Monday, July 6, 2009

Definition of Democracy

My friends. I'm sorry for the long hiatus. I have three half-written blogs, but I haven't had the inspiration to finish them.

It's not as though the issues have disappeared... they're still there!

Case and point being the situation in Honduras. I'm perplexed by the OAS's support of President Zelaya's. Please read the following, which is taken verbatim from an article titled "Honduras defends its democracy" by Mary O'Grady. {I strongly suggest Googling the full article}

"... Mr. Zelaya acted as if he were above the law... While Honduran law allows for a constitutional rewrite... only... through a national referendum approved by its Congress.

But Mr. Zelaya declared the vote on his own and had Mr. Chávez ship him the necessary ballots from Venezuela. The Supreme Court ruled his referendum unconstitutional, and it instructed the military not to carry out the logistics of the vote as it normally would do.

The top military commander, Gen. Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, told the president that he would have to comply. Mr. Zelaya promptly fired him. The Supreme Court ordered him reinstated. Mr. Zelaya refused.

...

The attorney general had already made clear that the referendum was illegal, and he further announced that he would prosecute anyone involved in carrying it out.
"

Now, I'm shocked and surprised when I learned that Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton had leapt to the defense of President Zelaya. Next came the support of President Obama, our own Hon. Dean Barrow, and the UN.

I ask you, my fellow Belizeans, to look in your hearts and define democracy. The Honduran constitution allows only a one-term president, because of atrocities of the past. Look in the history books, and you'll quickly understand why. {It's not taught in Belizean schools, but Central America has had a very turbulent history.} There is a reason so many Central American immigrants come to our nation.

Personally, I stand behind the Congress of Honduras. True, a military coup was NOT the way to go, but their actions have foundations in righteousness and goodwill. Through their actions, however, of expelling President Zelaya, their "good" has been severely tainted in the eye of the world. I pity them. May I remind you that President Zelaya only had a 30% popularity vote earlier this year. His referendum most likely wouldn't have passed.

Sometimes the boundaries between good and bad aren't as distinct as we want them to be. Sometimes you have to put yourself in someone else's skin and walk around a little bit.

Comments, please.

The Voice