December 14, 2011
Dear Editor,
May I weigh in on the discussion on homosexual rights in Belize? On October 12, 2011, Channel 7 aired a report titled “Can you pray away gay”?
It was an article familiarizing people on the move of UNIBAM to try to change Belize’s laws to decriminalize homosexuality. During that same newscast another story titled “Man accused of hideous offense with a cow” was aired. It reported on an incident involving a man who was caught “red-handed” having anal sex with his young male cow.
The strongest argument of those who are promoting the homosexual agenda is that they say that some people are born that way. While there may be scientific study to support and to oppose that position, I would like to draw a comparison. I was wondering about what would happened if that man who was caught with the cow claimed that he was born that way – with an inclination towards animals.
If you think this sounds strange, then look at the quote below made from scientist Andrea Beetz, Ph.D, which can be seen on Wikipedia, the foremost dictionary resource today: Bestiality and Zoophilia (2005) “The phenomenon of sexual contact with animals is starting to lose its taboo: it is appearing more often in scholarly publications, and the public are being confronted with it, too. […] Sexual contact with animals – in the form of bestiality or zoophilia – needs to be discussed more openly and investigated in more detail by scholars working in disciplines such as animal ethics, animal behavior, anthrozoology, psychology, mental health, sociology, and the law.” Andrea Beetz Ph.D Bestiality and Zoophilia (2005)
I look at that and remember that in the 60’s people used to consider homosexuality to be a psychological issue as well, and then eventually, it became more accepted and now, some societies are accepting it as normal behavior.
Going back to the man and his cow, suppose a group organizes itself and lobbies for the right to have sex with animals, citing scientific study that they are born with that tendency? Should society accept it and grant them this right?
How about if they claim they will only have intercourse with their own animals, and they will raise those animals to like it? Would that strengthen their argument? How about if they claim that denying them this right under law infringes on their basic human rights?
Bestiality, which we all consider detrimental to society, can over time follow the same course as that of homosexuality. Notice that the scientist quoted above already suggests that we should examine the laws [pertaining to the criminalization of bestiality].
While we cannot control the moral and ethical standard of the individual, it is the responsibility of society to promote and protect good collective moral and ethical standards. This is the primary reason law exists. A few people will always wax cold and vile, but the failure of a society as a whole to maintain good collective moral and ethical standards leads to its disintegration.
While some nations are moving in this direction by accepting homosexuality as equal to heterosexuality and teaching their children the same, I believe that it is in the best interest of us in Belize and the CARICOM region to stand firm in the protection of our societies against things that degrade and decay.
Legalizing homosexuality will cause the number of homosexual people in the country to increase rapidly, because it will cause increased influence. Look at the textbooks aimed at influencing young children in schools.
Let us leave a good legacy for our children so that they will not look back at our generation as vile, forcing them to have to fight even worse fallacies, such as the decriminalization of bestiality, because we dropped the ball with homosexuality.
I believe that we will stand firm and the homosexuality will remain illegal in Belize and for this, we and our children will be blessed. All that is necessary for evil to prevail is for decent people to do nothing.
Let those who love Belize and their children stand and fight.
L. Lamb