LL-L "Afrikaans" 2004.04.13 (09) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L * 13.APR.2004 (09) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: SBoyo48314 at aol.com <SBoyo48314 at aol.com>
Subject: LL-L "Afrikaans" 2004.04.13 (08) [E]

I suspect a great deal of what is happening in SA today re impact on
Afrikaners and the Afrikaans langauge reflects the boomerang effect of the
apartheid policies of previous governments. Afrikaans was long seen as the
language of apartheid and of oppression and so it's falling out of favour
today comes as no surprise particularly for the majority who wish not to be
reminded of it's legacy.

Not sure that this is the right forum to be political, however suffice it to
say that apartheid bred oppression which bred poverty, exclusion and
ultimately the spiralling crime and violence witnessed today and for many
Afrikaners this can only mean one thing - the chickens have finally come
home to roost. Perhaps a little foresight and forethought about future
implications could have prevented this mess!

Steve Boyd

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Afrikaans

Hi, Steve!

Welcome to the vocal circle!

Actually, we try to limit political discussions to those that pertain to
language and culture politics, which, I guess, you did.

Of course your point is well taken here.  It is a fact that people like to
villify something tangible, in this case a language, even though languages
cannot be villainous, nor should all its speakers be considered thus.  If
languages had to be persecuted in lieu of the perceived villains, you would
not expect English, French and Portuguese to be chosen as national linguae
francae of numerous African countries and English in Southern Asia, and the
Apartheid government would have outlawed English as a symbol of British
atrocities against Afrikaans speakers in earlier times.  In fact, many
European languages would be considered linguae non gratae somewhere, since
the only European nations that did not occupy, discriminate and plunder
somewhere are those that did not have the size and power to do so.  While
average, non-thinking people may think in such simplistic ways, one would
expect governments to be more insightful and act accordingly.  The current
South African government seems to be acting on the old "unity requires
uniformity" principle, discriminating not only against Afrikaans but also
against other languages of South Africa.  So this is not policy that affects
Afrikaans only.

Regards,
Reinhard/Ron

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