Today I sent out a message to those who care to read, all users on the work email and facebook friends. This was the message;
"South Africa is a nation that needs collective healing. This is not only the government's job but each of us as we engage with each other every day. We need to turn the tide. Smile at the guy selling newspapers at the traffic lights, people need to be treated like human beings in order to be human. Do not be rude and cause a scene just because the opportunity has arisen. Rise above, become another person's breath of fresh air. Kindness experienced today can affect future behaviour. Be the source of that kindness, that compassion and that love, that is a luxury to some."
A friend asked what prompted this message my response was the following;
"
Everyone is up in arms about the girl who was raped and
mutilated this week. We have 16days of activism against violence against women and children etc. People are calling for
castration, death penalty etc. Next week the topic will be forgotten. We will
be outraged by something else.
The thing is everyday a potential rapist is
born, that same potential rapist is a potential good doctor, good father, good
president. Somewhere along the way a series of things happen I will leave this
to the psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists to debate over, but
these things happen as inputs into this little boy’s life that make him become
one or the other. In the incident in question there was not only one victim.
The victims are the girl who died suffered what we will never know because we
will never be her, a group of men, whose pain, need for recognition, need for
power, need for dignity, need to feel like men at whatever cost, this need so
big that they could gather voluntarily and commit this crime are victims, they
will never shake this off their conscience and they must continue to live, dare
I say, society which must now read this in the media are victims, we are
witnessing the lowest levels to which humanity can sink being humans ourselves.
In Limpompo province there have already been 121 REPORTED rape cases this year of only 39days
so far! I believe prevention is the key and I believe, love and kindness are
powerful ways in which a largely helpless group of good people can impact the
society in which we live. Little boys must be taken care of. Grown men must be
taken care of. The mothers that look after children must be taken care of etc.
Women and little girls must be taken care of. If you do not have a rapist there
is no need to discuss whether we should castrate or kill them. Is a smile at
the traffic lights going to solve the world’s problems? I actually think it
might soften the heart a little, give a bit of that dignity and recognition
that might otherwise be taken by force."
There is a place for the right judicial system, counselling services, community projects, marches and other forms of active activism. I support, respect and am in awe of people who dedicate their lives to fight the scourges in society while we smell the roses. I also think that, it not just for us to sit and be victims but for us to turn the tide in our own little way every day. Let us give the recognition of dignity one to another a try.
