Dear
Editor,
PLAIN
& SIMPLE: YES or NO
This
country has a whole lot of serious problems that need to be addressed, and FAST,
because we are in big trouble with escalating debt, increasing crime, poverty,
corruption, joblessness, hopelessness etc. etc. etc. Can our ‘leaders’ take
their blinders off, get their heads out of the sand, and start doing the job
they were elected to do? Right now we are getting nowhere fast – there is no
vision, there is no plan, there is no unity, there is no cooperation, there is
no clue – and meanwhile the country is going to hell and the people are
suffering!
The
upcoming Referendum is a stark example of this – we are wasting time arguing
and confusing the issues, and as a result cutting off our noses to spite our
face – AGAIN! This Referendum is for the benefit of ALL OF US – yes, ALL OF US
- Bahamian men, women and children! So can we please calm down and pay attention
so that we can sort it out and move on to other things? Simply put, this is
what I understand: The purpose is to vote on 4 Constitutional Bills in order
that Bahamian women, men and children can have equal rights. The public will be
voting either ‘YES’ to change the Bill, or ‘NO’ to keep it the way it is.
BILL
#1
A) NOW: A child born to a Bahamian MAN married to a
Bahamian woman, or married to a non Bahamian woman, AUTOMATICALLY gets Bahamian
citizenship
B) UNEQUALLY however, a child born to a Bahamian WOMAN
who is married to a non-Bahamian man DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY obtain Bahamian
citizenship
C) CHANGE WITH A ‘YES’ VOTE: A child born to a
Bahamian woman who is married to a non-Bahamian man will AUTOMATICALLY get
Bahamian citizenship
BILL
#2
A) NOW: The non-Bahamian wife of a Bahamian man can
obtain Bahamian citizenship after five years, (however citizenship is not
guaranteed).
B) UNEQUALLY however the non-Bahamian husband of a Bahamian
woman does NOT have the right to apply for Bahamian citizenship through
marriage.
c) CHANGE WITH A ‘YES’ VOTE: The non-Bahamian husband
of a Bahamian woman will have the right to obtain Bahamian citizenship AFTER
FIVE YEARS (however citizenship is not guaranteed).
BILL
#3
A)
NOW: A child born
to a Bahamian father who is NOT MARRIED to the non-Bahamian mother CANNOT AUTOMATICALLY
get Bahamian citizenship
B)
UNEQUALLY a child
born to a Bahamian mother who is NOT MARRIED, CAN AUTOMATICALLY get Bahamian
citizenship
C)
CHANGE WITH A
‘YES’ VOTE: A child born to a Bahamian father who IS NOT MARRIED to the non
Bahamian mother CAN AUTOMATICALLY obtain Bahamian citizenship, once it is
scientifically proved he is the father
BILL
#4
A) NOW: No Bahamian citizen, MAN OR WOMAN, can be denied
basic human rights based on their
race,
place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed
B)
There is NO
INEQUALITY problem in this Bill – the Referendum change is to allow for the
word ‘
sex’ – i.e. gender, to be added
to the list
C)
CHANGE WITH A
‘YES’ VOTE: the word ‘sex’ referring to person’s gender, i.e. a female or a
male, would be added to the listing.
Yours
sincerely,
Pam
Burnside