that the statements were likely to incite hatred against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community, the HRC said it was “a source of particular regret that, apparently, the overwhelming majority of members present at that ‘debate’ did not see fit to challenge these statements in any way”.
Heartened by the comments made Tuesday on CNS by Wayne Panton, the Minister of Financial Services, who stood up and offered his support to those members of our community subjected to discrimination, abuse, bullying and even violence because of their sexual orientation, the HRC said, “Mr Panton’s brave and principled stand in the face of these venomous comments and the silence of the majority of his fellow MLAs is to be applauded in the strongest possible terms.”
In his letter to the premier Austin-Smith pointed out that if the comments had been made outside the privilege provided by the Legislative Assembly, “it is quite likely that they could have constituted the commission of a criminal offence contrary to, inter alia, section 88B of the Penal Code (2013 Revision).”
Austin-Smith wrote, “Throughout the Cayman Islands many of our citizens and residents are subject to discrimination on a daily basis. That discrimination against LGBTI people is enshrined in the laws of the Cayman Islands is a stain on our nation. That a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and of your Government, should articulate such views unchallenged is a cause for the utmost regret.”
So far, Panton remains the only member of the LA to condemn the comments and offer his support to the LGBT community. However, Panton’s position, while angering a minority, appears to have resonated with CNS commenters. With the discussion over the situation still raging, the minister is receiving a significant amount of support for his lone stand.
HRC Letter to Premier Re Motion to Retain the Definition of Marriage_19 August 15
Category: Government oversight, Politics
The discrimination the LBGT community dislikes is also faced by a wider segment of people who feel that their sexual rights are being discriminated against, including pedophiles.
When one group demands protection for its sexual rights, so will the next. Do not put your head in the sand. This is already occurring. Inform yourself:
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/alissa-tabirian/child-trauma-expert-pro-pedophilia-groups-are-grooming-public-accept
http://abc11.com/politics/state-rep-stam-pedophilia-is-like-homosexuality/137682/
“I was born this way”, “love is love” and “I cannot help who I am” are the same arguments that pedophiles right now in countries like Canada and the U.S. are using to logically defend their position and even tout the benefits of their activity.
Without God in the picture to provide a reference point for right and wrong, humans take on that role.
Are we up to the task?
When God is removed from politics, so too is His moral code. Without His moral codes, we begin to rely on human judgments, scientific research, and intellectual arguments to form the basis for laws.
Please consider the door being opened when we fiddle with the natural order and religious definitions of morality.
Would you argue with a pedophile that what he or she wants to with a child is wrong? What would your value system be based on? Logic? How does your logic trump someone else’s? What happens when the pedophile begins to cry “discrimination”?
When we remove God from sexuality, we have no moral basis anymore to argue sexual issues. We need God to be God because without Him humans are lost and tossed in a sea of ever-changing opinions.
The more we head towards sexual rights, the more we will prove the prophesies of the Holy Bible and Jesus Christ are true. And sadly, the more volatile, corrupt, and vile the world will become.
Be warned: society is entering a slippery slope.
And be encouraged: Lord Jesus is on His way.
Are you ready?
I am here! Just pasting some Old Testament stories. It’s no wonder it was re-written to exclude/tame these…ungodly passages. Yes, look to a bible for Moral guidance. /s
Let’s start with The Rape of Tamar:
2 Samuel 3
‘King David was a fine king, but his family was dysfunctional. His son, Amnon, conspired with a cousin to seduce Tamar, David’s daughter and Amnon’s half-sister. When she would not consent to sex, he raped her, and then “hated her with a very great hatred”. It seemed at first that he had got away with it, but two years later Absalom, Tamar’s brother, invited Amnon to a celebration, got him drunk, and had him killed. In short, a thoroughly depressing tale of Old Testament sex and violence.’
And then there’s Lot and his daughters:
Genesis 19
‘The Lot family were having a grand time in the sinful city of Sodom until God rained fire and brimstone upon it, and Lot’s wife was turned to a pillar of salt for turning round to watch. Father and daughters wound up in a cave. The two girls started to panic that they would never have children, so conspired to get their virtuous father drunk. The result was that Lot had two sons, Moab and Ben-Ammi.’
I swear you people are brain dead. All of those stories are still in the Bible; they have not been written out. There was no reason to exclude them. The bible presents humanity warts and all. Simply because a story is in the bible does not mean that God approves of the behaviour of every person in that story. In fact they give the bible the air of authentic history BECAUSE it is not sanitised. Geez Louise.
Exactly! All those stories show is that human nature has not changed for thousands of years and will not change. And those stories repeatedly show how God has to step in time and time again to save us before we destroy ourselves. Thank goodness God has a plan for us.
Brilliant logic. … don`t give the law abiding citizens their proper rights because a pedo will ask next. You are a complete idiot. When will people learn that being gay is not a form of deviance!
Christianity and God are about faith and trust and realising we humans don’t know everything and need God.
Consider how ideas about what’s right, wrong, and should be illegal change over time. Has society gotten better or just further down the slope? That’s the devil’s plan: enjoy the ride down, and whatever you do, don’t look up.
It could get worse for some people in public life now that the Ashley Madison data is available.
To the HRC and Mr. Austin-Smith: Anthony Eden is an elected member of the Cayman Islands Government and he represents the views of Caymanians. If he is in the wrong, it is OUR JOB to correct him – NOT YOURS.
Stay out of politics and stop trying to impose foreign views on us.
As Mr. Suckoo suggested, please re-direct your attention to starving homeless people, the unemployed, battered women and single mothers. If you can’t handle those pressing social issues, please, by all means, STEP DOWN. You are in the HRC to address social issues, NOT to be the judge, jury and executioner of Caymanian culture.
CNS: James Austin-Smith is the chair of the Human Rights Commission, so yes it is his job, very specifically, to point out human rights abuses. It is the politicians’ job to make laws and policies to help starving homeless people, the unemployed, battered women and single mothers. That is their job, what they are elected to do and what they are accountable for. Alva Suckoo appears to be confused about this also. Both of you need to read up on what human rights actually are.
BOOM!! Here’s some ice for that burn “Proud Caymanian. Proud of Anthony”
I have to add further ice water to your proud comments. There are gay & lesbian born Caymanians living in these islands, but I guess your right to hate trumps their right to live.
Isn’t there something about love and forgiveness in the Christian teachings, may want to reread your basic text.
Why do gays have to have forgiveness? What have they done wrong? Do the straights need forgiveness for being straight? You know, with all their numerous affairs, broken marriages, broken homes….
You are only exposing how perverse you are. Obviously heterosexuality is not deviant sexual behaviour.
I want to ask the question , can God make mistakes? If the answer is no then all you supporters of lgbt need to beg God forgiveness. God created every human being
He created man to be a man and a woman to be a woman . The man for the woman and the woman for the man period. He also perform the first wedding ceremony he brought eve to Adam because he said that it is not good for man to be alone .
….and Adam and Eve’s children had sex with each other so they could populate the world. So, is incest ok? Any other good stories you want to tell us? Wake up! Keep your religion to yourself. There are enough religions to go around.
No, God doesn’t make mistakes. If She made the straight, She made the gay. Gay is not a choice. Did you choose to be straight?
God made the rapist, murderer and liar, too. But He did not make their sin–He gave them choice. You can want to do something, but that does not mean that you have to. And if you make a mistake, He forgives you. And if you truly realise you have sin in your life and want to overcome it, He equips you to do so with His Holy Spirit. I have overcome many trials and tribulations and have been healed of “incurable” things in my life. Praise and glory to Almighty God! He is for me, and He is for you too.