Sex is ordinarily
a good thing. It is important for the survival and longevity of the human race
and other species. In Uganda, a
team of expert scientists, the
Ministerial Scientific Committee on Homosexuality in the Ministry of Health (hereinafter, the Committee),
in its report of 10th
February 2014, entitled, Scientific
Statement from the Ministry of Health on Homosexuality, stated on page 2 that, ‘Sex is a
natural phenomenon in all life forms and is the basis for the reproduction and continuum of life ...’ and added,
on page 6, that ‘... the essence of sex ... is that of procreation ....’ To
achieve this objective, societies world over institutionalized sex under the
aegis of family settings. That is why looking
at family set-ups in general, especially, in the animal kingdom, it appears
that the standard definition and by extension, main purpose, of a family is
that it is a group by a sex relationship, which is sufficiently precise and
enduring to provide for the procreation and upbringing of young ones.
The importance
of sex cannot be over emphasized. First, health-wise, it has an amazing recuperative
effect; a healing and relaxation sensation; that cuts across the both mental
and physical spectrum of the human body, which guarantees a constant flow of
energy. This is why some sportsmen and women have a practice of having sex at
least an hour before their game. It is said that this boosts bodily stamina and
mental concentration. Sex with the right person, at the right time, in the
right place and for the right reasons, is truly the best and sweetest thing
that the world can ever offer.
Second, in religious
terms, sex is a widely acknowledged form of worship; at least in all the major
religions of the world. Christianity and Judaism believe that man and woman were
created to multiply and fill the world. Hence, in the words of scripture – Genesis
2:24 – ‘That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his
wife, and they become one,’ in fulfilling this noble mission. In Islam, sex should
be based on love for each other and fearing God. The Holy Koran, 30:21, provides
that, ‘Allah created men and women so that they can provide company to one
another, love and live in peace and tranquillity to the commandment of Allah
and the direction of His messenger.’ Further, in the Hadith, Prophet Mohammed said
that, ‘When man has married, he has completed one-half of his faith.’ To
Moslems, sex is a means of emotional and sexual gratification, procreation,
among others.
Unfortunately however, as will be
demonstrated shortly, sex in Uganda has been adulterated. This adulteration
seems to have spared no one – not even those claiming religious piety,
including the self-acclaimed “born agains,” since stories of church ministers sodomizing
or committing adultery with their followers are rife. None is righteous: so it is written in the Bible, in Romans 3:10. Sex
in Uganda has been institutionalized into two categories: legal and illegal
sex. The former is legitimate and socially acceptable, like marriage; the
latter is illegitimate and generally frowned upon, like prostitution and
homosexuality. Nowadays, both are big-time money making ventures for many
people, who have steadily reduced sex to a tradable commodity and gladly availed
it in the marketplace! Now there is a phenomenal sex industry in Uganda, which
is seriously booming.
Marriage, the
only socially acceptable avenue for enjoying sex in Uganda, has been so
commercialized and cheapened that it is now a complete showbiz industry of
sorts. Most marriages go through a two tier process: the traditional or
customary stage (otherwise known as introduction) where a girl formally
introduces her lover to her parents and relatives and then the religious stage,
where couples solemnize their marriage in a religious place of worship like a
church or a mosque. People spend ridiculously huge amounts of money at both stages,
simply for each of the couple to show the rest of the world who he or she will
formally sleep with, engaging in the business of making children! Many times, the
couple, together with their families, borrow money or sell valuable properties
to organize fancy marriage ceremonies, as if in competition for the slot of most
prominent ceremony in the neighbourhood. Added to this is the growing trend of
people marrying for the sake of prospective financial rewards and benefits,
instead of love and emotional attachment. Consequently, marriage ceremonies today
have become exorbitantly expensive, rendering socially acceptable sex, a commodity
that is beyond the reach of many people especially, young men and women.
The over
pricing of sex has culminated into the rise of and engagement in apparent social
immorality and obscenity. For instance, there is a sharp rise in cross-generational
sex, whereby young boys and girls engage in illicit sexual relationships with
men and women, who are way far older than they are; in many cases fit enough to
be their parents. This is the so-called ‘sugar mummy’ or ‘sugar daddy’
relationships phenomenon. It is so shameful that upon close scrutiny, one finds
that those involved in these relationships are simply disguisable, polished and
sophisticated prostitutes. Then, I have argued before (here https://huntedthinker.blogspot.ug/2017/11/economic-analysis-of-rise-of.html)
that even the rise of such sexual perversions like homosexuality are closely linked
to the unreasonably expensive character of heterosexual sex i.e. sex between men
and women. Briefly, this is because people of the same sex can easily
communicate with each other the challenges and problems they face, including
sexual and emotional deprivation and starvation. Having this kind of discussion
is near to impossible between members of the opposite sex because of the
effects and considerations of such social forces as patriarchy that looks at
the female partner as being dependent or at least entitled to dependency on her
male partner. But the unduly expensive character of formalized sex in Uganda
today, negates the capacity of males to conform to the dictates of patriarchy to
provide for their female counterparts, ultimately driving men to engage in
illicit sexual relations with their fellow men, hence the rise of
homosexuality. In today’s rapidly changing world, thanks to the influence of
socio-political forces like women emancipation, this goes for women too.
Evidently
therefore, Ugandans have taken the sex institution a notch higher by sadly transforming
it into a massive commercial enterprise of sorts. This should be bad enough on
its own, yet there is more to it than meets the eye. The commercial
adulteration of sex has far reaching social implications on our society. How?
You may ask. This nonsensical practice has two main social effects on our body
fabric: first, the compromise and break up of social bonds of harmony and
integration; and second, the emergence of an irresponsible citizenry.
Concerning the
compromise and break up of social harmony and integration; every society needs
firm social balances in order to function properly, for the betterment of its
members. Healthy sexual relations are core to achieving social balance because the
sex institution is a very powerful forum that keeps people intact and glued
together. The commercialization of sex is rapidly undermining these social necessities.
For instance, many young people cannot freely marry partners of their choice
anymore and at their due time because they cannot afford the unnecessarily huge
bills for flashy introduction ceremonies, followed by mega wedding parties –
the showbiz marks that nowadays characterize and define marriages. Then, there
is a surge in levels of crimes of passion,
like murder, maiming and acid burns, that are committed under excessive
emotion, arising from sexual jealousy.
Concerning the
emergence of irresponsible citizenry; many people are overly sex oriented. Old
men and women (but usually men), for instance, are abandoning their spouses and
children and are instead busy running after young boys and girls especially, in
universities. They fail to build strong and stable family relationships that Napoleon
Hill, writing in his book, Think and Grow
Rich (1937), says are vital for personal planning and economic development.
Meanwhile, the young boys and girls (but usually girls) have simply become simpletons,
only interested in the pleasures of life, courtesy of their sugar daddies and
mummies, instead of strategizing and working hard for a better future. So,
whereas sex should facilitate and motivate wealth creation, in Uganda, it merely
promotes wealth consumption. That is exactly why, as explained earlier, many of
our people are more readily available and willing to fully participate to introductions
and weddings than contribute to more viable ventures like investing and starting
up businesses to generate more money or better still, get involved in more genuine
causes for social emancipation and overall development. The reason is plain and
simple: it is all about rampant consumerism that has bedevilled the current
monetary-market system in the global economy. Unlike investments and social
causes like charity, there is ready food to eat in introduction and wedding
ceremonies. This is a tragic situation indeed and its socio-economic
consequences are severe.
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