Damn Racism

[Deleted]

My boyfriend is looking for an apartment/roommate on the South Africa version of Craigslist. Several of the ads say whites only. Or they're a little more subtle in their racism and say "you must be able to read the following in order to rent from me" Then, proceed to write a paragraph in Afrikaans.

[Deleted]

Oh gross.

[underwaterrhymes]

Mar 11, 2014 19:02:49 GMT -5 @wandering said:

 

Ugh. Fucking racist assholes. I'm sorry.

ETA - Shit. I'm also sorry that I quoted this. I didn't mean to. Obviously I was responding to your post and the quote wasn't necessary.

[Captain Serious]

How awful. I'm sorry you have to put up with that and that it's allowed.

[pantsparty]

OMG

[valetgirl]

Astounding.

[elleblue]

Some people can be so awful. That's gross. 

[sonrisa]

I know that South Africa has come so far since the 80s, and yet it is still so fucked up.

[DotAndBuzz]

OMG. That's awful.

[Deleted]

[cville]

Ugh. That's so awful.

I was reading about the Pistorius trial and that the prosecutor had been a junior prosecutor at Chris Hani's murderers' trial. This lead me down the internet search rabbit hole all about modern South African history. And I realized not only was it in my lifetime, I have memories of some of that stuff happening. So I guess we're what, only half a generation away? I guess it's unsurprising in some ways, though still disappointing.

[underwaterrhymes]

Recently I read  The Bang Bang Club. It's written by two of four photojournalists who were based in South Africa near the end of apartheid and is absolutely gut wrenching. (One of the photojournalists is Kevin Carter who took the photo of the little girl being stalked by the vulture in Sudan and later killed himself. Not related just to that, but to the atrocities he witnessed in South Africa.)

It's true that it's come a long way, but the bigotry and hatred still seethes.

[karmasabiotch]

That sucks.

[isabel]

Mar 11, 2014 20:22:59 GMT -5 cville said:

Ugh. That's so awful.

I was reading about the Pistorius trial and that the prosecutor had been a junior prosecutor at Chris Hani's murderers' trial. This lead me down the internet search rabbit hole all about modern South African history. And I realized not only was it in my lifetime, I have memories of some of that stuff happening. So I guess we're what, only half a generation away? I guess it's unsurprising in some ways, though still disappointing.

What's happening with that? I had forgotten all about it.

[Jermys]

This is why, when I found out my SIL was dating a South African dude, I was like  :?  I know they're not all racist, but I have my radar up for the tiniest thing.  

Shockingly, he turned out to be a total racist.  She dumped him.

[ProfessorArtNerd]

Mar 11, 2014 20:27:53 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Recently I read  The Bang Bang Club. It's written by two of four photojournalists who were based in South Africa near the end of apartheid and is absolutely gut wrenching. (One of the photojournalists is Kevin Carter who took the photo of the little girl being stalked by the vulture in Sudan and later killed himself. Not related just to that, but to the atrocities he witnessed in South Africa.)

It's true that it's come a long way, but the bigotry and hatred still seethes.

Good/depressing read

[camelblossom]

I've been reading about the Pistorius trial as well. I really, really want to believe he is innocent.

[Jermys]

Mar 11, 2014 22:55:33 GMT -5 camelblossom said:

I've been reading about the Pistorius trial as well. I really, really want to believe he is innocent.

Why?  I'm like 99% sure he's not.  

[polka]

That's awful

[Captain Serious]

Mar 11, 2014 20:16:28 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

That is awful. I hope he's able to find something soon.

Looking back, I think this is part of the reason why my mom broke into tears when I told her I signed up for study abroad in South Africa.
Naively, 22 year old me was all Apartheid was so many years ago.You're just being over protective.
She was insistent that in terms of treatment, racists wouldn't care if that I was American. They would only see the African side.

Was she right?

[Captain Serious]

Mar 11, 2014 22:57:11 GMT -5 Jermys said:

Mar 11, 2014 22:55:33 GMT -5 camelblossom said:

I've been reading about the Pistorius trial as well. I really, really want to believe he is innocent.

