By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Staff Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
OUTRAGED women's rights activists yesterday condemned statements made by DNA candidate Rodney Moncur concerning the use of oral contraceptives.
Family planning advocates are demanding a public apology from the former Bain and Grants Town DNA candidate after he posted on Twitter that Bahamian women should "take seed".
Donna Nicolls, activist and volunteer counselor at the Crisis Centre, said: "Why doesn't Mr Moncur stand up and condemn rapists, stand up and condemn men who physically abuse women? We must take men's seed, what the hell is he thinking?
"The comments were totally disrespectful and it was very demeaning. Women constitute 51 per cent of the population and for him to make such a comment it just means that he totally disregards women, that he has no regard whatsoever for women."
In a spate of posts that were all typed in upper case, Mr Moncur condemned the use of "evil cancerous birth control pills" and commanded Bahamian women to submit to their husbands and become pregnant as the Christian doctrine outlawed the preventative method.
In a Tribune interview, Mr Moncur stood by his contentious remarks as they reflected his hard-line religious stance against the "pills of baby destruction".
While there have been cancer risks associated with taking birth control pills, oncologist Theodore Turnquest, clinical director at Doctors Hospital, said that the risk were linked to estrogen levels, and have since been remedied.
Dr Turnquest said: "The thing about the breast cancer risk with oral contraceptives is that the previous dosage of estrogen in (pills) were associated with the development of breast cancer."
"In today's dosage, the estrogen component is significantly less and I think that's really a misleading statement to say because not all oral contraceptives have estrogen, some of them are progesterone only."
Dr Turnquest added: "So if he's saying modern oral contraceptives are causing cancer that's inaccurate."
In one post, Mr Moncur said the pills were introduced to the country in 1966, and have since encouraged infidelity among women.
Highlighting that this year marked the 50th anniversary of the Women's Suffrage Movement, Mrs Nicolls said Mr Moncur's belittling remarks should serve as a catalyst to rekindle the movement for gender equality.
"This type of thinking continues to objectify women and create the problems that a lot of the women who come to (the Crisis Centre) face," she said.
"I am just so outraged, and I feel that as women we have got to stop just taking this nonsense that people keep throwing at us and get together and say no, enough."
She added: "Just how everybody came out about the article about The Bahamas and the shacks, this is how we should come out against Rodney Moncur and any man who comes out and speaks about women in this demeaning way."
Comments
242352 12 years, 5 months ago
Moncur needs to go back to the church and seek to solve all their problems that they have and start to respect our woman.
He is porbably a wife beater and thinks it's ok!
MartGM 12 years, 5 months ago
Mrs. Nicolls you're very right!!
mynameis 12 years, 5 months ago
"Mrs Nicolls said Mr Moncur's belittling remarks should serve as a catalyst to rekindle the movement for gender equality." How does Mr. Moncur's comments make me or any female in this country less equal? Apparently Mr. Moncur has not evolved with the rest of the human race from the caveman days. But so what? People will always have ignorant comments. Someone espousing views about another person's personal choices, and even rights is entitled to their views. Doesn't really amount to a hill of beans. For me and my female friends, we have done what is appropriate to have done with respect to Mr. Moncur's comments - shook our heads in bemusement, laughed him to scorn, felt great sorrow and pity for the female partner in his life, and moved on!!
concernedcitizen 12 years, 5 months ago
the bible said go forth and multiply at a time when man needed to just to survive ,are we going produce more children than our resources like ,jamaica and haiti ,,,man we got it good here and alot of women are moving up w/ good jobs to feed their kids cause these no good men won,t ...and then an idiot like these puts this nonsene in our already silly young mens heads ..... what a chavanist w/ low self esteem ..!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bril 12 years, 5 months ago
To carry Dr. Turnquest's comments even further. It has actually been proven that OCPs reduce the risk of cervical cancers and other cancers of the female genitourinary system. So Mr. Moncur is wrong wrong wrong. It goes to show how reading a little information can lead to some dangerous and stupid comments. Often times people only read snippets of information or they hear bits of information and they let it rip. As Dr. Turnquest so correctly notes, Moncur is talking about unopposed estrogen OCP that were made in days gone by. They are no longer in use. Modern contraceptives have the hormones estrogen and progesterone. The progesterone acting in opposition to the estrogen creates the correct hormonal balance.
