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A nation of closet bigots
June 23, 1999
Sir/Madam,
There has been quite a hue and cry about the now infamous clause 7 so far as it relates to dealing with public utterances and the attempts to again make matters requiring, ideological, social and political action into matters of law and order.
In a most sinister manner, this offensive piece of legislation attempts to turn the attempt of its authors at subversion of the unity of the people into some kind of noble activity.
What all the hullabaloo has quietly ignored is that this clause seeks to legislate us into a nation of closet racists, sexists, religious bigots and make all forms of most banal and vile forms of human thinking acceptable, only if we keep it behind closed doors.
It seeks to make law that every person has the right “in private” to be racist, sexist or otherwise denigrate others (who knows what transformation takes place once you step out into the public domain).
Such a law is an abomination in the face of all humanity in this enlightened age.
Humankind fought bitterly against fascism in the 20th Century. The UN condemned Zionist fundamentalism as racism. Apartheid was destroyed. All marking the movement of society on the high road of civilisation and for the humanisation of society.
Now a government seeks to trumpet a law which makes closet offensive behaviour acceptable and we are supposed to regard this as “revolutionary legislation”!
This is a most backward and dehumanising position authored by this government.
Yet, it is in keeping with its entire legislative agenda which seeks to institutionalise anti-democracy (witness the amendment of the Summary Offences Act), anti-worker terrorism (witness the attacks on nurses and others) and racism and other forms of discrimination once done in the comfort of privacy.
These are all elements of the fascist outlook – anti-democracy, anti-workerism and racism and other forms of discrimination. Just examine the ideas of Hitler, Mussolini, Afrikaans, Zionism, etc.
This regime, which represents the most rapacious sections of the propertied sections of this society as well as international finance capital is no different in substance from Hitlerite National Socialism which represented the forces of the same character in Germany.
Humankind has long ago condemned racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination. They are not acceptable as part either of private or public thinking or behaviour.
The people of Trinidad and Tobago by their political and social actions, like those everywhere else, have fought these monsters. They must not be allowed to be made acceptable under the guise of “representative” lawmaking.
We must not allow this vile legislation to pass.
HOMEPAGE
Copyright © Clyde Weatherhead
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