THE EDITOR, Sir: Last week, I listened with interest to an interview on NNN with Queen Ifrica. There was some public outrage about some of her utterances during her performance at the Grand Gala.
I waged a bet with myself as to what her response would be – and I won. Her response was that she had a right to her opinions and free speech. She was later supported by Tony Rebel.
But even if we leave Miss Ifrica and Mr Rebel alone for the time being, I still have great concern about this matter of rights. I find it interesting that more and more people are demanding rights and fewer and fewer people are concerned about responsibilities.
This notion of rights is firmly fixed on a sound foundation of
responsibilities. The sand, cement and steel in this foundation are judgement, empathy and duty. There cannot be a right without a duty!
Ninety-three years ago – almost to the day – in his acceptance speech as Republican VP nominee, Calvin Coolidge declared to a loud and sometimes raucous crowd of delegates, “… Men speak of natural rights, but I challenge anyone to show me where in nature any rights existed or were recognised until there was established for their declaration and protection a duty promulgated body of corresponding laws… .
Are the agencies most vocal in the assertion of rights providing sufficient leadership in this regard?
Has anyone stopped to consider how different Jamaica – and indeed the world – would be if we were a duty-centred society rather than a rights-centred society? There is a frantic attempt by many organisations to make more rights available without any reference to logic and common sense.
Now we all feel we have a right to do and say what we want, when we want, and how we want. Maybe we misunderstand freedom and our freedoms are holding us captive.
I think there is a need to educate people about duties and the importance of a sense of responsibility. The concept of right without duty is meaningless.
GLENN TUCKER