A TRYING TIME FOR EVERYONE

The past week has been draining. Emotionally. Mentally. Physically. If it has not been one thing, it has been another. But one encouraging thing is that we are all seeking to find one voice. One action. One solution against despicable and inexcusable unwarranted attacks on ourselves because of our race or gender. Are we winning?

That will be seen over time. But the attempt to restore ourselves and mend disintegrating societal moral fibre is a step of victory in itself. 
Reading Facebook and Twitter comments on recent posts about violence as well as attacks, they reflect a society that is not tolerant for answers that may come one day ‘soon’. 

We no longer want to hear the rhetoric ‘we are working on it’.  But honestly, who can wait for a fire truck to be purchased while in a burning house?

evolution
 For what it has been, stop it and stop it now. Who can blame them? Who can blame you or me for feeling that way? For months on this page I have shared my pain at the de-fragmentation of society and the way actions of some people have been countering human evolution. Serial reports of murder, rape, assaultand other crimes are not where we imagined to be come 2019. 

At a time when we should be sitting back with our feet up and enjoying the fruits of technology and advancement of the human race to better our quality of life, we still find ourselves in debates over how to counter acts of violence. 
There has never been an excuse for violent behaviour. Nor has there ever been any reasonable justification. Anything that is criminal just deserves justice to take its course.

While it is a trying time for society it must also be a more trying time for government and systems in place that are meant to provide law and order for all.
It is a time for reflection and strengthening of these systems and restoring of public confidence in the structures that are meant to serve and protect the society.
Laws like the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act were hoped to be deterrents of such acts but still we find ourselves under attack.

I will not and I prefer not to go into the details of what has been happening on Twitter with regard to the name and shame campaigns nor will I attempt to have a detailed say on the xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

I will leave that to political commentators as well as other expert analysts to provide their intricate views. One thing one recognises and respects is that both issues are very sensitive. They touch on human lives.

Issues
Issues that touch on human lives need to be dealt with and accorded the respect that they deserve. And some cannot even be properly dissected in an 800-word feature. But as some observers noted, these may even require a national dialogue to seek views, table solutions and pen a way forward actionable items with deadlines.

What I am merely stating is that as a social commentator, the sum of what society is faced with is quite challenging. Challenging but it can be conquered. Many posts suggesting solutions touched me this past week. But I will single out this one.

 problems

“We are the generation that is best positioned to fix problems that have damaged society, let us not be the issues that fixes things while creating new problems.
We should avoid solutions that are one-sided, avoid conversations where different views are not tolerated, avoid confrontational and non-engaging solutions, there’s no need to insult anyone to make a point, especially if it’s a compelling fact.we have enough history and research to learn from! Let us listen to each other and apply our minds!”

One hopes that we can continue to be united in seeking speedy solutions to the unwarranted and criminal rampant attacks on our women, children and at times even ourselves.
Just the other day I sat perplexed, shocked, vulnerable and angry as a lady narrated how she was robbed of her cellphone in broad daylight at 5pm in my neighbourhood.
 She said the man produced a knife and asked for her belongings. This is the community I live in daily.

society
Hence I understand the pain, the anger and the disappointment society has at the slow speed in the effecting of lasting solutions to the various problems we face; all which need a strengthening of systems and us to be more human than animalistic.
As the statements have stated through the week, we are tired, we are drained and enough indeed is enough. We hope as we start a fresh week we will be flooded with positive news of effective programmes that are coming up to protect us more, to serve us in better ways and we also encourage the continuing of more pledges from everyone to stop the violence, abuse and crimes in our communities. I, for one, pledge to play my part.

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