Volume 36 Number 07 - University of the Witwatersrand

-rll-v!Urt-Democracy in M oz,ambique?f Cape: Exec.rethere re-;RC.list ofrgdo-,f us. Iler ourrted orey feelsition.perate.rill.'e SRCaturity,derate)ut rerllengechalreyond:raine,C withre pro-them-:y willorainelnuinelebate. out,C hadsationI at theiRC's:posiplied:i Dentodate:ctionrativents aI, noghtootherde bywiths ther-,pJust how far can ideology go indistorting percetptions, or has1984 got to Wits Student as well?I refer to the editorial, Vol 36No 5. wherein we are informed ofthe'democraticallyelectedMarxist government of Mozam-.bique'! Would the editor like toinform me as to when free andfair elections were last held inthat country, which incidentallyis rated by organisations such asAmnesty International as havinga human rights record worse thanin South Africa.However, perhaps my judgementis in error. After all, what'sin a name? Maybe the GermanDemocratic Republic (East Germany)rs after all more demo-cratic than the Federal Republicof Germany (West Germany)? Ifany opportunist revolutionary sochooses to label himself Marxist,is he not then lipso'democratic'foctoand'progressive?What really distresses me isthat as students our PercePtionsshould not be prematurely blindedby ideological predilections.Human rights and liberal freedomsare important, but thenwhy bewail their absence onlY inSouth Africa on this continent ofours? The world is complex,there are no clear-cut issues, andthis is precisely what extremistpolitics ignores, usually withtragic results.Vltits Student would do well toemulate that great lournahst,George Orwell, whose deservedappeal lay in his honesty anddirectness of approach, his disdainfor the hypocrisy andpropaganda ofeither left or right.the Government and SABC ir'South Africa good, Black Albad'.JB Btoom (MNOTE: To preempt any kjerk labelling of me, let me sthat I despise the SMA and rstands for.Let us not, then, imitate the sheep Could you please furnish us rin Animal Farm, mind-lessly more details of this so-cableating'South Africa bad, Black Amnesty I nternational retinlAfrica good'just as insistently as we find it questionable. IOrganize gaysGod-given sexualityIn response to a letter headeo gether for the improvment of'Campus Gays: Into the Daylight'in which an appeal was mation by others. If we wanown self-esteem and its emade to those persons interested be taken seriously, let us tin forming a gay working group, ourselves seriously first, and lStudents' Christian AssociationStatement on participation inRag.We, the SCA Committee,,wouldsociate ourselves from certainaspects of Rag on the basis thatthey undermine the dignity givenby God to all men and women.I would like to express myenthusiasm for, and purposefulengendering oi such a venture.The voice ofgay liberation haseach other to negate societself-fulfi lling prophecy.But with despair and frustion have I continued encounlike to make our stand clear witho Thebeen muffled forabuse oftoo long.alcoholWhile ing an irrational fear amrandregard to participation in Rag.student activistsblatanthavedrunkennessooenlv other gay people on campuwhich isWe believe that the authoritativewelcomed theacceptedformationand encouragedof coming out of the closet, a Iin Rag.teaching of Jesus Christ iso An attitude encouraging 'free groups concerned with issues that tells them that their lirelevant to all aspects of life andsuch as feminism,sex'racismwhichetc, the won't be worth it if their parecheapens and pervertstherefore has specific applicationeclecticism potentiallythe God-given giftinherent lecturers or peers'find out'. Brof sexuality.to Rag. This is the motivation foroin radical thoughtSubtlehassexual perversionbeen life worth it as a half-person;dproducing this statement.denied and gay issueswhichrelegateddistorts and stereotypesThe word RAG meansdown to the position'Remember femininityofseen in thing we'll get to in ourliving mean hearing of yoursepart of a group depicted as vrcertain sexistand Give'. We thereforesupport Rag in so far as it is atime'.as a tormented,aspects of Ragown good frivolous. childlike. foolish -Royalty, Drummiesmutilatedand Bummies.m(genuine expression of socialAgain, as is in common with phor for human lonelinFor most students Rag isconcern. For this reason we asoppressed groups, our right to Because this, desolation, issimply an excuse for having amembers of SCA will be involved 'good speak out has been determined only reward you will get until time' and thus the realSin Rag acltivities. In addition weby those who know better, with emerge from your twilight womeaning of RAG is lost.believe that our response shouldus left sitting pretty in terms of and admit what you are.not be limited to the Rag period We see these practices in Rag the insecurity about our own lack Thus I reiteratealone, but should be an expressionof a lifestyle committed to issuesas only a reflectionthe appeaof far deeper of organization. with society all gay people onwhichcampus toresultcoin our alienationpointing this out as sympromaticforwardserving those in need, in theand organizefrom God.as persOn this basis we of our neurotic inability to relatelinkedmanner taught by Jesus Christ. qualifyby theour participationcommon desirin Rag. to one another in a meaningful,improve the tenuous andHowever. we wish to disas-SCA Committee