Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010

This was a reply to an article, in the Mercury (last week), where the
previously disadvantaged (Blacks) stated that it's not too late for the
previously advantaged (including whites, Indians and Coloreds) to apologize
for apartheid. Check out the reply. Just too hot and so true.

This was in the SA paper last week (Mercury). The main headline stated the
following: It's not too late for whites to say sorry for Apartheid........
Check the email that went around responding to the headline. It's a kick a.s 
response. The guy that wrote it has got it!!!

                                            'To the Previously
Disadvantaged'

We are sorry that our ancestors were intelligent, advanced and daring enough
to explore the wild oceans to discover new countries
and develop them.

We are sorry that those who came before us took you out of the bush and
taught you that there was more to life than beating drums, killing each
other and chasing animals with sticks and stones.

We are sorry that they planned, funded and developed roads, towns, mines,
factories, airports and harbours, all of which you now claim to be your long
deprived inheritance giving you every right to change and rename these at
your discretion.

We are sorry that our parents taught us the value of small but strong
families, to not breed like rabbits and end up as underfed, diseased,
illiterate shack dwellers living in poverty.

We are sorry that when the evil apartheid government provided you with
schools, you decided they'd look better without windows or in piles of
ashes.

We happily gave up those bad days of getting spanked in our all white
Schools for doing something wrong, and much prefer these days of freedom
where problems can be resolved with knives and guns.

We are sorry that it is hard to shake off the bitterness of the past when
you keep on raping, torturing and killing our friends and family members,
and then hide behind the fence of 'human rights' with smiles on your faces.

We are sorry that we do not trust the government... We have no reason to be
so suspicious because none of these poor "hard working intellectuals" have
ever been involved in any form of "corruption or irregularities".

We are sorry that we do not trust the police force and, even though they
have openly admitted that they have lost the war against crime and
criminals, we should not be negative and just ignore their corruption and
carry on hoping for the best.

We are sorry that it is more important to you to have players of colour in
our national teams than winning games and promoting patriotism.
We know that sponsorship doesn't depend on a team's success.
We are sorry that our border posts have been flung open and now left you
competing for jobs against illegal immigrants from our beautiful
neighbouring countries.
All of them countries that have grown into economic powerhouses after
kicking out the 'settlers'.

We are sorry that we don't believe in witchcraft, beet root and garlic
cures, urinating on street corners, virginity testing, slaughtering of bulls
in our back yards, trading women for cattle and other barbaric practices.
Maybe we just grew up differently.
We are sorry that your medical care, water supplies, roads, railways and
electricity supplies are going down the toilet because skilled people who
could have planned for and resolved these issues had to be thrown away
because they were of the wrong ethnic background and now have to work in
foreign countries where their skills are highly appreciated.

We are so sorry that we'd like this country to fulfil its potential so we
can once again be proud South Africans.

The Previously Advantaged PS. In the old regime... we had lights and clean
water!