[This was the original post that caused so much distress; I took it down and re-wrote it. This apology refers to it, and the re-write is here.]
Well, I am breaking my New Year’s Resolution after a mere 10 days….
This is very brief post – a tiny little provocation – that has been bugging me for years, so since i am pretty tuckered out after a very busy week at the American School of Paris, I thought I would sneak it in:
Apartheid. An appalling series of practices that seem devilishly horrible in the way they target such mundane and all too human activities. All humans are alike in that they have to eat, drink, and go to the toilet. So how, dreadful and ironic is it to target eating, drinking, and defecating as the three things by which we will differentiate US from THEM. Separate facilities, separate rooms for people of one class; other facilities – usually of lesser quality – for people viewed as “lower”.
But, Grant! Why in the world are you talking about this??? Apartheid in the United States ended 50 years ago and 20 years ago in South Africa! Why are you bringing up this history now?
Oh, sorry. I should have clarified. I wasn’t talking about then; I am talking about now?
Huh! Where is there apartheid like this now?
In schools everywhere. Separate eating places and toilets for teachers and for students.
But that’s different!
Is it?
[Again, to follow the history of this post, click on the links above]