In Cape Town, South Africa, in October of 1985, a watershed event took place which represented a most dramatic and important step in the eventual dismemberment of the repressive and murderous system of apartheid in that country. Three young kids were shot to death – and twelve were wounded including two youngsters shot in their own homes – by police which was not an unusual occurrence except for the fact that this time, the murders of these innocent, youthful by-standers was being filmed and when the photographer and the sound man responsible for the production of the two videos featured today were driven from the scene, their videotape was not confiscated. This meant that now, for one of the first times, people around the world could see how draconian the South African regime was and had always been. I have described this as a watershed event not because it had taken place but because it had been filmed and disseminated across the globe. PLEASE SEE THE NEXT POST FOR PART II OF THIS VIDEO. THE POST AFTER THAT ONE SHOULD BE VIEWED AS WELL. THIS LATTER CLIP CONTAINS NO AUDIO ACCOMPANIMENT BUT PRESENTS A MORE GRAPHIC VIEW OF THE VIOLENCE DONE THAT DAY BY THE SUPPOSED FORCES OF LAW AND ORDER.
The South African government, at that time, relied on violent repression to keep the Blacks down. In a country of twenty-five million where eighty per cent (twenty million) people were not white, that was the only way that the administration of the country could keep a semblance of order. It defies the imagination that in the climate of violence portrayed in today’s featured videos that Nelson Mandela could lead a non-violent movement which was successful in dismantling apartheid, eventually. Thus Mandela can rightfully stand with Mahatma Gandhi in India and the American Dr. Martin Luther King jr., as incredible powers in the struggles against brutal systems which kept people down – British imperialism in Gandhi’s case and legalized racial discrimination in King’s.
Nelson Mandela R.I.P.
Today is December 9th and, as such, represents the three month mark on my journey which is designed to produce A JuicyLesson per day – everyday except Saturday – for an entire year. So far so good as no days have been missed since my first post on September 9/13. My challenges have been two. First, I have had trouble on certain days coming up with subject matter about which to write, and second, the technical components of the posts, i.e. the insertion of videos and/or pictures has turned out to be quite time-consuming.
Yesterday, for instance, it took me at least five or six hours to get my post on the life of Nelson Mandela published in it’s final form. The reproduction of each photo along with its accompanying text consumed a lot more of my time than I had initially expected. One reason for my difficulties here stems from my incompetence in certain areas requiring technical expertise which I still lack. However I am improving as a result of my experience which I find to be quite rewarding most of the time after I have been successful in gaining the upper hand with certain demanding posts, yesterday’s for example.
Well, that’s it for another day. Take good care and peace out.
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