Why?  I'm like 99% sure he's not.  

I agree with Jermys. Why do you want him to be innocent? Because he's an amazing athlete? Because he's disabled? Both? Another reason? All signs point to him being an abusive hot-head.

[Deleted]

Mar 11, 2014 22:48:32 GMT -5 Jermys said:

This is why, when I found out my SIL was dating a South African dude, I was like  :?  I know they're not all racist, but I have my radar up for the tiniest thing.  

Shockingly, he turned out to be a total racist.  She dumped him.

Do you know if he was Afrikaaner? I wrote in a confession thread that I've pretty much given up on Afrikaaners. Non-afrikaneer whites I don't have my radar up for, but I can't help it when I know someone is Afrikaans.

[Deleted]

Mar 11, 2014 23:03:15 GMT -5 jenny1980 said:

That's disgusting.

He's not from south africa, right? Is he interested in moving to the US at some point?

No he's not. Unfortunately there is a lot of xenophobia here too.

And yes he wants to move to the US next year for school! (and maybe for me too, I'm just an extra incentive )

[Deleted]

Mar 11, 2014 22:55:10 GMT -5 ProfessorArtNerd said:

Mar 11, 2014 20:27:53 GMT -5 underwaterrhymes said:

Recently I read  The Bang Bang Club. It's written by two of four photojournalists who were based in South Africa near the end of apartheid and is absolutely gut wrenching. (One of the photojournalists is Kevin Carter who took the photo of the little girl being stalked by the vulture in Sudan and later killed himself. Not related just to that, but to the atrocities he witnessed in South Africa.)

It's true that it's come a long way, but the bigotry and hatred still seethes.

Good/depressing read

Haven't read it, I'll look in to it.

[Deleted]

Mar 11, 2014 20:22:59 GMT -5 cville said:

Ugh. That's so awful.

I was reading about the Pistorius trial and that the prosecutor had been a junior prosecutor at Chris Hani's murderers' trial. This lead me down the internet search rabbit hole all about modern South African history. And I realized not only was it in my lifetime, I have memories of some of that stuff happening. So I guess we're what, only half a generation away? I guess it's unsurprising in some ways, though still disappointing.

Yeah, it's crazy to think about.

My boyfriend and I lived with a really cool white guy for 6 months. One day it hit me that 20 years ago, when I was 9, I wouldn't even be able to live in this area and obviously wouldn't have a white roommate. Some days I totally forget about apartheid while I'm here, but other days it just hits me right in the face.

[bonnie]

That is terrible. I suppose on the bright side he can weed out a lot of asshole roommates this way.

[Waffles]

That's terrible but I'll admit not being surprised: apartheid is not even a generation ago.

It takes many to force change.

[escaperoute]

There is so much hate in the world; it's horrible.

[Jermys]

Mar 12, 2014 3:47:19 GMT -5 @wandering said:

Mar 11, 2014 22:48:32 GMT -5 Jermys said:

This is why, when I found out my SIL was dating a South African dude, I was like  :?  I know they're not all racist, but I have my radar up for the tiniest thing.  

Shockingly, he turned out to be a total racist.  She dumped him.

Do you know if he was Afrikaaner? I wrote in a confession thread that I've pretty much given up on Afrikaaners. Non-afrikaneer whites I don't have my radar up for, but I can't help it when I know someone is Afrikaans.

He was.

[Jermys]

Mar 12, 2014 7:50:02 GMT -5 AutumnRose25 said:

Mar 12, 2014 3:47:19 GMT -5 @wandering said:

Do you know if he was Afrikaaner? I wrote in a confession thread that I've pretty much given up on Afrikaaners. Non-afrikaneer whites I don't have my radar up for, but I can't help it when I know someone is Afrikaans.

Well, it's nice to know that you would instantly judge me as a bad person based on a family name and my first language that I was born into  :^)

SA's history of racism is disgusting, but this is like saying every white person in Mississippi is automatically a racist and KKK member. 

I'd tread more carefully in Mississippi too.