Two articles in the Mercury of September 14 make one wonder what has happened to logic and common sense.
The Concourt’s ruling that a so-called struggle song which “rejoiced” in inflicting physical violence (“hit”) on a “Boer,” whilst “offensive,” was not necessarily racist although it was “inappropriate.”
The question that appears not to have been asked is that of motive. Are we to assume that lyrics which target a particular racial group, whites in this case, and which express joy in punitive action against that group, are harmless and sung with no more malice than a traditional nursery rhyme like “Oranges and Lemons?”
The response of the National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) to the Concourt’s findings suggests otherwise. “Struggle songs are part of who we are… Any limitation on this right is a limitation on the right to freedom of speech,” a Numsa spokesman stated. In other words, malice towards whites in so-called struggle songs remains in place. Yet, amazingly, such lyrics do not constitute hate speech.
The article by doctoral candidate Anine Kriegler argues that the main reason crime is so bad is because of socio-economic inequality. Research, she insists, supports this claim and posits that respite from violent crime will occur only when we become a “more equal society.” The insulation of such ivory-tower theorists from reality is breathtaking.
Social inequality is a reality worldwide with the US as the most glaring example where one percent of the population owns 40% of everything. Yet despite that reality, in 2016 there were only 17,250 murders in the US which has a population of 325 million. In contrast, the latest statistics show that 20,336 murders have occurred in South Africa which has a population one-sixth the size of the US.
Kriegler’s social inequality case is absolute humbug. During the Great Depression in the US, when more than 25% of Americans were made destitute, there was no spike in violent crime. Violent crime will recede only when capital punishment is reinstated. Imprisonment is no deterrent to murderers. Instead, the tsunami of violent crime reflects the failure of liberal measures in punishing criminals.
Sent into The Mercury and published, 15 September 2018.
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