Comments on: Invictus… http://sueinthecity.com/2010/invictus/ Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:31:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Susan http://sueinthecity.com/2010/invictus/comment-page-1/#comment-604 Susan Thu, 14 Jan 2010 21:56:03 +0000 http://sueinthecity.com/?p=433#comment-604 Johan, thanks for your comment. My mom is a doctor and I remember her telling us a story one day when I was about ten or so. She said that when a patient lies on the operating table and is already prepped for the surgery, the only thing you can see is the area where the incision will be made. That area has usually been swabbed by Betadine and is pretty much orange or dark yellow because of the disinfectant, so skin colour doesn't make much of an impression. The surgeon doesn't necessarily see the patient's face and, once that incision has been made, what the doctor will find inside is the same - regardless of whether the patient is black or white. I've often thought of this story through the years, especially when I was faced with situations where the seemingly natural racial point of view that is taken by many (black and white) Southern Africans have come to the fore. As long as we hold on to the old beliefs and the old way of thinking, nothing will change - not for the black nor white people in South Africa. I have to disagree with you that Invictus was full of political propaganda. It was both written and directed by white men (John Carlin's parents are Scottish and Spanish) that are not directly involved in the South African government. I think the message of the movie showed the kind spirit and absolute open heart of someone who was locked in a prison for 27 years - simply because he was black and wanted a better life for himself and his family - as well as the power that lies in combining forces and working together. I agree with you completely - farmers being killed on their farms is a horrible, horrible occurrence and something that no one should ever have to live with. Living in New York it's also easy for me to forget how hard it is to live in the 'fenced in' society that many white people in South Africa live in, due to security threats. What we have to remember, however, is that these actions are the result of many years of oppression and a whole 'lost' generation who was denied an education or the chance to have a better life. By working together to build a better future, everyone will benefit. (As an aside, if you've recently been to any of the great Afrikaans music and arts festival - Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees in particular - you'll know that Afrikaans as a language and culture is alive and kicking! And yes, it's alive and kicking amongst many of Southern Africa's ethnic groups.) Johan, thanks for your comment. My mom is a doctor and I remember her telling us a story one day when I was about ten or so. She said that when a patient lies on the operating table and is already prepped for the surgery, the only thing you can see is the area where the incision will be made. That area has usually been swabbed by Betadine and is pretty much orange or dark yellow because of the disinfectant, so skin colour doesn’t make much of an impression. The surgeon doesn’t necessarily see the patient’s face and, once that incision has been made, what the doctor will find inside is the same – regardless of whether the patient is black or white.

I’ve often thought of this story through the years, especially when I was faced with situations where the seemingly natural racial point of view that is taken by many (black and white) Southern Africans have come to the fore. As long as we hold on to the old beliefs and the old way of thinking, nothing will change – not for the black nor white people in South Africa.

I have to disagree with you that Invictus was full of political propaganda. It was both written and directed by white men (John Carlin’s parents are Scottish and Spanish) that are not directly involved in the South African government. I think the message of the movie showed the kind spirit and absolute open heart of someone who was locked in a prison for 27 years – simply because he was black and wanted a better life for himself and his family – as well as the power that lies in combining forces and working together.

I agree with you completely – farmers being killed on their farms is a horrible, horrible occurrence and something that no one should ever have to live with. Living in New York it’s also easy for me to forget how hard it is to live in the ‘fenced in’ society that many white people in South Africa live in, due to security threats. What we have to remember, however, is that these actions are the result of many years of oppression and a whole ‘lost’ generation who was denied an education or the chance to have a better life. By working together to build a better future, everyone will benefit.

(As an aside, if you’ve recently been to any of the great Afrikaans music and arts festival – Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees in particular – you’ll know that Afrikaans as a language and culture is alive and kicking! And yes, it’s alive and kicking amongst many of Southern Africa’s ethnic groups.)

]]> By: Johan Venter http://sueinthecity.com/2010/invictus/comment-page-1/#comment-603 Johan Venter Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:53:36 +0000 http://sueinthecity.com/?p=433#comment-603 Invictus is full of political progoganda and black people in South Africa is poorer today than before 1994 because of the terrible government they've voted in and not because of anything that whites have done wrong. What good are you doing to your own people, the Afrikaners who are getting killed on their farms, who's language and culture is threat and who don't get jobs because of affirmative action? Invictus is full of political progoganda and black people in South Africa is poorer today than before 1994 because of the terrible government they’ve voted in and not because of anything that whites have done wrong. What good are you doing to your own people, the Afrikaners who are getting killed on their farms, who’s language and culture is threat and who don’t get jobs because of affirmative action?

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