So here we are again ~ another Black Monday
In South Africa we have one major, overriding problem and that is crime, especially brutally violent crime. Crime stems mostly from abject poverty and hopelessness, but because of our country's history, the Apartheid system, much of the violence is fueled by hate.
(Translation: Our water is already finished. Stop the farm murders otherwise our food will be finished too.)
This morning I wore black. But when I got dressed I had completely forgotten about today's protest. As I drove into town and saw the gatherings along the road I remembered and because I was actually wearing black I felt somehow co-opted into a group I'm not comfortable belonging to. Yesterday my boys, aged 10 and 13 years, mentioned something about wearing black to school. I told them they could not wear any protest symbols until they fully understood and supported the issue being protested themselves. I wonder how many of us (of all races) understand what is at stake when we take action. Which is not to say action should not be taken, but careful consideration should go into our actions.
(There are scenes like this countrywide today.)
I am a white South African. This is not my fault or something I should be ashamed of. It is happenstance of birth. I did not create Apartheid, and I certainly didn't support it. In fact I became a young adult during the final turbulent throes of the dying Apartheid system and was greatly affected by the issues I was confronted with, especially being on a University Campus for 3 years during that period. As a human I am deeply hurt by the suffering inflicted by members of my race on members of another race, but realistically, apart from the few people (in the scheme of things) who cross my path, who would know what is in my heart. It would be easy for another to judge me by the colour of my skin, or by the choice of the colour of the clothing I wear today, but they don't know me. And this I think is the crux of the problem, we don't know each other, and in general we make very little effort to understand the other.
The nature of crime in our country is absolutely horrific. The issue being highlighted today is that of farm murders. Mostly (but not exclusively) white farmers are being systematically murdered, often tortured too. Farmers and their families are isolated in their homes on the farms and are easier to target. This is not the reason they are being slaughtered though, but probably one of the reasons. We also can't ignore the elephant in the room ~ Apartheid. White people did oppress non-whites for a significant period of time. Farming and land is culturally important to black people, and they feel very strongly about the land that was stolen from them. Even in my daughter's high school class there was much passionate discussion about the topic. Also, sadly, in many cases non-white workers were treated poorly, and sometimes much worse than that. These issues are incendiary and add fuel to fire that has been built by poverty, political corruption and desperation.
We have a black government now and they are shits. This has nothing to do with the happenstance of their race. The white people who created Apartheid were shits too. But that people can be manipulated by corrupt governments and political rhetoric is yet another factor in the conflagration. I have an iota of additional understanding as my best friend is non-white and we are brutally honest with each other. It is ironic the little acts of racism she still experiences regularly infuriate me, but not her. It has become part of her experience of living in South Africa.
Today a very real problem is being addressed. If we lose our farmers, we lose our food. Farm takeovers by unskilled farmers lead to starvation. We need only look at our neighbour Zimbabwe, as a reminder of this. I would like to think the wider problem of all crime is on the minds of many today. Unfortunately the protests will also feature those white people who wish to return to the previous era. This will inflame racial tensions. Where will the balance of sentiment lead us?
(Here is one of our big problems. The support of and display of the OLD South African flag. A symbol of oppression by the majority of our population.)
There is no easy solution to this problem. We need to work together and get to know our neighbours. We need to have empathy for the situations of others. We need to control a corrupt government who misuses public funds that could be used to uplift the poor. We need to somehow stem the culture of greed, the culture of me and mine. I feel slightly uncomfortable about my accidental wardrobe choice. I don't want to be grouped and stereotyped by my clothing. Just as I do not want to be stereotyped by the pigmentation of my skin. Every. Single. Day. I believe we all can work from this starting point.
@onetree
I have used photos sourced from facebook and twitter to illustrate this issue.
My previous Black Monday post 7 months ago: https://steemit.com/politics/@onetree/rant-supreme-and-questions-black-monday-friday-march-if-only-we-could-harness-this-energy-for-something-that-would-make-a
Great post my friend, I am just glad I dont need to use the highway.. LOL
Thanks @breezin me too :)
Gosh, got messages this morning from some community members here in Limpopo, it is amazing how many black white people are getting together. It is also stipulated not to be a racial event on their behalf but rather a crime awareness campaign. Ive decided to rather lend moral support from home today
I haven't seen any black people involved here in northern KZN yet. And another farmer was murdered this morning in a town 1 1/2 hours away this morning.
Good post, we need much wider exposure to this issue.
I don't fully with the sentiment that all the farm land was stolen by the Whites as being suggested by the ruling party. Fair enough some farm might have been taken during war times more that 100 years ago. But probably most of the current farmers have either bought or inherited the farm land they currently own.
I was also still a very young child at the end of Apartheid and could not do anything to have changed the situation. The only thing I can do is say sorry to our fellow South Africans for what was done to them. I also fully agree that Apartheid was an evil system that should never have existed in the first place.
