We will never get over it

April 25, 2007 by Christoff Truter Personal   South Africa  

While channel hopping the other day my eye caught an American talk show (wont mention the name, its a very dodgy show hehehe) they were talking about some racial issues.

The one lady commented on black people who use the past oppressions as excuse for everything that going wrong in their lives - and said they must just get over it.

At the end of the show they called in some supposed "expert" who's work it is to put everything that's been said into perspective and give her "expert" opinion - Being black herself she made an alarming comment, she said "we will never get over it". They remarked that America had like 400 years of slavery, oppression etc. I am sure that cant be the feeling every black person in America feels? (Though she got a huge cheer.)

Now I am no expert in American politics nor history, In fact my knowledge about the states is fairly limited (America who??), but last time I checked I didn't see anyone whipping slaves and building pyramids in the states? The lady didn't seem to be 400 years old either, she's more like 28 or something.

Bitterness about the past is simply dumb, but bitterness about a past you didn't grow up in, one you didn't experience (one your parents probably didn't experience), that's just plain idiotic.

The fact that their isn't slavery in the States today nor anywhere else, means the rest of the world are moving on, growing up. I am not talking about someone calling you a name because you're different to them, I am talking about some serious stuff.

I grew up in a country where our democracy is only like 13 years old now, which means oppression is still fresh in the minds of the majority of people - we are talking about people here who got arrested if they were found in the suburbs after a certain hour. Who lived and lots still live in houses made of anything they could find, no running water, no food extreme poverty - serious issues.

The white minority of which I am part of are responsible for this atrocity, but we are fighting to change things. The black majority however, took the whole eye for an eye attitude (reverse racism), a situation I am sure is quite a dream scenario to the "expert" of that show.

Living in bitterness about the past, won't to help anyone, we wont EVER be able to unite as one race, the human race while attitudes like this persist.

But the past, the past, the past!!?? Do you seriously want to drag things behind you? It will simply slow you down and hurt you some more along the way - it will keep you back hunt you down if you allow it.

Or will your children's children say we wont ever get over it???