I should definately be focusing on my soon to be due paper on Proportional Representation but I can't do it right now. Sitting in class an hour ago I was suddenly overcome with sadness and frustration thinking about this blog I have started and the comments that have followed. I have to just say everything that I need to say to make me feel better.
This blog will mainly be a response to my comments from blog members A2Z and Jeff, who have been honest and have replied with I believe the best intentions they could have to my posts. But I need to reply with the best of my intentions and out of concern for this shitty world that we have to live in.
First of all, the main cause for my concern comes from the problem I have with how influential the internet is and how everyone and anyone can post their thoughts and views online. Whether these views are extremely left or right on the spectrum, they still have equal opportunity to be heard...this is a beautiful and a scary thing. While my fellow bloggers Jeff and A2Z im sure had innocent intentions and just wanted to inform me of what i'm going to face in South Africa im scared that those out there on the internet that are reading these posts may take their comments the wrong way. It was thoughts such as these that at one time were assumed to be innocent but turned into extreme. I'm sure when the Belguims went down to Rwanda and noticed a physical difference between the population they had no idea that these sketches that they made would lead into the mass genocide of 1994. What makes your views (jeff and a2z) any different then how the Germans felt towards the Jews? They too thought that Jews were born with a lower iq then that of other Germans and look where that led to....the death of 6 million innocent people, who didn't deserve to die over anyone else because of their race.
Please dont take this the wrong way a2z or Jeff, you may not feel that your words had racist undertones but I feel like you should recognize what others can do with them and how they could interpret them.
One of my comments was discussing how it's been proven that blacks are less intelligent then whites even in Canada because even after all of the opportunities that are laid at their feet they still committ themselves to gang violence and poverty. First of all, the surveys from which this information is coming from needs to be examined closer. There was a similar survey that my friend pointed me to trying to prove a similar point, it was later discovered by many scholars that these questions were skewed and twisted to prove the point true. So next time someone wants to present me with cold hard facts saying that blacks are generally less intelligent then whites then please point me to the article/website so I can see this for myself.
I think that there is too much emphasis placed on the faults of black leaders in Africa over the faults of white leaders as well. We all know that Ian Smith former leader of Zimbabwe was no saint and please don't get me wrong, there are black leaders in Africa as we speak that are responsible for the blatent murder of their people. What I'm saying is that attention needs to be given to all corrupt leaders, not just the black ones. People need to start investigating Western Imperialism to its depth and see all of the evil deeds that have sprung from the many middle aged white men that have nodded their head in approval to the initiation of many unspeakable evils. To list two we could talk about the slaughtering of thousands in Latin America in the 1970's (Argentina and Chile) of which the US supported, or we could discuss the lives that are forever ruined in the Middle East and North America from this terrible decision for a war that has killed thousands.
Please remember that before colonialization and mass immigration societies all over the world had their own system of government that worked for them beautifully. Africans had a way of life before the arrival of Europeans that worked and prospered...through the slave trade and colonialization the mentality has been born that because things weren't done the "western way" these people were simply un-intelligent savages. This is where your (Jeff and A2Z) mentality is stemming from.
I know that crime is terrible in South Africa, and when a family member gets raped or killed by a merciless black man it is IMPOSSIBLE not to hold a grudge and hate SA. I'm not saying that these terrible crimes are to be overlooked and understood, but im begging people like you two to please look past your experiences in South Africa and past this notion that blacks are inferior, because that mentality causes nothing more then a larger divide and more violence. There should be no sympathy for a rapist, but dont say that person committed the crime because they are black, the main population of Africa is black, what are the odds!?
I know that one of you is very religious, I too, at one time was a devout Christian (now....not so sure..go figure I had a problem with people in the church!). How can you say that your fellow man is by nature inferior compared to the white man because of the colour of his/her skin? What makes you white and right? Jesus would be appalled by those words of yours.
Lastly, I hope the comment saying that I must really love black because I kept my font that colour wasn't meant as I took it, because if so, the whole validity of your arguement was lost with childish words such as those.
So anyways, it's all out, I feel better. I never wanted to make waves and that was not my intention by writing this blog. But I felt so overwhelmed with greif today that I knew I had to say what I needed to say. Our conversations have been respectful so far, so please lets keep them this way, I hope you don't feel attacked....but please, take my words seriously. I can only hope that you will one day wake up and realize that you have been tainted....and I can only hope that I make it through my time in SA without agreeing with you two.
