In South Africa a child is raped every three minutes and AIDS continues to spread with epidemic ferocity.
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2010/s2913893.htm
It was with disgust and much anger I read a story in today’s magazine “QWeekend” which is issued with Saturday’s “Courier Mail”. The article was headed “Hearts of Darkness”…and I can assure you the subject matter is very, very dark…and very, very tragic.
Tears streamed down my face as I read the article – not only tears of sorrow, but also tears of sheer anger and frustration. For God’s sake, this is 2010 we are living in and such atrocities are still going on with no signs of abatement!
Today I feel very guilty because I watched our Socceroos play their couple of games in the 2010 World Cup competition being played in South Africa. I should have known better! I was going to watch the final between Spain and The Netherlands, Monday morning, our time. I was quite prepared to be awake at 4 am to watch the final, but I won’t be doing so now in respect for all those innocent young children who have been raped, and continue being raped.
I’m not a fan of soccer, anyway! It’s a stupid game, made even more stupid by those idiotic vuvuzelas annoying the shit out of everyone! “Dumb and Dumber” personified!
The thought that amongst the spectators are evil perpetrators of these horrific crimes; these crimes of great magnitude make my stomach turn. I’d be a hypocrite if I watched the final. In some way it would be as if I condoned the actions of these bastards!
If you really want to know how I feel about them….if I had my way, I wouldn’t be erecting sports’ stadiums….I’d be lining the bastards up in front of a firing squad! Is that clear enough?
It’s beyond my understanding why South Africa was allowed to host the World Cup! They spend billions of dollars building sporting arenas etc., and yet they can’t fix this horrendous problem.
"Children have no voice. That's also why you'll still see the crime called "child molestation" instead of rape. Many people have a difficult time imagining a child being raped, but that's exactly what it is. Activists like Carol Bower claim the government is effectively complicit in these crimes. Quote: "We have a great deal of misogyny in government and, from what we can see by the lack of ANC investment in clinics and training programmes for a new generation of rape counsellors, a profound lack of will to tackle this nightmare head-on" End Quote.
She points to the personal life of South African President Jacob Zuma, a proud polygamist with five known wives who was acquitted of rape in 2006, but only after he acknowledged having unprotected sex with the HIV-positive daughter of a family friend. Zuma's remarks about women, sex and Zulu culture caused controversy and there were ugly scenes outside the courtroom, with his supporters setting fire to pictures of the women involved."
Another woman outside the courtroom during that trial was stoned because she was mistakenly thought to be the victim!!!!!!!!!
‘Tis a strange world we live in, Master Jack!!!!!!
Oh man. Heavy stuff. These things make me cry too. The world today has it's priorities backwards. Sports and entertainment before health and justice... You're leaving me with more to think about tonight...
ReplyDeleteIt's horrific, Kortney. What is happening really is disturbing...so very, very upsetting.
ReplyDeleteI read that article too, Lee, and had the same reaction. Years ago, musicians refused to play in Sun City because of Apartheid. Now an even greater crime on humanity is being committed and what happens? Sweet FA! Those tots are totally defenceless with only a handful of caring people to defend their tiny lives.
ReplyDeleteWhat appalled me the most was tbe superstition that virgin blood can cure HIV/AIDS but it is impossible to find a virgin over 16. That makes rape of children right? I don't think so...
As for those vuvuzelas...they remind me of nothing so much as a swarm of bees, but without the honey...
It is appalling, Robyn...everything about what's going on is so very disturbing. That story in Saturday's paper was so upsetting, to say the least. It's been on my mind ever since.
ReplyDeleteIt is bad anywhere. I reading an article the other day about how children in other nations are used in sex trade and how others children are sold as slaves to work. Here our laws are not strick enough either. We have registery which is a big joke. I for one would be happy to pull the trigger on those firing squads you mentioned. You cannot put the Fear of God in them until you put the fear of woman.Where Man has failed we women would fix the problem very swiftly. I also figure Hell is gonna have to be enlarged just for those who commit the rape againist the innocent.
ReplyDeleteLee,
ReplyDeletethe dark underbelly of mankind is pervasive whereever humans reside. A crime of equal dispicability is that we expect to sit back and wonder why "gov't" doesn't fix it.
It will never be fixed until we fix it.
rel
Ah MsLee - sadly I chime in with...........
ReplyDeleteJuly 8, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
"Over the last two years, I have repeatedly written about an unbelievably heartbreaking film, The Stoning of Soraya M, which detailed the true story of a young woman stoned to death in Iran over twenty years ago. The filmmaker, Cyrus Nowrasteh, hoped to focus international attention on the barbaric practice still used in Iran and other nations against men and women, but primarily against women. Unfortunately, Iran has chosen to stone another woman to death, this time a 43-year-old mother of two, Sakineh Mohammadie Ashtiani. CNN covers the story well:"
videos found at:
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/07/08/videos-the-stoning-of-sakineh-mohammadie-ashtiani/
Lady Di and Rel...it is up to us to fix it...governments won't...they've proven that. And I don't want to sound like a raving, rampant Women's Libber...because I'm not...but the men of this world have to be educated...too many still have such a low opinion of women and women's place in the world...and it's not just in countries like Africa or the Middle Eastern countries...it's in all countries, Australia included!!
