From: gavan@ucthpx.uct.ac.za (Gavan Tredoux)
Subject: Re: Freedom of Expression
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 17:23:42 GMT
Reply-To: trdgav01@ucthpx.uct.ac.za
Organization: Depts Math and Philosophy, UCT
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3

scott@concave.cs.wits.ac.za (Scott Hazelhurst) writes:
: The ANC -- particularly Steve Tshewte -- have been bending over
: backwards to get South African sport (particularly white-dominated
: sport) back into international sport and I think that they have
: shown from their side a willingness to compromise and show reconciliation.

Oh indeed. The ANC should have no say in our participation in
sport, whatsoever, no say over what should be sung or what should
not be sung, what should be waved or what should not be waved. They
have no right to bully, to intimidate, to threaten or to bend over to,
any sporting body, or group of people in this country. And that is
precisely what they have done. Bullied the board into the "minutes
silence" arangement - blatant political hectoring - tried to bully 
into the wearing of armbands, bullied into not displaying symbols that
those who play rugby would prefer to see displayed, ad nauseam.

I have a right to swing a stick, but not when your head is in
the way. Rights ought to be respected, especially those concerning
touchy issues like symbolism. Let people choose their own symbols,
and you should DEFEND their choice on the grounds that it 
was theirs to make, and that it is an insult to suggest otherwise.

The latest, so the ARGUS claims, is that an ANC source has disclosed 
plans to SEARCH SPECTATORS ENTERING NEWLANDS RUGBY GROUND FOR FLAGS
on Saturday. There you have it.

: The action on Saturday was a political action. Anyone reading the
: front page of Rapport or seeing Koos van der Merwe on TV on
: Sunday would have seen the oozing self-satisfaction about the
: action. The action shows what many whites think. Politics is
: about changing political views of people. For this reason I
: hope the Australian tour gets called off -- not for vindictiveness
: (although someone like Tshete must feel really cheesed off) but
: to show white South Africans that compromise is necessary in the
: future.

Rugby spectators, and ALL citizens, have the right not to be persecuted
for their political beliefs. 

That's a liberal principle you have yet to master. It won't flow from
a bleeding heart. 

And they ARE being persecuted for their beliefs, for their
free choice of symbols and anthems, if any tours are called off
as a result. Frankly Scott, I very much doubt whether you could tell
a scrum from a scrotum. But you would like to TEACH US ALL A LESSON
would you? A prefect at school perhaps? A tad bossy?

: >The same goes for all other aspects of life here. Banish the imposition of
: >national symbols, the naming of things after the objects of personality
: >cults, and all other forms of dictatorship.
: 
: Now this is something I agree with.

No you don't. You want to PUNISH those who freely choose their own.

"Choose anything you like, but I'll cut your water off if it's Die Stem."

The Henry Ford of rugby.

------Gavan Tredoux---------------------- 
Dept Mathematics, Dept Philosophy 
University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7700
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african