Photojournalism Bootcamp day 1.

16 Days Against Gender Violence, yeah right.

16 Days Against Gender Violence, yeah right. Sexual violators never seem to get the damn memo.

My dad sent out an email this morning sharing an account of sexual assault. It's a continuous discussion that we need to have, and most of the time I find I'll engage with people who understand the issue.

Sexual assault has become so dismissed, to the point where it really pisses me off. We're told to "just move on and don't let it get to you, what difference will it make telling everyone?" , or "well you were drunk...so how can you know...?" or "why were you walking alone in the dark?". I'm pretty sure there are some people who don't even realise that they have been sexually violated because it's become so normalised.  If you don't want to, you shouldn't have to. It's that simple.

In the incident that my dad shares, the support for the young woman is fantastic , but it's an experience that no person should go through. I believe it's a useless experience. There are cases where women really don't get the chance to share their trauma and live with it.

I would go in more depth but the point of this post is to share the story, and I really believe the only way we will ever make some sort of change is constant discussion and drilling it into the minds of those ignorant, ugly individuals who do sexually assault. They're disgusting, but they don't even know it. We should be othering THEM instead of those who are sexually violated.

ONE MORE THING: My dad is Bishop for Natal Coastal District, so some of his email includes scripture and addresses individuals in the church with rape culture mindsets. Much is his opinion and feedback and discussion is welcome. You can engage with him directly as I may not have the same view point or response as he would. Natal Coastal Methodists Facebook Group OR comment at the bottom. 

Words  by Michael Vorster:

On Tuesday morning 27 Nov I was busy preparing for District Executive meeting. My concentration was interrupted abruptly by a young woman’s repeated screams. Hazel (office secretary) rushed to the front door and said someone is being attacked. I rushed out. A very distressed and crying young woman stood against the wall. Her umbrella and sandals lay in the road. She had just been sexually assaulted by a young man. Hazel came out and took the young women inside to our office, and cared for her. Myself and the security guard from the healing centre set off in the direction in which the young man ran. He had been apprehended by community members in Umbilo road. It was amazing to be part of this non-racial community effort to catch this young man.

When asked what he had done the young man said he made a proposal to her. He did not know her. There was no remorse or regret, just a wry smile out of the corner of his mouth. (Perhaps nervousness?) Other witnesses saw that it was an assault. The SAPS were called. A cynical white woman says she doubts if they will ever arrive. I say to her let's not get ahead of ourselves. She replies that she is a realist. I say not all SAPS are bad. She ends up agreeing.

I then go back to the office at which time both parents of the young woman and the. SAPS arrive with the perpetrator in the back. The father gets angry I have to hold him back as he tries to accost the perp. We managed to calm father down. The mother was sobbing. They all left for the Police station to lay charges against this young man who I estimate not to older than 22. The young woman was about 19.

 The 16 Days of Activism 25 November to 10 December became real for us.

 I shared this with the District Executive later and added that I was also concerned for this young man who had no respect for women, who thought he could take any woman at any time as he pleased. What made him think and do these things? What examples does he have? Jail may exacerbate this young man’s criminal tendency – what he needs in addition to jail time is gender-sensitivity education.

This young woman will now be afraid to walk the streets even in broad daylight. Her parents are going to increase their protectiveness of her. They will become captives because of the idiotic, shameful and diabolical behavior of this young man.

In society there is still a belief among men that they can own any woman they like (this cuts across all cultures and class). The belief is that woman must give men sex if and when they please. The ‘No means yes’ culture still prevails.

Even in the church one witnesses our male ministers making sexual inference remarks toward female colleagues and other female congregants. One observes how male ministers get touchy feely with younger attractive women and they seem to think it is okay. One woman minister told me once that a male colleague said to her that he had not had sex in a long time. This woman minister was decidedly uncomfortable and did not want to take matters further.

Ministers preach with great authority that wives must be submissive to their husbands. Please go and do your homework on these passages and understand what it actually says – it does not justify oppression of women whatsoever. My opinion is that this type if sermon and teaching gives oxygen for sexual predators and young male minds to feel justified in what they did. This is not dissimilar to anti-Semitic teachings by the church which contributed to giving oxygen to the NAZIs to kill six million Jews.

Even women are complicit in this oppression. One cannot make sense that a so called progressive organisations such as the ANC Women’s League feels that women are not ready to be President. Really?? Don’t we know of many women in the MCSA who say exactly the same thing and undermine women ministers and women in leadership?

