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If you were driving past a scene of an accident, with no emergency services in sight, would you carry on driving saying "I did not cause that accident, it is the fault of the 2 idiots involved, it is not my problem"? Or would you try help? At least call emergency services?
What irked me most about some of the comments to xenophobia articles were those implying the recent events were somebody else's problem, somebody else's fault. Let's assume, that as one commentator says there were no white faces in the mob, or as another put it - it was just the Zulu's and their king, or that you did not vote for the ruling party which did not respond to the crisis as you think they should. So what?
Some members of your population group or tribe did other reprehensible things at some or other time in our history (distant or recent).
More importantly- the fact that we live in our country and want to continue doing so presumably- makes it all of our responsibility.
If you did not vote for the ruling party- perhaps your condescending or derogatory comments are what made it impossible for someone else to vote for the party you support.
Maybe you are completely innocent of all of the above.
So what?
If it is our common country- it is our common responsibility. And we are not going to help matters by alienating each other. In any situation standing together is more efficient that being at each others throats. Be it with a panga or with harsh words.
Yes- it is your democratic right to say what you please. But please consider what good or evil your words will do. As we've seen in these incidents- words are not just words. Is what you are saying helping - or is it adding to resentment and hatred?
