'Many and sharp the num'rous ills
Inwoven with our frame!
More pointed still we make ourselves
Regret, remorse, and shame!
And Man, whose heav'n-erected face
The smiles of love adorn, -
Man's inhumanity to man
Makes countless thousands mourn!
Then there's man's inhumanity to woman. Just a few hours ago, I noted these words on my Facebook wall; they were written by a young friend of mine in South Africa:
I want to know, when are we going to finally be horrified enough to stand up and say we wont tolerate this any longer, South Africa? When are we also going to start gathering in public spaces in protest? Why is everyone keeping so silent about this? Are we that defeated or is it just not our problem? Its time to rise, South Africa!
According to this source Anene's name can derive from ANAENECHUKWU [A(nyi) na-ene Chukwu = We look up to God.] or ANAENECHI [A na-ele Chi = Let's look up to God.]
Where has love gone? Once again I'm reminded of this quote from the late Sr Souboris of Loreto Convent, Coleraine, in the summer of 1973. It was written about the actions of some young men who were about the same age as Anene:
Thank you for directing to us young people of such unselfishness and reliability. Each in his own way made a valuable contribution to the holiday. I personally learned a tremendous amount from their unselfishness. I only wish more people in our divided communities could experience how easy it is to love and live together once the will to do so is there.
Where are the leaders who will act as appropriate role models for this and future generations of men? As we know recently from India and other places, South Africa isn't the only place where men carry out atrocious acts against women.
Added February 12
In Bredasdorp, a community searching for its soul
