I AM amazed at the recent statements attributed to Portia Simpson Miller in relation to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As stated in The Gleaner of October 21, the opposition leader is calling on Jamaica's international partners to respect the majority views of Jamaica on such highly sensitive matters as sexuality and the death penalty.

In essence, she is asking for everyone to respect discrimination because it is a majoritarian view in Jamaica.

This is a very dangerous propo-sition that the Opposition leader is asking for the partners to accept. It is dangerous because there will always be sensitive issues that the majority will disagree with and to just accept that would invariably lead to a lot infringement on the rights of individuals.

The black/white issue

I will point to a few examples where, in the past, if such views were 'respected' we would have a very different world.

The first was the majority view in many parts of the white-dominated states of the US that black and whites should not marry. If that view was 'respected', we may not have had an individual like Barack Obama.

Second, there was a time when most people felt that a woman should be in the home raising children and being a 'good wife'. If that view were not challenged, Mrs Simpson Miller might not have been able to occupy the seat she does today.

A little more tolerance

In both these cases, there was some upheaval because of the change in the status quo, but societies adjust and learn to accommodate changes.

There is absolutely no evidence to support her view that if homosexual men are allowed the same rights as heterosexuals, Jamaica's society will collapse.

A little more tolerance would do the society a world of good, not just for same-sex individuals, but for everyone.

I am, etc.,

RICARDO SMALLING

rsmalling@sympatico.ca