Truth is not a democracy .....
Everyone wants acceptance. Everyone wants someone to believe in him or her. Everyone wants to feel part of a group. Everyone wants to feel respected for their views. Everyone wants to feel special. I also want to feel loved, accepted and respected.
So what is it inside of me that I push the envelope with people? What is it that makes me put myself in the position of ridicule time after time? What is it that makes me become a voice for the voiceless? What is it that drives me to put myself in positions where I can be hurt, humiliated, sworn at, shouted at, scorned and designated to the group called “loony” or “crazy” or to be constantly told that I need to be institutionalised?
Since I was the age of 11 years, I was called a heretic. A heretic is, according to the dictionary 1. somebody who holds unorthodox religious belief: a holder or adherent of an opinion or belief that contradicts established religious teaching or (so Jesus was a heretic in his day) 2. somebody with unconventional beliefs: somebody whose opinions, beliefs, or theories in any field are considered by others in that field to be extremely unconventional or unorthodox. (and Galileo was also a heretic). Of course, when I was a child I had nightmares about being burned at the stake because I had read the book about Joan of Arc. She was called a heretic and she was burned, but I did not then know that the only difference there was between me and the one who is not a heretic, is that I think differently. Being a heretic a couple of hundred years ago meant that I was would have been devil worshiping and going against the church doctrine of the day. In other words, I would have been branded a witch at worst, or accused of lunacy at best.
Not much has changed over the centuries - I am still called “mad”, ‘loony’ and ‘crazy’ because I think in a different way to most. I always question what I read to determine the truth for myself. I always read as much as I can and from every point of view before I open my mouth with my opinion. Of course, I would much rather be called a fool or mad than be called an uninformed opinionated bigot. I am only human, so I will make mistakes, but I do try very hard to put myself in someone else’s shoes, to see the other side of the story and to realize that but for the Grace of God, I could or would have done the same thing. I would rather be called the ‘devil’s advocate’, than be branded a lunatic who needs to be put into an institution.
The world has not changed over the last two thousand years because when a person thinks differently, he or she is still shamed and humiliated? That was the world of the middle ages, when the first person to say the world was round was called mad, when the first man to say that hand washing would save woman in labour from labour fever was put in an asylum because his idea was not popular and it made the other doctors and professors look inadequate. Personal jealousies, ignorance … these are the vanities or the deadly sins we are warned about in the bible. But even if you don’t believe in the bible or in God or in any religion … but merely in the science of rational debate then you have to agree that institutionalising someone who thinks differently to you is a serious mistake.
I have had a rather rough Easter weekend. I have been sworn at, ridiculed and humiliated by a number of people, because I believe Eugene de Kock should be freed. I do not have the knowledge or authority to write about what went down, how it was or how it should have been. I was not there. I did not walk in Eugene’s shoes, nor did I have the privilege of walking in the shoes of his friends. Many times I have been told that there are more deserving drums I could beat, but I fail to see any of these advisor’s beating any drums on behalf of anyone else. They have blinkers on their eyes, cotton wool in their ears and they refuse to see any point of view that is not popular or the latest fashion.
I remember once watching a 4 x 4 drive over a street child, the driver did not even notice and then reversed over him again. No one noticed, no one did a thing. Every adult’s eyes were focused on their own lives so they did not see that child with broken legs. I cannot (and I have tried) keep blinkers on and not get involved, but it is impossible. If I turn my back on myself, on who I really am inside, then I will snap my spine.
A complete stranger, Loot Joubert, a Facebook friend whom I have never met, stood up for me when I was sworn at and ridiculed by one person on Facebook. Never in my life did a stranger stood up for me and the feeling that I felt was one of extreme gratitude. I was worried when I started moving FREE EUGENE DE KOCK’s group along because I felt that I did not have the knowledge or the authority to begin to speak on his behalf. I have often wondered what he must think about me getting involved in this, a stranger. But after Loot Joubert stood up for me, it made me realize that maybe even if I don’t know Eugene, he may appreciate what I am doing. Because I know that I got a really warm feeling of safety and of friendship when Loot stood up for me and for me humanity has redeemed itself through Loot. And of course, not to forget mentioning some other amazing people I have met through the Free Eugene de Kock group.
For every good story about Eugene, there are dozens depicting him as evil personified. What amazes me is the number of Christians that has not an ounce of forgiveness in them. It also amazes me that so many men who fought on the border have, using their words, been ‘brainwashed’ again. It is always easier to go with the flow … to go with what is the flavour of the day … to go with the majority.
But there is no democracy in truth. People will just as easily vote for an error than vote for what is right. That is the sad fact about people. They lack conviction and prefer a safe little life. As long as I am OK, Jack, I don’t give a continental about the next man. Well, I just can’t be like that.
I have very few family members who even speak to me because I always go against the norm. Even my daughter has scolded me for not minding my own business. But how can I turn my back on myself. How can I look myself in the mirror each day if I do not stand up for those who have no voice? How can I, at the end of the day, fall asleep in my bed, knowing that there was perhaps just one more thing I could have done to make another man’s burden lighter.
Eugene is not my only cause, but he is my favourite cause right now and I will continue to work towards getting more and more people to remember who he was and what he stood for. It was different times in those days, there were different political agenda’s, it was a different era. In those days, he did his duty as did thousands and thousands of other white, brown and black men. Sooner or later, someone will come up with a good idea that will lead to his release. I do not understand why this one man was singled out to pay for the sins of everyone. Guess I also don’t understand why Jesus was singled out to pay for the sins of the world. Even those who believe he should be punished for what he did … should they not start forgiving? How long does a man need to be punished? How do we measure remorse? There are many things that I will never understand but I will continue to question and I will continue to think, reflect and reason. And I hope that I will continue to be a compassionate and passionate human being.
I will apologise if I have hurt anyone by what I have said. BUT, I will never apologise for my compassion for other human beings.
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