Human Rights and Wrongs

On My Soap Box

Human Rights and Wrongs

We hear much at present about Human Rights.  And I have consciously given the H and the R a capital letter.

In Namibia and South Africa (and I’m sure many other countries, but these are the ones I can cite knowledgeably), activists, and in most cases indeed the Government, have done much to ensure equal rights are available to all.

Take the country’s Affirmative Action Policy.  In layman terms, if two people are considered for the same job, and have the same skills and experience, a woman must be paid that same as a man, a Caucasian paid the same as an African or black person and it is “policy” that the advantage goes to the previously disadvantaged candidate.  

I will not go into the positives or negatives of the above policy, but all in all the intention behind the affirmative action policy is laudable, even if the actual implementation can be seriously criticised.  

Activists have also ensured that HIV status is a private affair, and no person may be discriminated against because of their HIV status.  Again, a very laudable policy.

The latest and greatest soap box that human rights activists are standing on at the moment is the Covid vaccination soap box.

Mandatory vaccination is an infringement of a basic human right of choice etc etc.

This “human rights” movement seems to be world over and is certainly not an African-lead movement, although I know that many people in Southern Africa certainly fight for the right to choose.

I have always had great respect for Human Rights activists and have supported them applaudingly from the side-lines, knowing that without these people who often put the good of the nation above their own good, we would probably all still be sitting in an era where I would not be allowed to choose where I live without restrictions based on colour and race, nor would I be able to choose a marriage partner without consideration of race, sex and colour.  

But here is where I am going to get on my own soap box and point out many discriminatory acts world over which make our insistence of the right to choose a covid vaccine laughable.

World over, in the 1920s and beyond, people who were disabled mentally and/or physically were forcibly sterilized.  Eugenics was alive and well and indeed only got a bad rap once it became fashionable to give eugenics and the tie to Nazi Germany a bad rap.  

Before that, I’m not seeing much public outcry.

Of course there were public outcries, but did it make the news the way racial discrimination made the news?

What about discrimination on sexual orientation?  Now we’re getting into the very contentious sphere of the LGBTQ# discussion.  My intention here is not to discuss the whats, wheres, whens or hows, but only to point out that until today, the very PRIVATE act of love making and the person choice of your gender identity as well as your choice of sexuality, is legislated.

• In Namibia, it is illegal for same sex couples to get married.
• In South Africa, homosexual couples can have a civil union, but under different legislation from heterosexual couples. 
• If you wish to live and work in Namibia and your spouse is a Namibian, your spouse may legally reside and work in Namibia.  However – this only relates to heterosexual couples.  A homosexual marriage union is not recognised in Namibia, regardless of how legal the union was in the country it took place.

Let’s go one further.  A person who changes his or her biological sex, has an immense amount of paperwork to complete, and indeed in many countries, being recognised legally as female, when your birth certificate says male, is indeed not even possible.

WHY??

And one even further:  Sodomy – so the normal loving, consensual sexual act between two males was an illegal act in South Africa until late into the 90s and probably was only actually removed from sections of other legislation in the early 2000s.

My question to myself is – why does sex, gender and activities that go on between consenting adults have to come into legislation at all?  Surely if the time spent on these legislations was channelled to ensuring food security for all people, this world might be a much better place.

Idealistic? yes.  

Obtainable? Yes.

Discussion and argument might be the start of a better future for our children.

And…. Go!