It is only when the government takes hands with all stakeholders – from NGO’s to the education system to faith-based organisations – to address the moral corruption of our nation that the scourge of violence will take a turn for the positive.
Zuma was in Reiger Park recently, at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign, where he ticked a number of key boxes in his proposal to curb such violence.
This included promoting equality among men and women, while his plea for young men and boys to commit themselves to become activists against gender-based violence is commendable.
The President was lauded for saying that abusers, murderers and rapists have no place in our communities, while he called on the police and the courts to ensure that such criminals are arrested and convicted of crimes against women and children.
The problem is, this country will keep on holding such campaigns year-in and year-out, but we will keep on hearing of women being abused and of children being killed, such as what happened to Taegrin Morris and Cuburne van Wyk.
Why? Because the government fails to address the source of our country’s woes – the continuing decline of morality and ethics.
It leads to lawlessness, anarchy and a State of disorder.
No wonder Parliament has fallen apart and why the DA is calling for the ‘holy trinity’ of democracy to be upheld – the rule of law, accountability and a capable State.
If moral corruption is not addressed, then criminality will run rampant, including corruption on all levels.
The Age of Enlightenment was a time period in which cultural and social changes occurred, emphasising reason, analysis and individualism, rather than traditional ways of thinking. It bred philosophers such as Francis Bacon, René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, John Locke, Voltaire, David Hume, Immanuel Kant and Isaac Newton.
It was supposed to be a time of greater tolerance, civility and acceptance, but this age was also marked by countless wars, conflicts, expansions and even intolerance.
It reminds us that, ultimately, each and every individual needs to make that decision to seek a path of moral civility, or to stray down a path of moral impoverishment. No matter what laws exists to govern people, it remains of utmost importance that the value of inner morality needs to be constantly emphasised as an endeavour to be pursued by all living in this country, especially by government.
Each individual has decisions to make on their life journey, so we can either choose (yes, despite our circumstances) to be racist, intolerant, violent, cruel or lawless, or we can choose to live with dignity, integrity, respect and love.
No one can force us to make a decision or a choice – this is why it is called free will. We ultimately remain accountable for our own actions.
Albert Camus, a French Nobel Prize-winning author said: “A man without ethics is a wild beast loose upon this world.” How true. A person who cannot govern himself according to proper morals and ethics will remain a danger to society.
Many of us know the story of the two wolves: One evening, an elderly cherokee bravely told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “my son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. one is evil. It has anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good, it has joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.” The grandson though about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “which wolf wins?…” the old cherokee simply replied, “the one that you feed”.
The story of the wolves speaks of the ‘inner beast’ theme which has been explored over centuries, from the days of Aristotle, to church fathers like Augustine and psychoanalysts such as Sigmund Freud.
The concept of the ‘inner beast’ – meaning that darker side within man – differs according to opinions and perceptions be it the animal instinct of man, be it inherent evil, or be it a savage (uncivilised) man governed by a lack of proper education, laws and principles.
The Apostle Paul also drew such a distinction when he wrote on the inner war of man in the Scriptures (Romans verse 7), and when he addressed the difference between a life led in pursuit of God, and a life led in pursuit of selfish desires (Galatians verse 5).
Paul’s characteristics of a godly life spoke of love, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Thus, for those who seek such a good life (thus implying choice) – be it in the pursuit of the godly, humanism or enlightenment – then there is no room for violence and hate, especially towards children and women.
And how to tame such an ‘inner beast’ naturally differs from authors, scholars, academics, philosophers and scientists. Some call for therapy, some call for medication, and some call for a spiritual awakening. No matter how one desires to shape such a pursuit, such a pursuit needs to remain a quest throughout our lives.
George MacDonald, a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister, said the following: “A beast does not know that he is a beast, and the nearer a man gets to being a beast, the less he knows it.”
It is true that sometimes, when we allow hate, anger and bitterness to govern us, it then blinds us to our own immoral actions and behaviours.
Sadly, many people have because of circumstances, life’s ordeals, bad luck or cruel fate, allowed themselves to feed the wolf of cruelty, but this doesn’t mean it has been done purely out of free will or choice.
Some people may want to feed the wolf of joy and love, but struggle to do so because of pain and suffering afflicted upon them.
There are, thus, people who have done cruel things but want to change for the good and actually feel remorse. Yet, there are others who keep on feeding the wolf of anger because it is the choice they have made – be it a rational, spiritual or emotional decision.
In his book De Ordine, Augustine speaks about motives and how we need to question such motives before we embark on any undertaking.
This, of course, requires us to reflect (contemplate) and take an inventory of ourselves, yet this particular act is perhaps the hardest thing for a human to do, because it requires taking responsibility for our actions, whether good or bad.
It is a lot easier to take responsibility for successes than for our shortcomings.
Therefore, for those who struggle to tame the ‘inner beast’, a constant emotional and spiritual struggle rages over motive, responsibility and the need to reflect on actions.
Thus, prevailing flaws in ethics and morality in our society will only fuel the fire of lawlessness and anarchy, which is clearly seen in a country where the sanctity of life remains of little value.
And morality has nothing to do with status, fame or wealth, neither has it to do with education, or upbringing. It has to do with the inner journey of self-discovery, free will, choices, decisions and the quest to be ‘better’, ‘civilised’ and ‘decent’.
