New media...same old bias - Thought Leader

Samuel Johnson argued that “he who voluntarily continues ignorant is guilty of all the crimes which ignorance produces”. As someone who hungers for as much information about as many things possible, I have a particular disgust for ignorance, particularly wilful ignorance.

Like Vittorio, I too fear ignorance more than I fear death. However, even more deplorable, and indisputably more dangerous, is ignorance combined with prejudice. This union of evil is, unfortunately, manifested in the daily existence of our post-Apartheid democratic society, despite the ushering in of a new, progressive political system.

I call it wilful ignorance specifically because people who have access to Facebook, for example, exhibit the most unbecoming behaviour and opinions on this relatively public forum. It is wilful ignorance when people have access to the vast repository of knowledge and experiences that the internet indubitably has become and has to offer, and then continue to spew uninformed and unforgivable bullshit rooted in a lack of information, empathy, experience and a complete disregard for “the other”.

The reluctance of people to educate themselves about the existence of “the other” and the incredible complexity of the human experience saddens me. It is especially disheartening considering that we live in a political system that is far less repressive and reactionary, and far more supportive to open, honest and constant deliberation of and exposure to diversity. The post-Apartheid state, as far as I know, has not once engaged in a mass, organised and deliberate attempt at censure and censorship. I have therefore concluded that this kind of ignorance is not only lamentable, but cannot and should not be excused.

As if the potential and possibility of the “information age” is not enough, South Africa prides itself on a formal legal framework that is founded on the principle of respect for basic human rights, enforced and protected not only by the judiciary but also by a number of Chapter 9 institutions as defined in the Constitution, which include the Human Rights Commission, Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities and Commission for Gender Equality.

Therefore, wilful ignorance coupled with prejudice is not only unconstitutional but an insult to the very foundation of our post-Apartheid democracy and those who made immeasurable sacrifices for our new constitutional dispensation. Ignorance and prejudice is a smack in the face of a people who claim to “recognise the injustices of our past; honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land; respect those who have worked to build and develop our country and believe that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity”. It is retrogressive and undermines the desire of a people — of a South Africa — in pursuit of healing the divisions of the past and establishing a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights. It is also in direct contradiction of the founding principles of our new democratic society rooted in “human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms” and a commitment to “non-racialism and non-sexism”.

If you are reading this it means that you have access to the internet and a number of different sources of information. You have no excuse for being ignorant and you have no licence in this country to be prejudiced. So, before you update your Facebook status again or comment on the musings of another, please ensure that what you have to say, as the great Buddha put it, is kind, true and fair to all concerned. I side with Abraham Lincoln on this one, it is far “better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt”.

Next time before you speak out about your perception of African traditional marriages, black people, women or the sexual experiences and livelihoods of gay people, make sure what you have to say doesn’t piss on the Constitution and the sacrifices of countless. Think and be sensitive or aware about what you utter, making sure it remains at all times in line with the anti-discrimination clause (Article 9). This, I am sure you are aware, protects me, and you, from discrimination based on race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.

It is best for us to not remove all doubt in our daily social interactions about the extent of our foolishness, lest we vindicate Albert Einstein through our actions and prove that human stupidity is indeed infinite¹.

¹ “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” — Albert Einstein