Five Robbers Shot Dead. ‘Clink!’ (as published on the AlgoaFM website)
My comments on Facebook and The Herald website yesterday caused quite a stir, with (as I had expected) most people lambasting me for my ‘stupidity’, and the few that did make the effort to see the situation from a different perspective, were still ambivalent in their responses. I must say though, after careful reflection, the reaction to the story about the five robbers who were killed in a shoot out with police does not surprise me. In fact, I pretty much predicted the response and sat waiting for it. I fully understand that people have had enough, and that the fact that five of these ‘scumbags’ have been put to rest for good, translates into a personal (temporary) victory for ‘us’ (‘us’ being the law-abiding citizens as opposed to the ‘them’ who are not).
My question is, “Is that really the solution? What will be the effect if our only ‘attack’ on crime is at the symptom; and in so doing, not only deny the existence of a more deeply entrenched cause, but subsequently continue to fail to deal with it at that level?” I’ll tell you one thing: The former plays beautifully into the hands of those in power as they get to ‘clink’ a tumbler of cognac having killed five dangerous thieves. Well done. ‘Clink!’ ‘Slurp.’ But there are going to be five more tomorrow, and the next day, and they’re going to be even more heavily armed, and this time we’re not going to be so lucky as to have all ‘civilian’ lives spared.
I also do not feel that this method of ‘attack’ is fair on our (desperately underpaid) police officers, who find themselves daily in the line of fire having to bear the brunt of a system which continues to fail us. This time, ‘us’ being everyone not holding that tumbler of cognac. And, the more we cheer the killing of ‘criminals’, the more the real reason is ignored, the more those in power are allowed (and encouraged) to ignore their own incompetence (although I fail to believe it really is incompetence as much as carefully calculated propaganda) and the more the bloodshed on our streets will continue. It’s a circle you see. Read that sentence over and over and over. As silly as that might seem, it really is a representation of what is happening and what will continue to happen, unless we do something to challenge the status quo.
It’s no wonder that South Africa experiences almost 10 times more police suicides than the United States.
I must also mention now that it I feel the media have a massive role to play in this challenging of the current ways of thought. And, in saying that, I am still disgusted/horrified/sickened (in fact, short of profanity, I don’t even know how to describe it) at the fact that a photo of one of the robbers’ ‘freshly-killed’ corpses was splashed on the front page of our regional newspaper. Not covered (as per the norm), but with the face open for all to see. In fact, one of my colleagues at work happened to recognise him from that photo and said she was once acquainted with his mother. You see, he has a mother. Laws of nature dictate that he probably has a father too. Possibly children, a brother(s), sister(s).
Two questions: What have we achieved in publishing the body (and full face) of a dead man on our front page? How would you feel seeing a photo of your father lying dead in the street splashed all over the Eastern Cape and far beyond (online)? Wait, one more: Is that not merely a subtle (or not) attempt to propagate the status quo? ‘Clink!’ ‘Slurrrrrrp.’ Once again, I can already see the responses to these questions. But, (if you are saying what I think you are going to say), you are missing my point. Remember, I am referring to the situation on the whole.
One more thing. One of the comments yesterday said that people have a choice in life whether or not to commit crime. Yes, they do. But, why is it that more people choose to do so in South Africa than in France, England, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Australia, Canada...and the list goes on? Fundamentally, people are no different in those countries; and I think you’ll find that for the most part, shoot outs with police are very, very rare.
One woman said that the whole incident with the robbers was a lovely bedtime story to tell her child; one with a happy ending. Really? I wonder how happy that ending would be if said child was one day killed in the crossfire. Wait, then there would be no bedtime story, now would there?
Let's deal with crime at the cause not the symptom. Let’s redirect this anger and hatred to where it really belongs. Let's save our cheering for when something is actually done to reduce the divides in society which encourage crimes to be committed.
I am now anticipating the same sort of lambasting I received yesterday. Once again, I am able to predict most of it. But, as a journalist and academic, I feel it is my duty to not only challenge current ways of thinking, but in doing so, to offer alternatives. I do not expect you to agree with me; this is not a polemic. But, if I have made even one person stop and think for 3 minutes, I have achieved something. This is my pebble in the ocean of discourse. ‘Clink!’
Rory Petzer (That sports dude)
PS: For the few people that have stopped to think for 3 minutes (and probably more so for those who chose not to), I would strongly recommend you read Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky; even just the first chapter.
