Captain Morgan, just like you, I am a young, pissed off South African. The sound of gun shots, everyday; the muggings, the usage of brutal violence; have been my everyday experiences. I too have been a victim of crime in South Africa.
Life in this country could be so much better without high walls, electric fences and constant alertness that "maybe it is going to be me today".
I have seen the worst side of South Africa, but I choose to remain optimistic and actually do something about the situation.
Personally, I do not believe that the people who mug us and rape women are "useless mongrels" that need to be shipped to an island of highest calibre sinners. They are human, most of them have deeper lying social problems. I don't think that there is anyone in their right mind who goes out to specifically hurt or kill another living human being, but I know many people who will do anything to provide something to eat for their family, to send their younger sibling to university, like you and I.
Don't get me wrong. I do not condone any act of violence aimed at another human being, but what I'm trying to point out is that I understand why sometimes I will be held at gunpoint in broad day light. It is because I have something that they don't have. I have a guaranteed opportunity to succeed in life, and unless I am willing to share my resources with those less fortunate then myself, I will(indirectly)threaten their "down-troden lives", as an everyday reminder that their chances of amounting to anything are slim.
What is stopping us from taking an initiative to combat poverty? When should we realise that poverty plays a huge role in crime? Such realisations star with us, the victims.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Comment on a post that destroyed itself even before I did
I tried to suppress my anger when writing this comment, but couldn’t. I extend my apologies to the author of the post I commented on. I’m sure you tried hard.
"Maybe it is only I, but conditions are such these days, that if you use studiously correct grammar, people suspect you of homosexual tendencies." ~ Dorothy Parker. My dear Azab’sh, if this is to be believed then you are certainly in the clear. If, of course you consider not having homosexual tendencies as placing you in the clear. But the quality of your writing aside let’s move on to more sustentative argument. I pose the question to you, do you honestly believe that straight people have been forgotten on this campus, you merely have to look at the way that certain societies advertise their events and still objectify women to know this is not true. One assumes that your beliefs are informed by your social interactions with homosexual people, but when does this occur? Your profile states that you’re 17, unless you’re doing so illegally, when do you get the opportunity to engage with homosexuals in an informal, non-academic setting? If you were doing so you would notice that the homosexual community doesn’t utilise the party scene to proselytise, they party simple for that reason: to party. You seem to be assuming that homosexuality is a choice, why would anyone CHOOSE to be persecuted as empirical evidence suggests still happens at Rhodes. I am in complete agreement with your views on HIV statuses, your concern is legitimate and more should be done to encourage discourse on HIV and AIDs. Azab’sh, I find your use of hyberbole in saying that half the campus is gay to be well implemented and rather humorous – at least I hope it was for comedic effect because if not it is a gross exaggeration which further illustrates your uninformed opinions about the demographics of this campus. Being a student of language I’m concerned by your phrasing of “This lesbianism thing” (or is it just another error?) because it loaded with ideology, and not positive ideology at that. I haven’t experienced the homosexual community as a militant force and perhaps you should consider just what it means when you say you are a “victim” of gay and lesbian belief systems. As for “except[ing]” (and once again, did you mean accepting perchance?) gay and lesbian people for who they are; do you not expect people to accept you for who you are? Maybe we should return to an Apartheid mentality where different methodologies are used for separating and denigrating people because of who they are. This would seem to be the devolution of our egalitarian society, so maybe you should consider the implications of what you’re implying? This “dirty” question you didn’t want to ask, (so cleverly disguised by your pretence of not wanting to ask it) about the homosexual people in high places enforcing their pride on others’ is wholly contrary to reality. Once again, my experience is that they encourage one to be proud of whom one is as a whole person, sexuality being just one aspect. But I’ll accept your emphasis of the issue to be a personal (if somewhat misguided) opinion. And if you’re so concerned about the HIV and AIDs issue, why do you put so much energy into gay and lesbian people? Or is there some sinister correlation in mind, because to me the issues seem unrelated. Perhaps you could clarify this next sentence in your reply because I struggle to understand it: “I strongly believe that this homosexual thing is temporally and it is corrupting the poor first years who are trying to fit in.” Or maybe I rely too much on logic and actual experience when forming and relaying my observations. Finally, dearest Azab’sh, I don’t want you to think I’m attacking your… ahem… interesting argument, but I think the weight of not only evidence but also of the popular opinion of fellow alumni would hold truer to what I’ve said than to what you’ve said. Think… actually think about it and I’m sure you’ll agree.
"Maybe it is only I, but conditions are such these days, that if you use studiously correct grammar, people suspect you of homosexual tendencies." ~ Dorothy Parker. My dear Azab’sh, if this is to be believed then you are certainly in the clear. If, of course you consider not having homosexual tendencies as placing you in the clear. But the quality of your writing aside let’s move on to more sustentative argument. I pose the question to you, do you honestly believe that straight people have been forgotten on this campus, you merely have to look at the way that certain societies advertise their events and still objectify women to know this is not true. One assumes that your beliefs are informed by your social interactions with homosexual people, but when does this occur? Your profile states that you’re 17, unless you’re doing so illegally, when do you get the opportunity to engage with homosexuals in an informal, non-academic setting? If you were doing so you would notice that the homosexual community doesn’t utilise the party scene to proselytise, they party simple for that reason: to party. You seem to be assuming that homosexuality is a choice, why would anyone CHOOSE to be persecuted as empirical evidence suggests still happens at Rhodes. I am in complete agreement with your views on HIV statuses, your concern is legitimate and more should be done to encourage discourse on HIV and AIDs. Azab’sh, I find your use of hyberbole in saying that half the campus is gay to be well implemented and rather humorous – at least I hope it was for comedic effect because if not it is a gross exaggeration which further illustrates your uninformed opinions about the demographics of this campus. Being a student of language I’m concerned by your phrasing of “This lesbianism thing” (or is it just another error?) because it loaded with ideology, and not positive ideology at that. I haven’t experienced the homosexual community as a militant force and perhaps you should consider just what it means when you say you are a “victim” of gay and lesbian belief systems. As for “except[ing]” (and once again, did you mean accepting perchance?) gay and lesbian people for who they are; do you not expect people to accept you for who you are? Maybe we should return to an Apartheid mentality where different methodologies are used for separating and denigrating people because of who they are. This would seem to be the devolution of our egalitarian society, so maybe you should consider the implications of what you’re implying? This “dirty” question you didn’t want to ask, (so cleverly disguised by your pretence of not wanting to ask it) about the homosexual people in high places enforcing their pride on others’ is wholly contrary to reality. Once again, my experience is that they encourage one to be proud of whom one is as a whole person, sexuality being just one aspect. But I’ll accept your emphasis of the issue to be a personal (if somewhat misguided) opinion. And if you’re so concerned about the HIV and AIDs issue, why do you put so much energy into gay and lesbian people? Or is there some sinister correlation in mind, because to me the issues seem unrelated. Perhaps you could clarify this next sentence in your reply because I struggle to understand it: “I strongly believe that this homosexual thing is temporally and it is corrupting the poor first years who are trying to fit in.” Or maybe I rely too much on logic and actual experience when forming and relaying my observations. Finally, dearest Azab’sh, I don’t want you to think I’m attacking your… ahem… interesting argument, but I think the weight of not only evidence but also of the popular opinion of fellow alumni would hold truer to what I’ve said than to what you’ve said. Think… actually think about it and I’m sure you’ll agree.
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