Despite the hardship they have done much on their own to recover but still have two serious obstacles to overcome, the main one being to keep going until promised grant money is received.

When they are stable they do a marvelous job of rescuing and rehoming the many cruelly abused and callously abandoned animals that are referred to them. Please help them if you can. Their website is theanimalhousejamaica.org. The need is serious and their animals are worth it:)

Just getting the word out would be a blessing.

Let's nip this new tax in the bud before it commences on June 1, 2014.

There are other important things in Jamaica that needs more attention then a prison! We need more hospital equipment, educational supplies and resources.

We also need more in the way of job creation.

We need help in elderly care, we also need financial help in a lot of departments in Jamaica we also have a lots of homeless, motherless, fatherless, and hopeless people.

We don't need a prison in Jamaica!

This reinforces the stigma and related discrimination faced by children who are adopted and continues to place them in a mentally / physically uncomfortable position.

The lyrics to the song however are highly misogynistic and homophobic. The words convey the idea that being a rapist (of women) is preferable to being gay.

Lyrics may be found here (please turn off the volume on your computer as they are highly offensive)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uPEl-GC24o&feature=youtu.be

Jamaicans in the UK and all across the world are saddened by the turmoil. We all love Jamaica dearly and we would like to see a massive transformation in the politics and the social situation in Jamaica.

We are therefore appealing to the good nature of all Jamaicans and friends of Jamaica at home and abroad to intervene and give your support and raise your voices so that Jamaica will one day overcome this adversity and reclaim its rightful position as the PEARL OF THE CARIBBEAN.

This petition seeks to inform the public and garner support for those individuals who, under the present archaic laws in Jamaica, are not protected by the laws that govern rape in this country.

As per the ICC (International Criminal Court) statute rape involves “invading the body of a person by conduct resulting in penetration, however slight, of any part of the body of the victim or of the perpetrator with a sexual organ, or of the anal or genital opening of the victim with any object or any other part of the body."

According to the standing Sexual Offenses Act in the UK these are legally punishable acts in any case where a person A commits these acts intentionally, person B DOES NOT CONSENT to the act, and person A does not reasonably believe that B consents. By this definition rape can only legally occur during instances of sexual contact where the ability to CONSENT is possible.

According to the Buggery Law that still stands in Jamaica: because a man CANNOT legally consent to sex with another man then he cannot legally be raped. As of 2011, sodomy laws have been repealed or judicially struck down in all of Europe, North America, and South America. However, in Jamaica (because of the outdated Buggery Law) ANY man regardless of sexual orientation could be violently sodomized by a man/men, the entire incident could be captured on videotape, and even with this irrefutable proof the man/men could not be charged with RAPE. This in total contravention of the basic notion that rape is committed where one individual coerces or forces another individual to engage in sexual contact.

Moreover, because rape is specifically defined in Jamaica as relating only to acts where a male penetrates a female, transgender individuals (e.g. males who undergo sexual reassignment surgery) also CANNOT be raped even though they have visibly female genitalia and self identify as female because there is no law in Jamaica that legitimizes their gender identity. Here again, other countries (such as the UK) have instituted laws (e.g. the Gender Recognition Act of 2004) that if instituted in Jamaica would allow ALL human beings the right to be protected under the laws that govern rape.

We are urging you to sign this petition that urges the governing bodies of Jamaica to make the necessary changes to these existing laws that are long overdue for revision in order to protect the rights of ALL its citizens as it relates to the legal characterization of rape. Rape is a traumatizing experience that can lead to disastrous consequences for individuals in terms of both their physical and mental health that has repercussions for ALL of us as a society. The inability to seek legal redress in the instances outlined above only compounds this trauma.

Pinnacle is located in Sligoville, St Catherine, Jamaica. It consist of over 500 acres of Land.( Part of which over look Kingston/St Andrew). In the late 1930’s Howell took over ownership/occupancy from previous owner Mr. Albert Chang, who he had to pay in CASH, in order to occupy same.

Howell was financial resourceful and independent. He didn’t use money for personal fulfillment but instead he led a humble life in Pinnacle committed to his race. During the late 1930’s the famous ‘uprising’ took place in St.

Thomas, Jamaica, many ex-slaves, suffered racism, oppressions, inadequate living conditions and hunger. Pinnacle became the safe-haven for thousands of blacks who desired to live and work communally in Unity.

