Sunday, May 25, 2008

Apartheid Has Not Disappeared...

...but rather it has again reared its ugly head, this time maybe a head of a different color. See: Anti-foreigner violence in South Africa kills 50.

It seems that South Africans have taken to the streets of squatter camps and "dormitories" and have been attacking and killing foreigners, blaming the foreigners for loss of jobs and the like. While I agree that foreigners could be responsible for loss of jobs, especially if enough of them are illegal aliens and are taking away jobs from South Africans by way of undercharging for their own labor, I also believe that the attackers have stooped to the dregs through their deplorable actions. They are most assuredly justified in their anger if it is true that so called immigrants are taking away their jobs, however they are at the same time repeating apartheid by taking the violent actions they take. I mean, are the attackers not the very same people who claimed ethnic rule and oppression was wrong, immoral and illegal? Or is it that South Africans just believe it to be the case when a certain ethnic group is in power and it does not suit them? The hypocrisy of the current state of affairs seems par for the course when it comes to ethnic disputes. I imagine there is some hope as others are marching for peace; but maybe the best hope would be found in South Africa having a strict Immigration policy that affords its own people the opportunity to work without interference from aliens, illegal or otherwise, who push citizens out of jobs. Sound familiar?

All the best,
Glenn B

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