BVI News

I recently read the above captioned article on this online news site regarding the status of children born in and out of wedlock, as it relates to English Common Law and the Virgin Islands Constitution.

Thanks to the Law reform Commission for the history lesson, and its effort to shed some clarification on the matter.

It is a subject that has been raised from time to time in our society with some degree of controversy, and while some people take delight in and enjoy the status quo, others are marginalized or displaced because of the status quo.

In an age when all civilized peoples everywhere are seeking for equality in the global scheme of things, it is disheartening to hear the views and see the reactions of so-called Christian people when it comes to issue of making reparations against injustices in the law that affects the rights and the lives of real people.

People born out of wedlock are real people. They come into the world as helpless innocent babies, who had no active role in the circumstances of their birth. They grow up to be teenagers struggling for an identity, and eventually adult men and women who should be able to find their rightful place in society.

Children are naturally in the group of persons who are always vulnerable because they cannot speak for themselves in the forums where decisions are being made. They have to be represented.

If you do not have a representative who has your best interest at heart, naturally you will be shortchanged or misrepresented. This is often the case with children when it comes to controversial issues where certain interest groups with power are able to dominate. That is why I can appreciate the reference of the Guyanese stance on the matter, where it is stated in plain and simple language where there is no need for further legal interpretation.

It is not a myth that the wives of men who have fathered “illegitimate” children had something to do with the blocking of needed reforms that were raised in the Legislative assembly some years ago. That is part of the local history that is missing from the article and it would have been a good thing if the Law Reform Commission had researched that and mentioned it in its article.

Perhaps it cannot be proven that the wives had anything to do with it, but it could have been brought to the public’s attention that efforts have been made in the society, at least by one conscientious council man, to have the stigma of illegitimacy removed from the people of these Virgin Islands. Although the effort was foiled, it is an indication that not everyone within the realm of authority is controlled by the evil thinking of some voters and persons of influence.

It is an evil thinking minority that has perpetuated this evil against the majority. And to a large extent it only goes to show that we in the Virgin Islands are just not ready. As a matter of formality we will bring in Commissioners to conduct reforms at great cost to the public, for the purpose of compliance with international treaties when we are expected to toe the line. But, when these commissions are in process, the people fail to attend the meetings in mass numbers, fail to let their voices be heard, and then at the end of the day, it’s the dominant views and ideas of the commissioners that end up in the reports, to be politically manipulated to suit whichever government administration is in power.

So, in effect, there is no real democracy taking place. And it’s simply because we are not ready for good government or any real civil society behavior that is an integral part of national development. I do hope and trust that this is more a thing of the past and that a new day is about to dawn on the Virgin Islands socio-political scene.

I emphasize the point I want to stress that “illegitimate” children are real people. Just as real as “legitimate” children, and all children, with the grace of God, grow up to be real people men and women. Christians must be familiar with the scriptures that say “All have sin and come short of the glory of God”?

It says nothing about whether born in or out of wedlock. And marriage vows, as far as I am aware, makes no mention of children. So with all due respect to the powers that be, I think it is time that we get real about this issue and stop the �pussy-footing’ and ringing around the roses with it, and just do the right thing, which is to stop the non-sense of playing legal games with people’s lives.

Thank you for your indulgence.

• Home
• About
• Free Classifieds
• Columns
• Contact Us
• Caribbean News Links
• International News Links