In the church you can have a lazy, mediocre, and troublesome male minister and people will tolerate this. When a women minister behaves in a similar way, her gender is blamed. It’s because she is a woman, it is said. Woman ministers have to work twice as hard to maintain a sense of acceptance in the Church.

My rant can go on… but let us end here by reminding ourselves of the teachings of the Paul. Paul seems to ramble on about many things and through this we get a sense of his own evolving growth in understanding his journey with Jesus the Christ and then, a real ‘aha’ moment happens for him. It is like an intense revelation by the Holy Spirit and he says to the foolish Galatians (3:1). There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one Christ Jesus.” (3:28)

Let us take this to heart so that we as men can become better role models for young men like this sexual predator and others and that they in turn will come to find a better way of being male, Jesus-like male.

I would encourage you to visit the 16 Days of Activism display at the Botanical Gardens from 25 Nov- 10 Dec, Durban 

PEACE AND BLESSINGS

Bishop Michael

_______________________________________________________________________________

The lyrics are awesome! 

*If you don't like swear words, do not read the rest or play this song :)

White boy : I don't think it's a problem cuz
most of the girls ask for it

Kathleen : Uh huh, how did they ask for it?

White boy : The way they act, the way they...
I...I can't say they way they dress because
that's their own personal choice

White boy : Some of these dumb hoes,
those slut rocker bitches walking down the street,
they're asking for it, they may deny it but it's true.

Lay me spread eagle out on your hill, yeah
then write a book on how I wanted to die.
It's hard to talk with your dick in my mouth
I will try to scream in pain a little nicer next time

WHITE BOY...DON'T LAUGH...DON'T CRY...JUST DIE!

I'm so sorry if I'm alienating some of you
Your whole fucking culture alienates me
I can not scream from pain down here on my knees
I'm so sorry that I think!

WHITE BOY...DON'T LAUGH...DON'T CRY...JUST DIE!

Are you not entertaaaained?

What I'm doing and diggin':

1. Learning for Anthropology, this is the only hand written note for the course I have (a quote from my lecturer):

2. My best friend is obsessed with these dudes, she is right to be so. Fa-leep-ing awesome: 

"We’re all born to broken people on their most honest day of living 

and since that first breath... We’ll need grace that we’ve never given 

I've been haunted by standard red devils and white ghosts 

and it's not only when these eyes are closed 

these lies are ropes that I tie down in my stomach, 

but they hold this ship together tossed like leaves in this weather 

and my dreams are sails that I point towards my true north, 

stretched thin over my rib bones, and pray that it gets better 

but it won’t won’t, at least I don’t believe it will... 

so I've built a wooden heart inside this iron ship, 

to sail these blood red seas and find your coasts. 

don’t let these waves wash away your hopes 

this war-ship is sinking, and I still believe in anchors 

pulling fist fulls of rotten wood from my heart, I still believe in saviors 

but I know that we are all made out of shipwrecks, every single board 

washed and bound like crooked teeth on these rocky shores 

so come on and let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief 

and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach 

come on and sew us together, tattered rags stained forever 

we only have what we remember 

I am the barely living son of a woman and man who barely made it 

but we’re making it taped together on borrowed crutches and new starts 

we all have the same holes in our hearts... 

everything falls apart at the exact same time 

that it all comes together perfectly for the next step 

but my fear is this prison... that I keep locked below the main deck 

I keep a key under my pillow, it’s quiet and it’s hidden 

and my hopes are weapons that I’m still learning how to use right 

but they’re heavy and I’m awkward...always running out of fight 

so I’ve carved a wooden heart, put it in this sinking ship 

hoping it would help me float for just a few more weeks 

because I am made out of shipwrecks, every twisted beam 

lost and found like you and me scattered out on the sea 

so come on let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief 

and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach 

come on and sew us together, just some tattered rags stained forever 

we only have what we remember 

My throat it still tastes like house fire and salt water 

I wear this tide like loose skin, rock me to sea 

if we hold on tight we’ll hold each other together 

and not just be some fools rushing to die in our sleep 

all these machines will rust I promise, but we'll still be electric 

shocking each other back to life 

Your hand in mine, my fingers in your veins connected 

our bones grown together inside 

our hands entwined, your fingers in my veins braided 

our spines grown stronger in time 

because are church is made out of shipwrecks 

from every hull these rocks have claimed 

but we pick ourselves up, and try and grow better through the change 

so come on yall and let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief 

and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach 

come on and sew us together, were just tattered rags stained forever 

we only have what we remember"

- Listener, Wooden Heart

3. Some tumblring and baby inspiration for my Anthro exam:

That's about all. Day really consists of nothing more than eat, sleep, INTERNET, study, an episode of American Horror Story, Skins or Weeds and random ramblings to my toy elephants.  

