The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

We already have a discrimination in our laws where residents may not gamble in the licensed casinos but that is covered and exempted by direct mention of the fact that it is discriminating.

I do tend to agree with Justice Sawyer but would never had admitted that I had not read the proposed amendments as there is no doubt, unintentionally at least one of the proposals is creating discrimination and as Chief Justice Longley suggested after the Red Mass in January 2016, Article 4 could be challenged.

I suspect if a referendum was taken on the issue of Should Citizenship be given to anyone other than a born child of a Bahamian as high as 95 per cent would respond in the negative. Convention globally it is accepted that a country offers citizenship, subject qualification written in Law to apply and be processed within a reasonable time - two- three-four as many as ten years is not acceptable.

The usual basic qualification to start is continuous legal residency of five years.

Article 26 defines and requires under law (not ‘policy’) broadly there will be no discrimination.

Defining Marriage - special circumstances for unwed persons - males or females, non-Bahamian married to Bahamians I suggest is a form of discrimination that is why we could be making a serious mistake by trying to be too broad in what is proposed and by definition.

It surely is so much easier if we accept - a child born to a Bahamian is Bahamian.

For the rest in a non-discriminatory approach by a simple qualification, written in Law, after five years of legal and continuous residency you may apply for citizenship.

Unfortunately, since 1973 actually illegally policy has governed the issuance of Citizenship and Permanent Residency. Process cannot be as with so many cases, not months or even one-two years, but three-four-five-six and even ten more years and still waiting for process.

It is seriously ironic that today very much the norm the heterosexual does not marry - keeps sweetheart whilst the gays demand the legal right to marriage - not an oxymoron?

It might be too late this time we might get this right after the fathers at the Constitutional Conference in London imposed, 43 years ago and all agreed not to give women equal rights and solely because we signed onto the UN Women’s Rights Convention this is being proposed. If a No vote is the will of those who vote then what really changes - We’ve lived with this status for 43 years, and few made any noise. I see women run The Bahamas!

L HUMES

Nassau,

May 1, 2016.