It is easy to fight against something wrong when it is done by your enemy or an opposing faction. But the mark of an exceptional person is their ability to fight against something wrong when it is done by their own close comrade or friend. One of the ways that we create a monster is when we keep quiet when someone is doing something wrong, on the basis that this something wrong benefits us. When we let this happen, we set a precedence, we give legitimacy to wrong things. One day, this person is going to say or do this wrong thing, but this time, theyll be doing it to us. At that point, no one will take us seriously when we raise arguments about how wrong such things are, because we will be reminded that we are responsible for giving legitimacy to such things. No ANC leader is going to tell us that Julius Malema is rude and vulgar, because Malemas rudeness and vulgarity are a product of years of legitimisation. Malema has sworn at and humiliated people before, from opposition to the organisation itself. The venom that he spewed against president Mbeki in particular is disturbing. The image of that young man addressing the masses outside Pietermaritzburg High Court a few years ago during president Zumas rape trial, where he insulted mme Epainette Mbeki, the mother of president Mbeki, is imprinted in many of our minds. No one condemned him; they stood there clapping, because that wrongful behaviour was benefiting their agenda. Later on, he began to direct insults to them and suddenly theres an uproar about what a bad person he is. Today when they convince us to not vote for EFF they say: He insults elders! We must not create monsters, no matter how tempting it is. We must dare to condemn our own friends, factions and comrades when they do wrong things. We must not be selective in our principles, such that we agree to wrong on the sole basis that its done to the enemy. The problem with grooming monsters is that they have big appetites. When they have chewed and swallowed opposition or those in other factions, they start eating those in their own faction or organisation. Wrong is wrong no matter who does it.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 05:23:57 +0000
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