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The...BusinessFebruary 24, 2010 - 12:00am Vryheid is ‘n volk se krag
Dit is al gesê dat om die Afrikaner te verstaan, jy sy geskiedenis moet verstaan. En dan kan daar bygevoeg word, dat jy veral sy karaktereienskappe moet verstaan.
Die bekende Johanna Brandt se pa, ds. N.J. van Warmelo het al gekla dat dit swaar is om huisbesoek by die Boere te doen. Hulle praat nie’n woord nie, staar net voor hulle uit en sug, het hy gesê.
Maar ‘n baie goeie beskrywing van die Boer se karakter word in W Baring Pemberton se boek: “Battles of the Boer War” gevind.
Hy skryf: “The Transvaal Boer in particular neither sought nor cultivated society; government he disliked; taxation he evaded. If from his own stoep he could not see the smoke of his neighbour; it was cause of satisfaction. His fare was frugal, his life hard. His reading matter was limited to the Bible, to which for guidance in all human affairs, he looked with absolute assurance. Chance strangers he viewed with suspicion …….
“It might almost be said that for the Boer child the saddle was his cradle, the gun his plaything; for according as he became an accomplished horseman an a first-class shot, so he improved his chances of survival. The horse gave him mobility, the gun protection in the constant native wars and sustenance (for his kine were too precious to be slaughtered) through the pursuit of wild game for the table.
“The Boer excelled, because to live he had to excel, in all forms of veldcraft, the employment of cover, the cautious outflanking of his enemy or his prey, the accurate estimation of distance in the deceptively clear atmosphere of the high veld. With cartridges rare and costly he learnt to hold his fire till the most effective moment.
“Indebted for survival to none but himself, the Boer, like all frontiersmen, developed those virtues of self-reliance and self-suffiency which may be summed up in one word, individualism. Only when threatened by an enemy in strength did he see the need for combining with his neighbours and for this he evolved the commando, a highly effective compromise between his own unyielding individualism and his country’s military needs.”
“Once called up, the Boer still did not forfeit his individual freedom. Discipline was non-existent, but in its place obtained what might be called herd responsibility.”
Dit gaan veral oor tropverantwoordelikheid wat iets totaal anders is as die groepdenke waaronder die meeste van ons volkslede vandag onderhewig is. Groepdenke is die vyand van individualisme en die vriend van die voorstaanders van ‘n Nuwe Wêreldorde.
Inividualisme en die besef dat jy op jouself aangewese is, in die wete dat God Drie-enig regeer, mag die sterkste wapen vir die oomblik wees want dit verhoed dat jy genadeloos meegesleur word deur die propaganda van jou vyand, wit en swart, binne en buite jou eie geledere, wat jou wil vernietig.
‘n Besondere gedig van die digter A.D. Keet, Die Twee Boodskappers, eindig met hierdie inspirerende woorde:
“Vryheid! Vryheid! Dierbaar ding
Waar elke mens na smag,
Van jou sal ek gedurig sing,
Jy, is ‘n volk se krag.”
Die Engelsman het ‘n goeie beskrywing gegee van die karakter van die Boere wat so hard om vryheid geveg het. En dit is karaktereienskappe wat ons ook weer sal moet kweek om die pad na vryheid aan te pak.
Soos in die geval met alle geestesgoedere is daar ‘n prys aan verbonde en die grootste prys wat jy eerste moet betaal, is jou onskuld. Anders is jy gedoem tot lewe in La-laland.