ReplyDeleteKatfish...the below is an email I sent out to friends over the weekend...coincidentally.
Quote: "Dear Friends,
Yesterday an Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, was saved by global protests from being stoned to death.
But she may still be hanged -- and, meanwhile, execution by stoning continues. Right now fifteen more people are on death row awaiting stoning in which victims are buried up to their necks in the ground and then large rocks are thrown at their heads.
The partial reprieve of Sakineh, triggered by the call from her children for international pressure to save her life, has shown that if enough of us come together and voice our horror, we may be able to save her life, and stop stoning once and for all. Sign the urgent petition now and send it onto everyone you know -- let's end this cruel slaughter NOW!
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_stoning/?vl
Sakineh was convicted of adultery, like all the other 12 women and one of the men awaiting stoning. But her children and lawyer say she is innocent and that she did not get a fair trial -- they state her confession was forced from her and, speaking only Azerbaijani, she did not understand what was being asked of her in court.
Despite Iran's signing of a UN convention that requires the death penalty only be used for the "most serious crimes" and despite the Iranian Parliament passing a law banning stoning last year, stoning for adultery continues.
Sakineh's lawyer says the Iranian government "is afraid of Iranian public reaction and international attention" to the stoning cases. And after Turkey and Britain's Foreign Ministers spoke out against Sakineh's sentence, it was suspended.
Sakineh's brave children are leading the international campaign to save their mother and stop stoning. Massive international condemnation now could finally stop this sickening punishment. Let's join together today across the world to end this brutality. Sign the petition to save Sakineh and end stoning here:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_stoning/?vl
In hope and determination,
Alice, David, Milena, Ben and the whole Avaaz team
SOURCES:
Iranians still facing death by stoning despite 'reprieve', The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/08/iran-death-stoning-adultery
Britain condemns planned Iran stoning as 'medieval', AFP:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hjVdkvkzicGeInqw2R10rCKrqs3A
Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here."
I didn't read the report you mention Lee, in fact I seldom read newspapers these days, too much bad news... I guess that makes me an ostrich, burying my head in the sand to escape detection?
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with that, Peter. I do it myself sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI only get the Saturday "Courier Mail" and the "Sunday Mail", and then mainly only for their movie, book, music and art reviews and articles.
I get so frustrated over the daily news that sometimes I find myself purposely dodging it to as it can be so distressing.
What an awful, unimaginable way to try to live a life.:(
ReplyDeleteYep! You're so right, Serena. It's unimaginable. Those poor children don't stand a chance. And now the World Cup has come and gone and they're still the forgotten ones...nothing changes...sadly.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed tragic in South Africa today despite hoping for a brighter future following an end to apartheid the country continues to have some of the highest crime rates in the world including high incidences of rape against woman and children. I visited Joberg in 2009 en route to Malawi when preparations were underway for the world cup and the city felt much the same as any other- despite its reputation. What are obviously needed are improved education and an adequate social and justice system backed by a Presidential leadership able to acknowledge injustices. I also think the growth in urbanisation contributes to the problems, Writing letters and making your feelings known does have a positive outcome to shame governments and inspire others to make changes for the better.
ReplyDeleteMy experience in Malawi however has been positive. There are some very good Malawian men that have made giant strides in improving the overall position. Many women have started small businesses that prosper. In contrast to other countries the President has also improved the agricultural outcomes from a total deficiency and famine to a sustainable present day surplus to enable exports and store excess in silos. He has made education free ( albeit the standard is poor ) , made HIV antiviral drugs free of change and other drugs such as malaria tables very cheap along with many other improved services generally. All of that in country with an average per capita income of only US $297 per year.
Best wishes
I agree with rel, this isn't going to be fixed in our societies unless/until we do it ourselves. Any political solution is just that, political and ineffective. Parents have to be the protectors and when they won't, then heaven help the little ones.
ReplyDeleteCliff...the parents won't and don't...this is obvious because these atrocities still continue and will continue....and in so many of the cases it's the father who is the perpetrator. These monsters should be castrated. That's the only solution in my mind! Why these creatures believe it is their right, beats me! They believe they have the power...well, cut off that power! And I'm not joking...I'm completely serious.
ReplyDeleteLindsay....education is vitally important...as is teaching men to respect women and children. But I can't see that happening anytime soon. Ignorance is bliss. It's an uphill battle being fought day after day, and one that won't be won in my lifetime, if ever. Once men finally understand that they're not God Almighty, then maybe there will be a chance, but until then I won't be holding my breath.
Lee,
ReplyDeleteThis is truly tragic, as my dad would say everyone of those men needs to be put against the wall and shot.
I try not to watch too much of this sort of thing because it makes me physically ill and I feel helpless.
If you feel this strongly maybe joining an organization to help the children in Africa would be a good idea? You could even add a link to the side bar to help the children.
Janice~