On your way home, you find
yourself pondering the events and discussions of the afternoon, and wonder if
you had done the right thing by remaining silent during the racist tirade of
people you’ve come to believe is your support base and the fabric of your
being. Although you have differing views on the topic of racism and discrimination,
you ponder whether you should have “upset the apple cart” and reprimanded the
offending instigators. The fear of losing or falling out with close friends and
family is something you cannot afford, so your silence vindicates you from
being a part of that act of blind racism. You feel that it was enough protest
to voice your position on the subject.
Alternatively, had you voiced
your opinions and reprimanded the offenders, you may have undoubtedly fell out
of favour with your closest brethren and possibly never invited to a family
gathering again for fear of you “upsetting the status quo”. Nevertheless, you
felt that the conversation was reminiscent of the type of conversation you may
have experienced in the bad days of apartheid. You feel that you have progressed
and learned enough since then, yet are saddened that there are still people
within your social circle who share the same views they have shared more than
20 years ago. You feel the democratic
dispensation of 1994 has done little to quell the thoughts and misdeeds of people
closest to you, and disparagingly, your community as a whole. As you ponder,
you reason, that, countering the racist argument would fall on deaf ears,
because it would be similar to having an argument with a 4-year old, on why he
should not be eating lots of sugary sweets and luxuries. You therefore feel
helpless under the circumstances, and resign yourself to accepting that you are
powerless in changing or influencing the thought patterns of people set in
their old fashioned racist ways.
You wonder if it’s worth
abandoning your social circle for the sake of your ethical beliefs. If not, are
you also a silent racist like them or do you believe your reaction was
justification in maintaining your social circle, and the silent protest enough
to voice your difference of opinion?
In hindsight, my silent reaction
to a recent racist conversation, was unacceptable and I should have done the
right thing by reprimanding the offenders and cement my stance on all acts of
discrimination. By remaining silent, I
betrayed the victims on the receiving end of racism (all people of colour,
including whites) and my loved ones who I have taught to speak up against such
discrimination. Never again will I remain silent in the presence of old
fashioned racists who display very little knowledge of the pain caused by
Apartheid on the millions of people (and their ascendants) in this country, let
alone their own families and communities. The only way to rid the scourge of
racism is for each and every one to speak up against, and forbid any form of
discrimination in their presence…….albeit a childish prank played out by
supposedly elderly, responsible men who should know better.