Klarika Nettleton of the Bloubosrand Animal Welfare Group, writes:
I have lots and lots of birds including hadedas and especially pigeons who are so friendly. I try to feed them all as best as I can.
The other day, I placed a plate of food for my dog, Marley, just under the trees where I was reading. A pigeon came and started eating. I said, ‘No, Pigie, this is Marley’s food’, but she took no notice of me.
Then Marley came and started eating as well, and both of them enjoyed their food together until the plate was empty.
Immediately the thought came to me – here we have two totally different species eating happily together from the same plate.
Now, what is the problem with our rainbow nation? We are the same species, but with different nationalities, tribes and languages.
Why can’t we eat from the same plate as well?
We should not have a problem and happily turn this beautiful country into a place of paradise, where everybody is respected.
I find this flare-up of racism, which is getting worse by the day and is really very distressing, is doing our country huge harm on all fronts.