On a moral note, Mr. Moncur needs to catch some sense. Again we are a bunch of hypocrites in this country. The amount of philandering, abusive men in this country is to numerous to count. Yet Moncur says nothing in that regard. Who made you the moral police anyway?
mynameis 12 years, 5 months ago
By the way, let's talk gender equality in this country. Anyone out there remembers the Referendum which was, among other things, intended to make Bahamian women Constitutionally equal to Bahamian men when it came to the issue of passing on Bahamian citizenship? How about the marital rape law which would have permitted a woman to no longer be subjugated to husband's will when it came to the issue of sex? The direct effect of amending the citizenship provisions of the Constitution would have meant that a Bahamian woman, married to a foreign man, no longer had to ensure that she was in The Bahamas to give birth if she wanted to pass on her citizenship to her child, or apply for her child to be registered as a Bahamian citizen while the married Bahamian man, whether married to a Bahamian or not could have a child every and anywhere in the world and his child was a Bahamian by birth and as of right. The indirect effect of that amendment would have also meant that no longer would a Bahamian woman married to a foreign man in this country have to wait five years before her husband could get apply for and be granted permanent residence when there is no such requirement in law for the Bahamian man married to foreign woman. Marital rape! Where do I begin? If we truly believed that each of us are fundamentally equal and equally entitled to consent to what happens to our bodies, and that equality is our god-given right, then no ritualistic religious service or civil process ought to be able to take that right away from us.
These are issues that I will rally up on support of on any given day...
242 12 years, 5 months ago
Yes, I also remember the PLP being strongly against that referendum.
Bril 12 years, 5 months ago
Yep, and there goes the discussion. Politics has to be brought in to suit the people out there who can't seem to frame arguments on there own. In response to Mynameis you are spot on. We as a country have some concerns of quality that we need to address. But I believe that we need to stay away from making them political tools. Perhaps women groups can do a series of events to better address these issues. I think for the most part many people do not understand the issues. But like Mr. Moncur, they hear a little bit of information and the issue is perceived totally out of context.
242 12 years, 5 months ago
Thank you for pointing that out. My point was that it shouldn't have been made political. It looks bad the way I put it.
concernedcitizen 12 years, 5 months ago
i,m there with ,full support on both points and i,m a man!!!!well written Mynameis....
really 12 years, 5 months ago
Im sorry as a woman I dont get what the big deal is...if ur taking bc for hormone imbalance or w.e thats different but sex should be between husband and wife and we're supposed to mutltiply place your faith in God not man ... now while i must say the way he said it is a bit unorthodox most of what he's saying is tru..
Bril 12 years, 5 months ago
There is no big deal really. The point that I'm making though is that when you make false claims regarding science to support a moral argument then you need to have the evidence to support it. In this case Mr. Moncur described the OCP as a cancer causing drug. This is not the case. Now all the feminine blow back from Ms. Nicholls and whoever else that's their business.
Now however you may feel morally its your business and no one has the right to tell you how to feel. But it is quite dangerous and stupid to make false claims regarding heath care. For example there was a case in the UK where a doctor falsified research that said that autism was linked to childhood vaccinations. It sent people into a panic and subsequently there was a decline in parents wanting to vaccinate their kids. As a result there was a rise in childhood infections and an increase in associated complications. As we know rumors can race through the Bahamas like a wild fire. And you would be surprised how easily something like this can catch on and take root. Next thing you know we'll be seeing babies popping out left right and center.
concernedcitizen 12 years, 5 months ago
say it bril !!
really 12 years, 5 months ago
i agree with that part bril.... but i was meaning the whole feminist hoopla is unnecessary it wasnt demeaning sounds like those persons looking for attention to me!
