Klarinet Archive - Posting 000676.txt from 1998/01

From: JohnnyWalt <JohnnyWalt@-----.com>
Subj: Boers
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 16:24:52 -0500

<< You talk about tradition - what
<do you now about our history? Let me tell you that the "acceptance" of
apartheid
<has nothing to do with morality but everything with Anglo-American greed. The
<same greed for gold that made the second Anglo- Boere War (1899-1902) and the
<subsequent holocaust happened where 27 000 of our Boere women and children
<were
<murdered in British concentration camps. We Boere people were the first
freedom
<fighters in Africa against imperialism and colonialism. You probably will
<not know
<anything about it - only because you are fed with what should believe.

Apartheid has everything to do with morality! If you try and deny that you
are a fool! I recognize the great struggle that the Boere people had with
British Imperialism, and know of the 27,000 deaths during the Boere War, but
you must take into consideration the mistreatment of the native Africans by
the Boere people. Treating the Khoikhoi and Bantu peoples with harsh
exclusionist policies, the dispossession of most of the original inhabitants
and slavery WERE NOT caused by Anglo-American greed. Slavery??? Not a moral
issue? I don't think so. Slavery existed until the English bought Cape
Colony in 1814 and abolished it in 1833.
And apartheid laws? Not a moral issue? The laws determined where
members of each group could live, what jobs they could hold, and what type of
education they could receive! Laws prohibited most social contact between
races, authorized segregated public facilities, and denied any representation
of nonwhites in the national government! People who openly opposed apartheid
were considered communists and the government passed strict security
legislation which in effect turned South Africa into a police state! Not a
moral issue???
Before apartheid became the official policy, South Africa had a long
history of racial segregation and white supremacy. In 1910 parliamentary
membership was limited to whites and legislation passed in 1913 restricted
black land ownership to 13 percent of South Africa's total area. Many Africans
opposed these restrictions. Not a moral issue???

<<<Then I can also say a lot about the way Americans, Canadians,
Australians and New Zealanders solved their aboriginal problems. Talking about
bigotry ....>>>

You have no right to speak of this matter. The Boere people also had terrible
policies against aboriginous peoples. At least I can admit that my ancestors
made mistakes, and not try to defend them.

<<<<<To all

Sorry that I misused your highly valued clarinet list to correct an
extremely biased
and misinformed view (clichi ?) that was unfortunately promoted on your
list.>>>>

Can you be more of a hypocrite? Come on now!!!! You are making misinformed
views about your own people!

One final comment:

I think you should examine the facts here. Of course I do not live in South
Africa.....Of course I do not know first hand of the events there......but
history speaks for itself. The Boere people are not the victims here in many
cases.....sure, British Imperialism was a great struggle, but does that mean
the Boeres have permission to to wipe away the culture of native Africans? I
did not mean to offend you in any way, Gysbert, but I cannot understand your
views. I am not looking for a debate, just trying to show that yes, apartheid
is a very moral issue. History is not an excuse.

Matt