EDITORIAL: Your rights, my rights
The hot topic around the recognition of same-sex marriages continues to divide public opinion, days after the Supreme Court delivered a ruling which has angered and delighted groups in equal measure.
Those who are courageous enough have aired their views publicly, however, the majority seemingly continue to debate behind closed doors, fearing victimisation.
Rightly so, because there is seemingly no middle ground in this matter of gay marriages - which in our view reverses the gains made over the years as far as freedom of speech and expression is concerned.
We cannot sit back while the neutrals in this discourse are vilified as sellouts and cowards. There were many other controversial and emotive court judgments and parliamentary decisions such as the 2014 constitutional amendments, but never were our people bullied into taking sides.
There are claims that the majority of the populace is against the gay marriages concept, forgetting that we live in a representative democracy in which the ruling Swapo Party continues to have far-reaching influence over the legislature, executive and the judiciary through judicial appointments which are mostly Swapo-linked.
On the other side of the coin, a situation whereby those opposing gay marriages are accused of being intolerant and discriminatory should also be condemned because no one should be forced to subscribe to something against their will.
The concept of ‘my rights end where your rights begin’ should always be the cornerstone of our maturing democracy.
Those who are courageous enough have aired their views publicly, however, the majority seemingly continue to debate behind closed doors, fearing victimisation.
Rightly so, because there is seemingly no middle ground in this matter of gay marriages - which in our view reverses the gains made over the years as far as freedom of speech and expression is concerned.
We cannot sit back while the neutrals in this discourse are vilified as sellouts and cowards. There were many other controversial and emotive court judgments and parliamentary decisions such as the 2014 constitutional amendments, but never were our people bullied into taking sides.
There are claims that the majority of the populace is against the gay marriages concept, forgetting that we live in a representative democracy in which the ruling Swapo Party continues to have far-reaching influence over the legislature, executive and the judiciary through judicial appointments which are mostly Swapo-linked.
On the other side of the coin, a situation whereby those opposing gay marriages are accused of being intolerant and discriminatory should also be condemned because no one should be forced to subscribe to something against their will.
The concept of ‘my rights end where your rights begin’ should always be the cornerstone of our maturing democracy.
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Namibian Sun
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