By TYLER MCKENZIE
THE clock continues to tick for this administration when it comes to women’s rights – so much so that when the government last week announced that it had made sailing the national sport, a significant number of reactions on social media asked how the government could find time for that but still not have passed marital rape or gender violence laws.
Those particular laws have been brought into focus in the past week too because of two parliamentarians – one speaking up and showing how disconnected she is from the issue, and the other silent as allegations have been made to police about his actions.
Let’s start with Speaker Patricia Deveaux – who said she abhors rape, but can’t speak to the issue of marital rape because she isn’t married.
She said: “I’m not married. You understand? So, I really don’t think that I’d have a fair balance because, you know, when you’re married and you would have spent years with your husband, I don’t know how to balance the word rape in a relationship.
“So, I mean, I have my personal views that I keep to myself, but in terms of being married, I think it would be an unfair gesture for me to answer because I’m not married.”
“I’m against rape, yes, I am. With marriage, I’m not going to posture there because, like I said, I am not married and so I don’t know how to balance it against a marriage.
“Now, if it was a criminal act, it’s a whole different ballgame, but if it’s a man and a woman lying down in a bed, I don’t know how to say that I am totally against it.”
Pontius Pilate could not have washed his hands more thoroughly about an issue. Speaker Deveaux is against rape but can’t speak to the issue within a marriage? Unless she has personal experience of an issue, she can’t listen to the arguments, weigh the issues and decide accordingly? She is one of the leaders of our nation but cannot decide on matters which she does not experience directly? There are a million and one issues facing our country and she is unable to act on any of them unless it affects her personally? We are dealing with a crime epidemic, with more and more murders taking place – can she play a role in legislation on that without personal experience?
Last week saw the murder of two women from the same family – a horrible incident and exactly the kind of incident that shows the need for gender violence laws. Is the Speaker able to speak up on that?
There are more issues too – cannabis legislation is going out for consultation, can a parliamentarian have a view on that if they don’t smoke weed?
Of course our leaders can have views on all such issues – and if they don’t personally have views, then they had best remember that they are in Parliament to represent the voters who put them into office.
Sidestepping the issue on marital rape is an utter failure to live up to the responsibilities of being a leader of the nation.
Credit, then, to Water and Sewerage Corporation chairman Sylvanus Petty, who last week said that he would risk his political future to pass marital rape laws, saying: “Rape is rape whether you are married or not, and no means no.”
And so we come to the second issue – the MP who has been accused of severe abuse by an ex-girlfriend. A complaint has been made to the police – and the family last week said they were not going to let the issue go under the table.
Speaking on Wednesday, the alleged victim’s mother said: “The allegation is so serious, they supposed to be done up on it and they haven’t done nothing yet. We understand it was a holiday involved, but right now today is Wednesday, and nothing.”
The MP has not commented on the issue and, as I write this, no charges have been filed – so his identity remains unannounced as yet.
Asked by reporters to speak on the issue, the MP repeatedly said “no comment”.
The only MP to speak on the matter so far has been Minister of National Security Wayne Munroe, who said that he has been on leave and hasn’t had a briefing.
So we have an issue where a parliamentarian is facing a severe accusation and so far we cannot say who it is – and our leaders have not addressed how the matter will be dealt with.
How long can we expect such a situation to exist? Well, the family of the alleged victim are concerned at the pace of the investigation. Of course, an investigation should not proceed any differently simply because of the position of the suspect. Will that be the case here? We shall have to wait and see – but we have already seen numerous people express concerns in another case, when Transport and Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis was accused of assaulting a police officer with her car in May of last year. It took until January of this year for Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander to say that case had been closed due to insufficient evidence – which seems a remarkably long time for a fairly simple case to be resolved.
As we wait to see what happens with this new case – and we should remember that a suspect in any case must be considered innocent until proven guilty – the parliamentarian may well face questions about legislation such as gender violence, a difficult position to be in while the subject of the allegations that are circling.
What we must hope for is what we should hope for in any case – a thorough but timely investigation.
In the greater scheme of things, however, dealing with the issues that affect women’s lives and health and rights ought to be given a greater priority. The suggested legislation has been in the works for far too long now for senior figures to be in a position where they are shrugging and saying they don’t really know about the issue by now.