Shirley 12 years, 5 months ago
Bran McCartney, I trust you are taking note of this. Kindly ensure this idiot does not make the short list next time around.
proudloudandfnm 12 years, 5 months ago
Man all McCartney ran was jokers. I'll never understand how anyone got swung by the DNA and their group of misfits!! Jokiest slate of candidates ever!
concernedcitizen 12 years, 5 months ago
he would of done better to run 10 quality candidates ,and not drag them donkeys out from in the bush to fill out the 38
Concerned 12 years, 4 months ago
DNA must be feeling really happy that they loss. Sometimes there is victory in defeat. LMAO!!
gigi 12 years, 5 months ago
WOW! I HAD TO SIGN UP FOR THIS WHEN I SAW THIS HEADLINE, I COULD UNDERSTAND IF RM CAME FROM DISSEMINATING HIS BASIC LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ON THE SUBJECT AS RELATES THE SIDE EFFECTS ON WOMEN, HOWEVER...IT IS LUDICROUS TO SEE SUCH SHEER UTTER NONSENSE COMING FROM SUPPOSEDLY EDUCATED PPL ; FIRST OF (1) BAHAMIAN WOMEN ARE EDUCATED IN THIS DAY, NO LONGER BAREFOOTED AND PREGNANT, SO GET TO STEPPIN' WITH YOUR PATRONIZING CONDESCENDING TONE OF CRAP ON A SILVER SPOON; THE REAL UNDERLYING FACTOR HERE I CAN SEE THRU THE SKELETAL STRUCTURE IS: YOUR DISDAIN AND RESENTMENT FOR WOMEN IN AUTHORITY, WELL I GUTZ NEWS FER YU BRO. WE AINT GOIN NOWHERE, AND HOW IN THE COW MESS YOU GUT UP IN THAT FEMALE PREACHER'S PERSONAL BIZNESS, (SEEM LIKE ITS MORE TO WHAT YOU LETTING ON THERE) I JUDGE YOUR SELF-MADE STATEMENT AND MAINTAIN THAT THE PERPETRATOR OF THE STATEMENT IS A HYPOCRITICAL-GOSSIPMONGER WITH MALE CHAUVINISTIC TENDENCIES AND NOT A TRUE WORSHIPPER OF GOD, ARE YOU PRESENTLY EXPERIENCING THESE PERSONAL ISSUES WITH YOUR WIFE PERHAPS AND B'CUZ OF BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT INFLICTING YOUR VIEWS ON ALL WOMEN SIR? MY MOTHER HAD 16 CHILDREN; IN GOD'S NAME RM DUYA THING THAT MAKES A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE IN THIS DAY, SO MILLIONS OF WOMEN ARE ON THEIR WAY TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET SIR FOR THIS SIN WHY DONT YOU GO AND LOBBY AGAINST ABORTIONS SIR THAT WOULD IN FACT BE MORE PRACTICAL.....PLEASE DONT PATRONIZE US!
Cc 12 years, 5 months ago
THIS from a man who hardly ever has running water or electricity services in his home. BOL!
Concerned 12 years, 4 months ago
I am concerned that this man may have made it into the House of Assembly. I am even more concerned that the likes of some of the current members of the House are not far from the intellectual level of Mr. Moncur. I am very concerned.
TalRussell 12 years, 4 months ago
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
HaveSomeTruth 12 years, 4 months ago
Mr. Moncur that is no way the problem. The problem is too many uneducated, ghetto, angry young women are getting pregnant by uneducated, ghetto, angry, immature men. I say we need less "taking seed" and more contraceptive use. I can not understand why our black people today can not use protection. Why would you want to bring a child into your world when you can not take care of yourself financially, emotionally, physically, spiritually?! I will never understand that thinking. And the pattern is the man leaves the woman on her own with the baby. Over and over again it happens and still we see young women walking with 2 and 3 children!!! When are we going to slow down the rate our population is growing?! And not a population of scientists or doctors, but more criminals. These are the kids growing up with no parenting or guidance from the parent.
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