I see where an editorial in this newspaper has chastised both the prime minister and leader of the Opposition for not pushing to have special protection rights for violence against homosexuals inserted in the Charter of Rights Bill now before the Jamaican House of Representatives.

I am in total opposition to the views of this editorial. I am sure the writer is aware we already have laws to deal with crimes and violence against the person.

Anyone, be he preacher, teacher, gay or straight, having any act of violence committed against him or herself, has protection under existing laws.

Global campaign

Gays have stepped up their campaign across the globe, seeking new legislative protection for their behaviour in public places.

But bowing to these gay rights activists by providing them with separate laws from the rest of the citizenry would only be adding status to their behaviour which is best kept indoors to avoid any violent response, especially in a homophobic society such as Jamaica's.

Laws should never be enacted for special interests because with such precedence just about every interest group would start lobbying for their own agendas.

To add insult to injury, gays seem to be on a lobby, both in Jamaica and the United States, to make the act of extortion a legal entity in their now noted demands of monetary compensation from sales of music by artistes who verbally oppose them. Should recording artistes now lobby for laws to protect them from extortion by gays? No, there is already an existing law to convict extortionists.

Laws are enacted to convict the lawless, whether the offence committed is carried out against gays or straight and, therefore, I trust the passage of the Charter of Rights Bill will give no special legal rights to any persons or groups above any other.

I am, etc.,

MICHAEL DUNN

micberd@yahoo.com

Tampa, Florida