Part of the bigger problem which seem to be overlooked is that most of the laws that eventually led to Apartheid being formed in South Africa was introduced by the British Empire when they tried to colonize South Africa and afterwards just throw their hands into the air and play innocent.
The other issue is our government is too worried about how much money they can scoop while in power instead of trying to get crime under control.
It's easier to spread hate between races to keep the citizens of the country occupied with other issues and take our attention away from their shenanigans.
I agree 100% I know farmland is inherited, and I agree many problems originated with colonialism. This, however is not perceived as the truth by much of the population. And the government exploits this issue to their benefit by emphasising divisions. We need to find a way to address these issues in a respectful way. The younger generation is rightfully irritated that they are dragged into the Apartheid history, but our history is ours to deal with. Imagine if we could get it right? We would be the most successful nation in the world because we learnt to work together.
@onetree. The 'divide and rule' or 'divide to conquer' is a very old technique which has been used for hundreds of years. Similar situations had been played out in Asian countries, Middle Eastern countries, American states and in South Africa.
In Thailand, a few years ago we had a red and yellow shirts conflict which was extremely divisive and violent. The cabal must be eyeing some kinds of rare minerals there. So, they want empty land with no owners and less resistance. They have to be drastic and divisive in competition with the Chinese's moves into several countries in Africa. Now, the Chinese own about 90% of rare earth in the world. Without rare earth and other minerals, progress in microelectronics and new weapon systems will be impossible.
Looking at the big picture or grand chess board, I am afraid that a world war is unavoidable. They are pushing very hard in all the different theaters of operations around the world. They are currently very afraid of their loosening grip of the control of global financial systems. The petro dollars system is dying! Something very ugly is going to occur soon, in fact, I think they are trying out simultaneous surprise moves in various locations, (judging by the patterns of hints the cabal has given in public).
This is a really big game plan. Things aren't just happening, these have been planned and discussed years in advance of the launching of the operations. The tools to stimulate the game are local politicians who have been bought. These are the experience of my own country during the last twenty years, particularly the last five years. This was why the military had to come to power to stop the big killing; hidden ammunition, guns, RPGs, etc were hidden around the city. The main stream media would not tell the truth and there have been several attempts to turn Bangkok into Libya, so that UN troops could be brought into Thailand. Bought politicians often demanded UN troops to interfere in our domestic troubles.
We are too close to the Chinese side, Thailand is the gateway to surround China and Russia! We still have untapped natural gas and petroleum, plus minerals. Try to look at the big picture and be aware that they are manipulating the conflict and actors in the situation emotionally and psychologically. We had seen two adversary demonstrations in Bangkok, each side amounted to several hundred thousand people ready to lynch at the 'enemies' with hatred. The Freemasons are everywhere, new lodges have been opening up in big cities, they even advertise their new lodges on the web. This means they are very confident of their upper hand.
People are just dispensable pawns or 'useless eaters' in this game plan. Don't become a pawn, don't be manipulated, don't be made to feel guilty! Watch out for the moment the jaguar pounces on its prey!
It is not possible to save the majority of people, they have been programmed or indoctrinated by belief systems or ideology; it is one of the plans of reducing world population.
I pray that all the evil people will be punished by their own bad karma soon.
Take care.
I have such a sense of the desperation of our times. I agree world war is imminent and people in countries across the globe are being manipulated. "Useless eaters" as you say.
My daily life is difficult enough with enormous financial stress at times, but I always think maybe one day I will I will long for these times. Which is to say things can get much worse.
Something "big" is on our doorstep. I think if we reach the middle of December we will be okay a while longer. I am struggling with myself to try and remain positive and project the "right" kind of vibes. It is all we pawns can do at the moment.
I appreciate your friendship and your insight. You often make me feel better with your feedback. Somehow your replies often get me thinking. I don't feel guilty about the race thing, because to ME it is a non-issue. BUT I do experience guilt constantly. I feel especially guilty that my husband and children don't have better lives. I know my husband feels the same too. I need to work on letting the guilt go to make space for higher vibrations.
Thank you for being you.
Try not to feel 'guilty' too often. Live with 'what is' rather than 'what should be'. This will give one more energy to cope with the present.
Around your area, there must be some kind of energy line or lay-lie, because you all seem to pick up all kinds of strong vibes.
Do use music, chanting, candles and scented herbs, bell ringing to cleanse the house of negative energies.
Keep well, healthy and safe. The storm is coming, I pray for some delay. Lots of people haven't even started to prepare mentally!
Thank you @kaminchan, as always 🔆
Excellent Post!
Thank you @awgbibb much appreciated.
I wore black today as well. I stand in solidarity with the many innocents who are being murdered in our country. I also do not support any form of racial discrimination and I agree with you that our government is not doing its part in solving any of problems that are facing our country. I am worried by the bad feelings that are growing day by day. Where will it all end?
img credz: pixabay.com
Nice, you got a 4.0% @minnowbooster upgoat, thanks to @onetree
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Great post!
Thank you