If anyone watched the documentary, Alexandra my Alexandra they would come to appreciate the history and significance of this township and the need to protect it.
If anyone watched the documentary, “Alexandra my Alexandra” they would come to appreciate the history and significance of this township and the need to protect it.
The protection of its reputation and forward thinking of its founders. However we see today is the decay of derelict buildings and informal shacks.
Sewage spills on the street, goats left to graze among the rubbish and children playing with the running water along the gutters.
Dear Mr President, come take a walk with me?
Why do Black people show loyalty and dedication to their own yet their own show no care and will abandoned them, left for dead without delivery of services whilst the other races can receive by paying for it…but if you don’t have money what and how can you receive such benefits? But should essential services be considered benefits or is it not a Rights? Then why are not the Black communities protesting? Or should I be asking the question… do Black people enjoy suffering?
At University I was taught a very important lesson from a very wise professor saying that if I ask the right questions, I would be able to get the right responses which will contribute to a fuller understanding. So there are some questions which are bugging me and to which I’m having difficulties understanding. However I’m also having difficulties formulating my questions so here are my thoughts and along the way I will try to ask the right questions?
From my various travels to many countries I have had the opportunity to observe their lifestyles and culture, I have also come to realise “Black people” suffer prejudice almost everywhere. Whether it is in Europe, Asia or the Americas – black people have it difficult. I don’t particularly like using the term, “Black people” but my vocabulary in describing this particular group of people as “African” would be incorrect as I’m an African and I’m not Black but nonetheless you get the idea.
So to move on, I find that this particular race has had a difficult history and is currently also having a somewhat prejudiced and disadvantaged life. In South Africa, Black people have waited patiently for years to be able to be free from the oppression of “White Supremacy” and to many believed to have been their biggest constraining factor to liberation and prosperity.
However twenty years on and we have had three Black Presidents and yet there are still injustices which deprive Black people from achieving their full potential. As I drove-by Braamfortein yesterday in order to verify a news article noting that a rat was tested positive for having a plague due to the bin-collector strike. I saw the piles of refuse lined the streets whilst the green and stagnant liquid pools filled the pavement and to which school children having to walk on the roads.
I have not seen a problem escalate to this level in other neighbourhoods. Orange Grove did have a similar issue however after much complaining from a literate community their streets were cleaned. So why do the poor black communities have to endure such conditions? 
Is this due to money or colour of skin? Yet in a democracy I believe that we all should be equal in the eyes of the Law and therefore why doesn’t the Black people protest against the poor delivery of services within their neighbourhoods? Why do they still vote for a Government which continues to abandon them and leave them without proper water, sanitation, education and medical services? There are many Non-profit organisations fulfilling the Governments obligations and creating opportunities for Black people, should this not be the governments responsibility?
Would education make a difference? Yet we have recently witnessed the President of South Africa violating the Constitution to which serves to protect its people. Education is not lacking within the Government Cabinet and yet the majority will vote for the same oppressor to govern and the Cabinet will continue to support abuses to the Black people. Why do Black people show loyalty and dedication to their own yet their own show no care and will abandoned them, left for dead without delivery of services whilst the other races can receive by paying for it…but if you don’t have money what and how can you receive such benefits? But should essential services be considered benefits or is it not a Right? Then why are not the Black communities protesting?
Or should I be asking the question… do Black people enjoy suffering?
Racial profiling has been widely criticised when it comes to predicting crime and is actually illegal in certain countries. The basis of racial profiling is the assumption that people of a certain race or ethnic background are more likely to commit certain crimes.
Racial profiling is a method of using racial or ethnic characteristics to predict whether a person is likely to commit a crime. The use of this much criticised method has risen in recent years with the perceived rise in the threat of terrorism.
What Is Racial Profiling?
Racial profiling has been widely criticised when it comes to predicting crime and is actually illegal in certain countries. The basis of racial profiling is the assumption that people of a certain race or ethnic background are more likely to commit certain crimes. After the 9/11 terrorist attack, the US authorities used racial profiling conclusions to investigate foreign nationals of middle eastern descent. These conclusions were used even if there were no other factors that warranted investigation of these individuals.
Racial Profiling in the UK
Although racial profiling is not officially used in the UK the statistics do show otherwise. Under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000, police officers are permitted to stop and search individuals with justifiable cause. According to the statistics provided by the Ministry of Justice some police do seem to be using racial profiling. Asian people were over five times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people. Black people were seven times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people. Only 0.6% of the searches ended in arrests for terrorism offences.
Why Racial Profiling isn’t Working
There have been a number of high profile cases that have highlighted the flaws in racial profiling. Colleen Larose, the middle aged, white, Philadelphian suburban dwelling woman is the antithesis of the typical terrorist profile. Self named ‘Jihad Jane’ was arrested on charges of conspiring with overseas militants to murder and if necessary to become a martyr for radical Islam causes. Colleen Larose is only one of many terrorists who do not fit the usual racial profile. Larose, along with many other white terrorists, is one of the reasons why racial profiling has been seriously undermined when it comes to profiling criminals.
Racial Profiling is Alienating Communities
One of the big dangers of racial profiling is that this method may actually be counter productive. The shocking rise in stop and search incidents of certain ethnic groups will only alienate these communities. Trust in the authorities from black and Asian communities will deteriorate. What could have been a source of information for the police from these communities will no longer exist due to the abuse of racial profiling. One senior counter-terrorism official claimed that community relations achieve results, stop and search does not.
Common Uses of Racial Profiling
Racial profiling isn’t used solely as an anti-terrorism tool. There are many instances of this type of profiling being used ‘unofficially’ throughout society. These can include monitoring of suspected shoplifters in stores and the stop and search of vehicles based solely on the race of the driver. Racial profiling as an airline security measure has been widely used throughout the world. In many cases this type of profiling is used at the customs point to determine who the officials will search. This can be seen as discrimination, and one of the dangers is that while others are searched the real criminals go free.
The Alternative to Racial Profiling
Human rights organisations such as Liberty have stated that racial profiling is not as effective as rational police methods. In January 2010 the Court of Human Rights ruled that section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 does violate the right to respect for private life. According to Liberty, the profiling of suspects should be based on actual suspicion and real intelligence. Stopping and searching on the basis of skin colour, name or dress code is not a valid reason.
Racial profiling is increasingly coming under fire from many organisations as an ineffective method of crime prediction. There is no doubt that it is routinely being used and abused by authorities such as the police. Since the ruling by the Court of Human Rights in 2010 the government will now have to address this serious issue. If the abuse of racial profiling continues it will no doubt lead to increasing mistrust in the police and government officials.
source:http://www.civilrightsmovement.co.uk/facts-racial-profiling.html
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