The Spokenmind Venting www.spokenmind.net
A few months ago, I was reading an article on a news site and this line happened to take a rough right jab at my eye, “The susceptibility of women and children to HIV was directly linked to the high levels of sexual violence committed against them.” This, from a prominent Capetonian politician, had me mauling over the ‘this-ness of this,’ the brutal, beastly nature of unperceptive men. “The Archbishop must be flooding his bedside with incessant prayers to the Christian God,” I thought. This politician was crucified at the altar of morality by HIV/AIDS activists who felt her utterances about charging men, who had multiple sexual partners and refused to use condoms, with attempted murder were, “careless and misleading and went against international guidelines.” Oh what would be of the world if it were not for “International guidelines.” We’d probably be nothing more than observers in times of war, boot lickers (oh but for euphemism) to the father of 1st world offspring, savages overturning neighbouring countries for resources, protected murderers. We would be sons and daughters of a harlot. A law unto ourselves.
No, no, no… but do not judge these ‘activists’ in haste, if ‘context’ is the yard stick to measure guilt, don’t you dare send these bigots to the guillotine before sending all those arrogant politicians and self-righteous, pious hypocrites to the same fate. You see, there is nothing fundamentally wrong with being a bigot, it merely means you strongly believe in something and won’t be swayed by the views of supersensitive groups holding ‘other’ views, but just don’t expect pity when you are nailed on bigotry flaws. But back to the issue.
I partially agree with the said politician and, for the purposes of clarity, must state from the onset that I am not a feminist, neither am I a chauvinist (the two hold no balance in their proclivities and are only a response to the others’ extreme nature). Our true natures are in tune with our surroundings and are strongly grounded by our ‘place.’ Much like a calling. Women are women, men are men and both have their intended ‘place.’
None of us at any point said, “God/Buddha/Allah/Big bang come evolution, I now make myself (in my fathers’ loins) a woman/man.” I do not mean the ‘place’ which opened the doors for the viral “I’m a feminist/chauvinist” debate. I am in my intended place like the wind, the sun… If the sun woke up tomorrow on the west side of its bed and said, “Today I will show these God forsaken humans the stuff from which I am made, today I will not give off even a pinch of my light.” Oh well, I guess unlike the rest of creation we are holders of that magic word… choice.
I will tell you what a good choice is, it is choosing good (oh that elusive devil) even in the face of evil. That is precisely what is wrong with US, we excuse the inexcusable. So, I agree that these uncircumcised, ‘filthy animals’ deserve to be thrown into the deepest dungeons. But to say that sexual violence by men is the cause for the high HIV/AIDS statistics amongst women and children is “absurd and naïve to say the least.” Come on. I’ve been a kid. I’ve seen the rampant carelessness of these tertiary sisters who slept with pot-bellied, 3 pointed star driving married men. I’ve been a teenager, saw the local “IT” girl die at 22 after years of accepting all and sundry like a mortuary bath tub (if such exists). I’ve been told, “uziyenza nqcono,” (you think you are better) by kids who were fathering and mothering kids. Actually, the kids were fathered and mothered by ailing grandparents. At that point I said, “God, if serving you is bigotry, I shall live and die in bigotry.”
I am no feminist, I just happen to believe that our sisters, mothers, wives, lovers and even mistresses have been receiving the short end of the stick for centuries. Made to feel inferior by men who had no inkling of a clue what it meant to be, “the head of the house,” the one who “wears the pants in the relationship.” Now these are chauvinists, probably the cause of what has become known as the feminist movement, the result of years of Ms MANagement. By this I do not mean to simplify the feminist movement, I’m sure it is made of much, much, much more than this. I’m just afraid… that whilst caught up in this constant fighting to redefine ourselves, which is a much needed exercise, we are missing the role we should be playing in society.
Today’s parents are raising uncontrollable robots, more than just mere machines in comparison to even us ‘80s kids. A joyless bunch of people we are becoming. Mankind once defied distance with nothing more than human capability, sweat and blood. Even playing resulted in sweat (I was sweating over my PS Vita before I wrote this). I suppose we have moved with the times. So now, our children know where kids come from at 4 and what penises are REALLY for (we can’t afford to euphemise it anymore). And they know how to use it too. And since the best games involve inactivity and chilling out, there is substance in abuse, protection in sexual activity. We’ve taught them, rather emphatically, that extensions, make-up and lashes add to beauty. Not that “beauty comes from the inside, dresses the words that you speak and sparkles in your eye when you’re happy.”
“Mxm,” best describes how I feel about where we are headed. And unlike OMG, LOL and all such useless diatribes we use in real conversation these days, it succinctly captures my thoughts without ‘acronomysing’ them.
Ok, enough venting. Now back to the radio where I’ll be great by real inspiring news about 15 year old rapists, umpteenth time alleged rape, murder and robbery escapists. Criminal Crime Protection and Intelligence bosses, e-Tolls, petrol price and food increases, ‘reduced’ rates of unemployment statistics amongst graduates, death, death and death. And if I’m lucky (the odds are 1 in a billion), catch some radio poetry.
The Spokenmind Venting,
