the irony
Posted on February 28th, 2008 by Richard Catto 1,615 views
This post is an edited version of an email I sent to someone.
Ironically last year I stood by another blogger when he was being attacked online. This year he and others have joined together to brand me a racist troll, which I regard as slander.
I befriended him last year in May via his blog. Standing by him obviously helped build our friendship. It soon became apparent, however, that he and I share very different political views. He began to show contempt towards me in his comments. He regarded my political views as idiotic.
Whatever residual goodwill he might have had for me, did not prevent him from posting numerous blog posts in which he slated me.
For some reason, the post I wrote recently about Emily Williams sent him and a few others over the edge with rage. They denounced me as a troll in blog postings and comments.
The strong reaction has taken me by surprise. When I read the account, I was immediately struck by the mother’s decision to remain parked outside the house where she suspected a crime was in progress. I wrote what I felt.
I’m also finding that I’m butting heads with a lot of whites who don’t like what I have to say about taking personal responsibility for their role in Apartheid. As we are all discovering, South Africa is actually very deeply polarised on racial lines. Racism abounds.
Last year I published a blog post about a woman who said "fuck off, kaffir" to a black man at the V&A Waterfront. I was astounded by the racism displayed by many whites in reaction to my article. One Afrikaans business man from KZN unsubscribed from my newsletter leaving a racist comment as his reason.
This year, as you know, a black domestic worker discovered that her white employer regarded her as a "kaffir bitch" via a missent SMS.
These events (and others, including the Skielik shootings) serve only to further polarise South Africans on racial lines. I have been advocating that whites apologise for their role in Apartheid. This has gone over well with black South Africans but provoked a strong angry response from many white South Africans.
I am now being subjected to various attacks because of these views. I’m being smeared online as a troll and a racist, presumeably an anti-white racist, even though I am white myself.
I think this year is turning out to be a year of truthful disillusionment. The Rainbow Nation we were so proud of, appears to be an illusion, shattered by the reality of rampany anti-black racism amongst dissatified whites.
Tags: Apartheid, kaffir, Racism, Rainbow Nation, transformation
Filed under Current Events, South Africa |
6 Responses to “the irony”
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Spencer Says:
February 28th, 2008 at 08:24Richard, Personally I share some of your views on our unique racial problems, I just dont agree with the way in which you share your views, which unintentional as it may be, comes across as offensive (to me anyway). If I have said anything that you found offensive, it was not intentional either, It’s just my opinion. This all said , I enjoy most of your posts – I think you are a tad batty and because of that the local blog scene would be poorer without you.
Spencer’s last blog post..Stupid pathetic loser South Africans
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Redhed Says:
February 28th, 2008 at 08:47I think you should change the name of your blog as you imply that this is news in Cape Town, but this is Richard Catto.co.za!
Also, while I agree that racism abounds in the white community, what about the black, coloured and indian community.
In the news recently there was a report of some police officers who pulled over a man for talking on his cell phone while driving. After following him home so he could drop off his car, they proceeded to beat him and his son up and even smacked his wife. They were using racial statements while doing this, but the media did not brand this as a racist issue…why? Cos the police where black and the guy getting beaten up white.
I agree that black people were persecuted during apartheid, but I will not apologise for something I didn’t do. And I think there are loads of blacks my age in a similar situation to me, with a good education and a roof over their heads, who have no right to walk around with chips on their shoulders as they are not the ones who suffered.
Racism is EVERYWHERE, its not just a white thing, stop putting the blame and guilt JUST on us!
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candy Says:
February 28th, 2008 at 08:48Rich, I’m trying not to get all philosophical on you, but I think that sometimes being able to step outside of the situation that is affecting you personally helps with perspective, and also tends to make some sense of the senseless.
In my opinion, no-one grows while they’re in a comfort-zone. In fact, people generally become complacent and lazy when they’re not being challenged to either take a stand or conceive of different realities to the one they may have thought was absolute.
Since I met you last year, I’ve seen you push the envelope, pull it back, open it, examine it, put it in a drawer, attempt to mail it on to anyone else so you didn’t have to keep it, and own it. (If this is too abstract… tough!)
To define who you are, you must experience that which you are not. You possess an enquiring and intelligent mind – and you’re capable of doing great things. Never doubt that. I don’t.
candy’s last blog post..amatomu hates me
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SA Forever Says:
February 28th, 2008 at 15:48Do not be discouraged comrade Richard.
You are not a WHITE RACIST. You have washed the masses feet by your confessions. It is the others that need to confess thier atrocities and their complicity in the war against the people and wash our feet.
When the humiliating racist urine stops flowing into the throats of the people is when things will change.
Many RACIST WHITE South Africans are in denial which is why Richard, Tim, Freedom FIghter and SA Forever want to drive them back to where their ancestors came from.
If you wash our feet and confess to your crimes agaisnt the people then you can stay. If not you MUST leave! You are not welcome in Africa.
Richard is a great and intellectual man. He will go far with his good attitude in the new ZUMA run govenrment. His words will not be forgotten. AMANDLA!
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SA Forever Says:
February 28th, 2008 at 16:22Look at these OUTRAGEOUS LIES against Richard!
Tim and SA Forever support you Richard.
Someone posted this on the internet claiming that our good friend Richard said these things. We do not believe for once second that you said these things because you are as honest as the driven snow:
* “Die Boere moet vrek!” (the Afrikaner must die!)
* Fuck white Afrikaner Christians! White Afrikaner Christians suck the shit out of a dead mans colon!
* I want all the BOERS out of South Africa.
* This time, Blood River will run with YOUR (Afrikaner) blood. I can’t fucking wait!
* I want them (Afrikaners) wiped off out of South Africa. They made an implacable enemy of me during my forced National Service. Its time for reprisals against the Afrikaner.
* I was never cut out to be a Kaffir Killer but I was born to be a Boer Butcher!
* And I shall be even more ruthless than Breaker Morant. If you go to war and you fall into my hands, you will not survive long.
Don’t be discouraged comrade Ricahrd. You have amny friends in the masses.
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arnold Says:
February 28th, 2008 at 20:37Richard, you need to try and step aside and just walk away from this situation. Forget about these things and concentrate on giving us those great articles we all know you are capable of. This same advice would work equally well for the other party involved here.
arnold’s last blog post..Where have the sidebars gone?
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