I think I should add, that poem by Listener is not necessarily something that reflects any personal "deeper" meaning, I just appreciate the artistry behind their words.   

Artsy Fartsy birds.

Helping Bronwen out at the Arts Department on a Saturday night . Cutting strips of plastic for her Masters piece is way better than studying for exams. With good music, good company and the occasional sighting of the resident bird (who attacks for fun) t'was a good night. 

The exhibition is on the 25th, so will take my lovely Nikon and our baby, 35mm, along to show you the final plastic bag art. I'm rather excited to see the finished piece with MY ONE PLASTIC BALL!

I'll also find out the context of the piece, because this post is rather useless without information as to what the hell we are actually doing. We never know!

The Wisest Ones.

Zebra & Giraffe are on tour promoting their third studio album. New comer, Tailor, has been on tour with them as a guest performer and selling her album, 'The Dark Horse'.
I got the chance to have a quick interview with Z&G front-man Greg Carlin for Activate Newspaper and thought I'd upload some of the pic's from the night and the interview with Greg about their tour, new album and performing for Rhodents.

Niamh: So, this is your 6^th show for the tour?

Greg: I have no idea! (Laughs).

N: Haha, oh wow, but how’s it been so far then?

G: It’s been cool; we’ve got a new band basically. Mike used to play keys and he’s moved to drums now and Stef’s the new bassist. I’m playing keyboards as well now, so it’s kind of a new thing for us.  We’re still getting used to it. For the last 4 years I’ve been playing guitar and stuff. We’re playing new songs as well. It’s fun but it’s just weird sometimes for the crowd because they don’t know them, they sort of go “what is this? What is this new music”, so ya it’s been cool.

N: Ya, 'cause your new album seems to be a bit darker, and it’s sort of like “why are you guys so mad or angry?”

G:  Hahaha, no it’s not really that. Ag, it’s just a different. We just wanted to go a different route. It wasn’t like a preconceived idea.

N: Is your music personal, or a mixture?

G: Very much so. For me it’s very personal. I write all the lyrics so it’s all from sort of personal experience. Looking back and analysing my own life, so it’s very autobiographical. Even from the first albums.

N: How was last year and the other times you played in Grahamstown?

G: Last time we played acoustic, which was still pretty crazy. The last time we played as a proper band was at Prime, which was pretty fun.

N: And so far on your tour where’s been the best place?

G: We’ve had the best turn out in Jo’burg actually. Even though it’s my hometown we never really [have such a turn out], it’s such a spread out city that its hard to focus on a crowd in one area. This time we played in Fourways and we had like our biggest crowd. it was real fun. 

N: How are you expecting tonight to go?

G: I don’t know, I’m looking for people (laughs). Ya I don’t know, you never know. It’s a student town and it depends if people have been partying this whole week and if they’ve got money but we kept it cheap at 30 bux. It’s chilled, I’m sure it’ll be fun.

N: What’s it like doing other gigs and coming out with a new album?

G: This album we did kind of differently. We took some breaks in between and we actually haven’t played a proper live show before the tour, which is about four months. We’ve had quite a lot of time off from a full show but we did a lot of acoustic shows. And that’s what we did at Fest and stuff like that. So that was easy ‘cause it was just the three of us. Me, Mike and Al. It was a simple tour, it wasn’t like a whole nationwide tour, so was quite fun.

N: What’s your favourite song off the new album?

G: I think live wise, I think Sons, and I love it on the record and it’s going to be our next single, maybe towards end of the year.

N: How is the album doing?

G: The album seems to be doing pretty well. Being played on campus radio and 5fm, we’re moving on to our next single now, called My Best which is a little bit more commercial and sounds a little bit more like The Knife and The Inside. Whereas I’ll Blame You is quite different. [My Best] is a bit more like the old stuff.

N: Awesome, and what do you think of us Rhodents? We’re well behaved hey?

G: Rhodents! No! Of course you’re not well behaved. We have some fun times!

You can check out my review of the night on Activate Online:

Zebra & Giraffe are The Wisest Ones

Tailor:

Zebra & Giraffe: