Ms. Greene, human rights activist, appeared before the Constitutional Commission on Wednesday and made several important statements as carried in the press.
“The state has an obligation to me to ensure that as a citizen I have equitable access to the benefits that it offers…"
“I think that the state has an obligation to its citizens that is different than the church’s obligation to its parishioners…."
Read the articles in The Nassau Guardian here… and The Tribune here…
Ms. Greene deserves credit for so ably making her points.
Unfortunately it is the State that imposes laws outside the framework of the Constitution that remain unchallenged in the Courts.
In addition, as the Nassau Institute noted back in 2004, "The Constitution is limited to fundamental principles that define the relationship of the governing body to that of the governed reflecting a commitment to a free society."
"Accordingly, all the additions and changes might be unrealistic but as the review is taking place, it would be a shame not to attempt to find a way to keep the state in check at the same time as it has been proven over and over again that the omnipotent state can do substantial damage to a country and her citizen's."
"A free society certainly needs permanent means for restricting the powers of government no matter what the particular objective of the moment might be. The foundational principle of the Constitution is to protect the individual against all arbitrary coercion. Any recommendations for change to the existing document must be tested against this principle."
In other words, a Constitution is to protect the rights of the individual while restricting the power of the government.
In the final, will gay and lesbian people and women in general ever receive equal treatment under the law?
We shall see how meaningful this exercise is at the end of the day.
By the way, you might be interested in reading F.A. Hayek's, The Constituion of Liberty (pdf) here...
