Did you really read the news today?

Folks who read this blog (all 7 of you) might have come to the conclusion that I am probably one of the most politically disinterested people around.   And to be honest, if someone has come to that conclusion, you are quite right.  I don't read the news, I don't watch it on TV and I don't even vote because what's the point?   The floor crossing legislation which was approved by our mighty Constitutional Court subjects your vote to the whims of the candidate's wallet.

 

You see, there is a very valid reason why I don't have to read the news.  I do transcription typing for a living.   Nothing can expose you to the grass roots horrors of the country we are living in better than transcription typing.

 

One of the first horrors transcriptions exposed me to was the TRC hearings.  After living a sheltered White existence all my life and believing in the "live and let live" policy, being exposed to what our esteemed White government did was probably one of the most difficult little pills to swallow.   This might be the reason why I cannot abide racists to this day.

 

The next keyboard clobbering stint was with a company who received the contract for the regional court up north.   What a joyous experience!  Nothing can brighten your day like listening to inadequate prosecutors, accused murderers, hijackers and rapists lie themselves into a corner and one of my personal favourites was the man who said he would have forgiven the 20 year old man who attempted to rape his 70 year old crippled wife if he had just come clean and apologised to him, her husband.   Aaah, yes, women are possessions with no right or say.

 

After I was hijacked something in my brain snapped and I could not do the court stuff anymore.  One day, after hearing a woman sobbing on the stand whilst relating her gang rape ordeal, I couldn't take anymore so I resigned.

 

Currently I am "fortunate" enough to slog away for a company which does mostly private work in the form of disciplinary hearings and arbitrations.   So, I don't have to read the news because I know all about the corruption in the Safety and Security "forces" of our country.  I know all about the corruption in our prisons, on our police service and in companies trying to meet BEE standards or looking for a scapegoat because someone at the top screwed up.

 

Yes, my pretties, I get the gorey details at grass roots level.  Events like the Zuma rape trial are things I don't even find surprising anymore because there are always three sides to a story, his, hers and only then, the truth.

 

The funny thing is, despite all of this, I still believe in my country because we have proven ourselves to be a nation of survivors.