Man Arrested for Posting Gay Rights Posters

Malawi, South Africa

As a person who openly supports gay rights, it hurts me to read this story. But I'm also one who believes the United States shouldn't go around trying to change the situation in foreign countries. In South Africa, a man was posting gay rights posters.

Sawali, 21, was putting up posters that read, "Gay rights are human rights," on a busy road in the city of Blantyre, the spokesman said... Basically, he was promoting a criminal act. This is what this is all about.

Wait.. does America even do that? Do we prosecute people for promoting a criminal act? Murder is illegal in every state, and some would consider violent video games promoting a criminal act, but those are still legal.

Last month, Human Rights Watch wrote a letter to Malawi's government, accusing it of threatening citizens' fundamental rights.

Wait, fundamental rights? Maybe to United States citizens, but these people aren't United States Citizens. Malawi has its own constitution that decides what the rights of the citizens are. I find it acceptable for activists to go and talk about human "rights", but don't expect them to change their laws. Truly, when you think about it, there are no basic human rights. People's rights depend on where they live, because they're decided by the government.

"All these countries want to impose their culture on us, but homosexuality is a crime, according to the penal code in Malawi," he said. Those found guilty of homosexuality in Malawi face a maximum of 14 years in jail.

As a supporter of equality, I hope that all countries get to the point where there is no hate or discrimination because of something someone can't control. But America isn't even there yet, so we can't expect other places to be.