Under Howell’s leadership, Pinnacle was transformed in one of the larger self-reliant/economically empowered communities. Several farmers lived and worked in Pinnacle, producing a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, peas, yams, bananas, cassava, corn, coconuts and many other products. Ganja a culture adapted from East Indians (River Ganges) was grown mainly for spiritual mediation, worshiping and medicine.

The Rastafarian at Pinnacle, built a food storage for what was called, “preparing for the tough days”. Many skilled craftsmen And women, nurses and other professionals shared their faith and lived there under the motto “One God, One Aim and One Destiny“ Between 1941 and 1957, Pinnacle was raided several times.

Each time the authorities would take away cash money banked in the community that added up to thousand of dollars under the claim that it was money earned from selling Ganja. Howell detested the exploitation of the Herb “Ganja” and he was reputed for walking the streets of Kingston, St Andrew, St. Catherine and others parishes giving money to the poor and children.

He didn’t give-in to the harassment, beatings, numerous arrests and incarcerations. He went back to live in Pinnacle upon his release from prison. During the last raid on Pinnacle, the police burned to the ground homes belonging to thousands of Rastafarians. Included in the fire were furnishings, personal items and clothing.

Having no place to live and their leader in Jail, most Rastafarians relocated throughout Kingston, St. Catherine, Clarendon, and St Thomas. That was the beginning of Rastafari dispersion and relocation in groups of churches and mansions.

In the 1970’s a small flock of Rastafarian elders took refuge in Tredegar Park, St. Catherine and continued to support the teachings of Howell until his death in 1981. Until today, the Rastafarian of Pinnacle were never, compensated for their loss of property, homes, lives and humiliation suffered. It is said that Howell had been arrested, incarcerated and was sent to Jamaica Mental Institution over (50) fifty times.

At one meeting, Howell was noted as having said that Mr. Neville N. Ashenheim, a prominent Lawyer of Jewish background, argued for the Bill of Rights in terms of protecting property rights and that property can’t be confiscated without adequate compensation.

“At Emancipation the planter were adequately compensated for Freeing the Slaves, but, I Leonard Howell was never compensated for Pinnacle and the crimes committed against me and the Rastafarian people.”

During the 1980’s Jamaica government sold off most of this land at Pinnacle to foreign and private investors. Pinnacle is now sub-divided and being sold off by “The St Jago Hills Development Ltd” Located at 20 Hope Rd, Kingston Jamaica. WI. - They have got hold of Pinnacle Estates ( First Rastafarian Free Slave Community) St Catherine. Selling/Sub-dividing- the land (over 500 acres) Last Nov. 2006 “The Leonard Howell Foundation” and other personnel (collective) had a meeting with the then Prime Minister to help restore Pinnacle and make it a Rastafari Cultural Center.

In addition - Last June- Howell Earth-day celebration was held in Pinnacle. The developers (Ms. Lois Sherwood and her Brother- directors of St Jago Hills) are now suing “ The Rastafarian - Nation - 1st Order of the Nyahbinghi Theoracy, Leonard Howell Foundation, Ras Lion and Ras Howie for possession of the Pinnacle Site and Land.

The Law Firm of “Nunes, Scholefield, DeLeon and Co” are having a hearing on November 27th 2007 in The Magistrate’s Court in Spanish Town.

I have retained a Rasta/Brother and friend Mr. Everton Bird (Atty at Law) - 21 Church Street. Kingstongn but right now the we are in need a strong- team to go up with the Law firm who represents. the Plaintiff. (St Jago Hills Dev. Ltd) Collectively - I would like to have you contact t4.he Prime Minister’s Office Please call Prime Minister Bruce Golding at 876-927-9941-3 or Fax him at 876-929-0005 with all due urgency.

The snail mail address is:
The Prime Minister of Jamaica
The Hon. Orette Bruce Golding
Jamaica House
Kingston 6
Jamaica
West Indies
The cabinet link is http://www.cabinet.gov.jm
The Cabinet Secretary is:
Dr. The Hon. Carlton Davis OJ, CD
his telephone numbers and faxes are the same as the prime minister. However his email address is..
caboff-ced@cwjamaica.com

Please add your voices to correct this colonial injustice in the sunny island of JAMAICA.

The next court date is Tuesday November 27, 2007 at the Spanish Town Court.

One Love, One Aim, One Destiny