Comments
carltonr61 1 year, 8 months ago
It was rough hearing Sands placing all Bahamian men in a boat with someone who killed two women. He is saying all Bahamian men are Godless souls I guess except him. The absence of God in the life of women and men that resolve to act out in a stupor of violent insanity forgetting God and prayers to resolve a conflict does not speak for Bahamian men, not us. The power of God is lacking within many in our society. But there are instances of insanity within individuals, but for sands to call all Bahamian men insane speaks if his mind and hus thoughts and feelings about Bahamian men. These murdered females have a fathers. The least Sands, a man also, could show mercy for all fathers who have daughters. It could have been anyone's daughters inclusive if myself him and others. But to infere that in hus emotion all men should suffer as rapists as an equal evil as a murderer bleeds of political unholy desperation. God does not like a forked tongue. Then he after inferring all Bahamian men as wife rapers in accordance with the crime of a Godless murderer then like Pilot claim wives are deranged if their husbands while they both lay naked in wanting of sex within the Holy Sanctuary of marriage bed receives her husband's love it is a crime. Wives don't accept that as rape Sands. Sorry. And it could only be inferred that God made born males with a physical pipeage that requires rigidity for action unlike females who are receivers praying and lonely and hungry for God's promise for the Marriage Bed that her husband finly gets the pressure up then must ask, please. No born woman could deny herself the pleasure of that Santified bed, that she does not have to step outside Marriage for sexual pleasure. Wives have rights also, Sands. How could a man advocate for wives to commit adultery.
carltonr61 1 year, 8 months ago
As the Bahamas Christian Council referred to, that if sex produces a myriad of options a,b c d,e f z then Marriage becomes a civil union for couples to deny the promise to please and find option o workable releasing the binded by faith, mercy, and bearing the crosses of an 'until death do ys part' union under God. These unholy snakes in the bedroom if Eden seeks always to curse and transform God's Holy Word against God like the Pharisees who always attempted to tie The Word of Christ up. God will prevail in marriage. GOD remains on the Thrown.
carltonr61 1 year, 8 months ago
The Speaker is admitting to healthy female sexuality existing in the bed. A majured mentally healthy woman, married or not don't just lay naked in bed with a healthy man all might long for nothing. Praise to her. We need Dr. Roberts to explain human sexuality. The serpents on the Marritial Garden dare not call on experts but rely on well paid media driven crazed fanatical hysteria to drive God's Biblical Policy on His Sanctity, Sacrifice and Mercy of Holy Matrimony by Satanizing husbands as rapists and naked wives as strangers to their husbands. This blasphemy must stop. Mist modern women who failed ar family life find sex like gratification is power, control freaks, dress ware, latest car, makeup, power projection, entrapment, body fitness, latest cellphone, but they are hungry to be always relavent with no husband needing and wanting her, giving attention which they need. So these females and impotent men on bed are jealous of functioning Holy Matrimony. Modern females who advocate for marritual rape are probably also sexually shut down because of menopause which begin at around 38 years of age. Imagine being a female and professional , a woman of power, sexual prawness in a professional body and denied God's Grace of motherhood haters of marriage denied and lonely rotted inward and receiving attention only on a podium to bake up for their failure at womanhood and Godly compassion. That they never found a man, lock up all men. And the women hater men and those who are infertile or suffers from erectile disfunction or masochism on the face of power sadistic females for survival take one of Dr Pinto testosterone shots. A healthy Bahamian male can myster an erection until on his nineties, while wives begin to shutdown ar 38. So, there lies the problem. And a warning for men to perform if you want bed with a naked speaker type.
birdiestrachan 1 year, 8 months ago
It is wrong to paint all men with the same brush , the courts have difficulty with case backlogs, marital rape will be difficult to prove if they live in the same house and sleep in the same bed, it is a trap straight from Satan and those who serve him , the speaker was right it gave them less to analysis and dissect
carltonr61 1 year, 8 months ago
Have these women ever felt the sacrifice of giving birth? Or, when a husband is unable to get an erection. The sexual lives of wives they are asking the government to make them the Holy authority for wives. They want to replace Priests and Reverend and have couples swear to their laws.
I see where men on pension take their money. Plenty young girls gather like angry snappers as he calls it 'out to get a drink of tea', as non compromising old wives in bed produce dirty old men in another woman's bed. Married women need help in making their beds function not create obstacles to them receiving sex after the ten c must go on. hildren have left home. The show must go on and pitu the females who don't know the gratifying feel of every night feeling joyfully sexually wanted and special.
birdiestrachan 1 year, 8 months ago
Does the writer really believe that gender violence laws Could have prevented those two murders ?.. I hope it was written just for writing , sake you know words
carltonr61 1 year, 8 months ago
Yea. Strange.
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