That being said, I do feel wrong writing about SA and not being there yet, so this will probably be my last post until I arrive in May....then perhaps we can have an even better debate.
Peace.
13 comments:
Race betrayl? The whole point of my arguement was that I don't see a difference in races...I look at it as the betrayl of humanity...not of people with my own skin colour. Maybe if you said that liberals like me sometimes make the mistake of ignoring the issues of their own country (which we do) but not of our own race...that is so unbelievably prejudice.
Reality slapped me in the face a long time ago, through my years spent visiting many parts of the world (and no i didn't go on some mission of idealism, i've had some very raw, intense experiences) along with the education in Political Science i've gotten in the last 4 years.
I feel very justified and "doctrined" to take on your arguement and as I said before, this lesson that you wish you could teach me would never be one taught by Jesus himself...because he too, had a love for humanity, not one race.
Anyways Jeff, no hard feelings at all I hope, you seem like a good caring guy, we just see things quite differently, take care of yourself...
Hi Maple,
I wish I could read your article but the black print on the navy blue background hampers my effort. I will check later to see if you can change it. Can you perhaps change the background to white. Thanks
I also have 2 daughters studying for tests right now so yes I think that you should be putting all your efforts in your school work instead of blogging. Wait till you are finished.
I think I am trying to reach you as a mother would rather than any long discourse on racism and everything else. Its been my experience the older I get the less I know. Life and humanity is sometimes complex and even insane. But as a mother I would urge you to reconsider your trip to SA. You are putting yourself in harms way. You can do more to "help" from a safe place than in a hospital. Is this a judgement? No it's an observation. I would say the same thing if you were a girl moving to Columbia.
As for all the rest I moved to SA in 1993 with a pre-conceived notion that white SA'ns were terrible people. Within 2 weeks I had changed my mind. I understood once again that the media lies. They never present the 2 sides of the story. So I started reading history books on SA and then on Africa as a whole. My perspective changed. Am I going to save the world, no. I leave that to 20's.
I feel terrible for your parents. I cant imagine how they feel. You seem like such a nice girl and your parents must me besides themselves. I know I would guess sick with worry if one of my daughters was moving to be with a boyfriend. I think some of your arguments for moving there is just to be with a boyfriend and not because for a deep love for SA. Right? What if the boyfriend was living in Italy? Would you still want to move to SA with him, really? My viewpoints on blacks and SA came from living there 10 years, getting to know them on a personal level, experiencing crime first hand and reading every book I could get my hands on. I dont remember saying that they were less intelligent. I said they were more agressive and lazy (some not all). One of my friends who had children was hijacked. She said take everything but dont hurt my children. They took everything and killed one of the small girls who used to be a friend of my daughter's. Why? Why cant they just robbed a house withou the raping? Why? Why do they drop out of shcool in such big numbers and join gangs. If you want I can get statistics for you. The government of Canada just gave many millions to Montreal and Toronto to fight the black street gangs. Have you heard of asian or other cultural street gangs in Canada? I have'nt. Its just an observation. But I swear I used to be like you when I was young. No I think I was worse. I was so sensitive when I hear racist comments of any kind. I almost could feel my heart bleed. I was way to sensitive. But, I got older, travelled the world and have had people treating me badly because I am white and a Christian. Yup I have suffered because of racism. And then mu brain woke up to a new reality. Its a process.
Lets say this is our last conversation. You see like a sweet girl and I wish you the best but I will always ask you to reconsider your travel plains.
Bye Maple. Good luck on your tests.
Sorry for the typos. I rushed my response. As long as you can get the main idea. Thanks for converting your colors and sorry for the comments on dark colors it was just a joke.
OMG
I am sure I have missed a lot of what is really going on.
But there really isn't a reason to fear coming to South Africa.
I was at a meeting last were a woman was talking about her 6 weeks travel in the USA. I was there almost 9-10 years ago as an Au Pair and she had the same experience as I did.
We had to pinch ourselves to remind us that we were in a First World not back in South Africa.
Conclusion things are really not that bad here. Shw is white and I am coloured and we both love our South Africa and traveling the world has made us appreciate it more.
I leave in just about 2 weeks, i'll be sure to post an update as soon as I'm in SA, all the best :)
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