Statues or not?

[Blurock]

the question is, who has the right to there history?

Politicians will always change the facts to suit themselves, no matter which party you are looking at. That is why we should rid ourselves of politicians and not give them power to impose their will on us.

[ians]

I say move all the statues to Orania, that way the place will will increase in value even more. Everyone will be happy until the people realize its net worth and start a campaign to remove the racist white people from that land because it is now worth something.

[Justloadit]

Today it is a statue, tomorrow it will be the removal of all mlungus, xenophobia is an everyday occurrence, it is a mater of time before the focus changes to something else.

[Dave A]

It's just so easy to be critical of the people of yesteryear by applying today's standards, isn't it!

What an arrogant, ignorant, intolerant, unappreciative bunch of juvenile spoilt brats with a grossly over-stuffed sense of entitlement and self-importance, surpassed only by their lack of appreciation and thankfulness for the gifts that they enjoy today thanks in part to the efforts of these offensive historical figures that they so despise (as pitiful as they may currently perceive these gifts to be).

This presumptive, judgemental arrogance make Rhodes look like a pious saint by comparison.

And the only reason I'm being so gentle in berating this bunch of yobs is because once upon a time, roughly when I was their age, I wasn't that much different myself.

So, dear students of today, here's a little heads-up from someone who walked your path many years ago.

It is fine to be critical of others.
So long as you accept that the self-same standard may be applied against yourself.

Which means - here is the mission you have given yourself in your intolerance of Rhodes. In order to be a better person, you need only:
Go to a foreign land,
Create order from chaos,
Create wealth out of nothing,
Assemble sufficient of that wealth to yourself so that you may establish and fund universities, scholarships and grants for generations of students to come,
And do all this without offending the sense of morality of society a century and more into the future from now.

Do that, and I suggest you will have earned the right to sneer at his life work.

It really shouldn't be difficult. You live in a far more enlightened age, with a much better education, with many more opportunities, and far more equal access to them than there was some 150 years ago.

However, despite all that I have a sneaking suspicion the vast majority of you shall find it a little more difficult than one might think to achieve.

I also suspect that the precious few of you that might come remotely close to achieving greatness, will not be inclined to be so critical of the man after all when you get there.

The past is why you are where you are today. For the students of UCT, I suggest that is not too unfortunate a place. You already have much to be thankful for.
Unfortunately where you will find yourself in the future though is entirely your own responsibility.

[Justloadit]

There is now talk that now that the statue has been removed, the next task is to get more 'black" professors in, and to change the curriculum. So now this same bunch of yobs, know better what must be taught at university, and the fact that their is a great possibility of reducing the quality of the education is of no importance. They forget that the current status of the quality of the degrees collected by students with the UCT logo in is drawn on the past quality of education attained by the same people that are now being ostracized.

[vieome]

I feel the issue is not about statues at all. The real issue is power, and the corrupting force of power. And once power corrupts you, you begin to abuse it, to seek more power. Power is the central force, and everything outside of power are the tools of power. Power with its security tool, could of stopped the whole statue protest before it made headline news. Its refusal to do so, means that power is using another tool, university youth to further its own ends. Instead of letting the youth come up with their own cause, that might threaten power, power gave them a cause.

We see these tools of power in use everyday, but the are always wrapped up in something else, that we never pay attention to them. The rainbow nation idea, was a tool of power to allow transition, we might like the idea support the idea, but that tool was never put in place for long term use. We can sound good reason and logic to our present, but power is cunning, charming, evil, wise and has no use, for reason and logic, cause power only cares about more power.

Cause and Effect!
What dominoes will fall now that power has united with EFF and shifted its attack to a minority. After the rains have gone, we look up upon the sky and see the colors of the rainbow are now black and white.

[Justloadit]

Hi Vieome,

The sound of truth in your thread.
Maybe I am feeling different 22 years on, but belonging to a very small minority group, I am feeling that I am not wanted, or appreciated, no matter what skills I provide, and feel very threatened by the majority.
I feel there is a move to squash out any external/other culture from the majority culture. I am feeling the winds of change encouraging racism is growing in speed and volume, and the daily bombardment of racist policies under the disguise of righting the wrongs of the past, such as BEE and Black empowerment, and black entrepreneur convention, and all the companies advertising BEE status, and the implementation and promulgation of BEE into law.

I feel that RSA has turned a new leaf, but not for the better of the country, but the beginning of the end of the country.

A recent speech by Rob Mugabe may sum it up

1. Racism will never end as long as white cars are still using black tires.

2. Racism will never end as long as we still wash first white clothes, then other colors later.

3. Racism will never end if people still use black to symbolize bad luck and WHITE for peace.

4. Racism will never end if people still wear white clothes at weddings and black clothes at funerals

5. Racism will never end as long as those who don’t pay their bills are
blacklisted not White listed.

6. Even when playing the pool (snooker), you haven’t won until you sink the black ball, and the white ball must remain on the field.

BUT I don’t CARE, SO LONG AS I’M STILL USING THE WHITE
TOILET PAPER TO WIPE, I’M STILL FINE!

and his other very recent statement ‘I don’t want to see a white face’ shows the real hidden intention and agenda.

Looking at the amount of criticism for the statement simply shows the acceptance of the racist remark by the majority. Had the statement been in said by a white person in reverse, there would have been almost a worldwide bombardment of criticism with almost instant sanctions.