The Tale of Two Parts of Me

The Tale of Two Parts of Me

“It was the best of times...”

When I first “came out” of my closet comprised of stifling doubt

The summer of freshman year

In a small, familiar dorm room 20 miles away from my real home

Surrounded by people I knew in every way,

Except for how they would react

Bisexual

Not quite gay

But definitely not straight

The terror of being recognized for who I truly was

Which had threatened me to silence for one drawn out year of my life

Was quickly vanquished by the joy I felt,

Who crept out of its dusty cobwebbed cave

To join me in a happy dance

This joy,

Which couldn’t be held by my bones alone,

Swiftly escaped in the form of tears

Before latching onto my soul

Never to be removed again

I fell in love with myself that day,

Grew to see that I was beautiful and worth it and,

Best of all,

My feelings were

Real.

Valid.

Honest.

“It was the worst of times…”

The first time I doubted myself

To fear that my sexuality wasn’t truly a part of me,

That I was faking.

I teetered on the white jagged line between

Whether I was just trying to be cool

Or trying to be myself.

The multiple congregations of choirs in my head

Whose voices carried daggers

Stabbing my conscience

My very being demanded that I

Just pick one.

As if it’s that easy.

Imagine unraveling the string of your identity

And following it back to the giving tree of answers of your mind

To figure out who you truly are

Only to find it wilted and barren, unable to offer up any semblance of order

To be alone when you first pick apart whether a crush was a crush

Or just a simple friendship

Or whether it was both

And if it means everything

Or nothing at all

How is anyone supposed to hold

All the answers to sexuality

When I can barely come up with my own

Without feeling like my lungs have collapsed as my own self hate slowly takes the place of air

And suffocates me

Before I am quickly pulled right back to reality by the bigots who lie in the depths

Awaiting small naïeve teens like me

Waving their signs of hidden warnings and threats

To remind us just how insignificant and unnatural we really are

“In short....”

I think there is no way

For me to truly be content with who I am

When I still have trouble deciding between the colliding plates in my head

Which threaten to split my identity right down the middle

This is the Tale of Two Parts of Me

The Relationship of Rahim Khan and Baba

The cars represent the two opposing forces on which Rahim Khan and Baba's friendship is built upon. Rahim Khan is painted as the lighter of the two, with mellower personality traits and a more mature personality. Baba is the dark side, as he is a man of brute force and more hard set beliefs. This is represented by the black and white car. They are very different and take alternative routes to solve the same issues. For example, Baba's relationship with Amir is very business-like, while Rahim Khan is much more caring and loving. This is represented by the fact they are parked oppositely. However, they still hold similar traits. They are best friends who grew up together and were forged from the same stone. That is why they are both cars, as while they may have their differences, they still fight for the same ideas.

 

The Circle of Corruption

The Circle of Corruption

In 2012, South African police were called in to address a strike at the Marikana mountain, where protesting miners were camped outside. However, once they arrived, police opened fire and killed 34 of the miners (Human Rights Watch 1). The police of South Africa have been technically completing their assignments, but have been wielding a surplus of force and a lack of humanity. Between the continual use of rubber bullets and tear gas, along with the torture and rape which occurs in police custody, the South African police force has been a growing issue since the end of apartheid laws (Morrison 1). The central issue roots around the government’s ignorance of social issues, both regarding the corruption of the police and neglect of social and economical reforms.

The South African government is known for its corruption and the police are not exempt from this problem. The leadership of the police force ignore maltreatment of criminals and are even known to encourage it. In November of 1998, the members of the North East Rand Dog Unit set their dogs upon 3 illegal immigrants while brutally beating and verbally abusing them during what was deemed a “training exercise” (Bruce 11-2). This incident was caught on tape, yet all of the abusers were let off on bail. In 2013, 8 police officers tied citizen Mido Macia to the back of their truck by his arms, then dragged him along a tarmac road. He later died in police custody due to excessive trauma from that incident. It was only this year that 2 of the police officers were sentenced to 15 years of prison. The members of the police force have been offered poor training due to a lack of government involvement. Furthermore, commanders are unaffected when large spectacles of torture occur. In fact, “according to David Bruce, senior researcher at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation, ‘It is clear that police management does not know what is going on. There is a clear absence of understanding from police leadership on how to deal with the use of force’” (Hoesken 1). Furthermore, in Bruce’s article on police brutality, he writes, “major exposure to violent crime and high levels of fear contribute to desensitising and dehumanising members of the police service.”

The corruption of the police force is not solely due to a lack of training. South Africa has high rates of violence as well as high unemployment rates, leaving 12 million citizens unemployed. The government’s failure to answer to the economic, political and social issues has led to an increase of riots. There is a lack of adequate housing, issues between students and university staff, and problems between workers and employers regarding wages. Recently, a student riot against a decision of a university to remove a student run council became violent when police became involved. They used both rubber and metal bullets along with tear gas to quell it, but students began setting buildings on fire as a form of rebellion (Brandlin 1). According to a recent publication by the Socioeconomic Rights Institute, “the recent wave of protests has resulted in the police playing a significant role in managing community dissatisfaction and frustration” (Jadoo 2).

The South African Police Force has had a long record of reported incidents which must be resolved. This is due to poor governmental training, along with a substanital rise in crimes and riots. Currently, the United Nations Committee on Human Rights is gearing up to investigate these reports and the numerous accounts of torture and maltreatment by police officers throughout South Africa. In the near future, the issues dealing with humanity and maltreatment in South Africa will be adressed, and hopefully, solved.

Works Cited

Brandlin, Anne-Sophie. "South Africa: Student Protests End in Violence and Flames." AllAfrica.com.

25 Feb. 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

Bruce, David. "Police Brutality in South Africa." Police Brutality in South Africa. 2000. Web. 07

Mar. 2016.

Hosken, Graeme. "Why SA Cops Are so Brutal." Why SA Cops Are so Brutal. CSVR. Web. 07 Mar.

2016.

Jadoo, Yadhana. "UN to Probe Police Brutality in SA." The Citizen. 4 Mar. 2016. Web. 07 Mar.

2016.

Morrison, Aaron. "Police Brutality On Rise In South Africa: Officers Accused Of Killing, Raping

Citizens." International Business Times. 01 Oct. 2015. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

"World Report 2016: South Africa." Human Rights Watch. 06 Jan. 2016. Web. 07 Mar. 2016.

Breaking Buffalo

"The buffalo was of medium size, but boasted an exceptionally long tail, which swung vigorously from side to side as though determined to splatter its timid, inexperienced master with as much filth as possible. For all his efforts to dodge the relentless lashes, one split second of inattention was enough for Four-Eyes to receive a blow to the face from the buffalo's tail, which sent his spectacles hurtling through the air. " (47)
"The slaughter was disguised by an accident; the perpetrator claimed that the beast had lost its footing on a tight bend and had plunged head first down a cliff...The buffalo was still alive. I will never forget how affected I was by its long drawn-out plaintive bellows." (93)

Sijie uses the symbol of the buffalo to demonstrate the effect of the village has had on Four Eyes, both physically and mentally. To Four Eyes, it represents how poor and inept the village is, and his resistance change. When the buffalo knocks off his glasses, it represents how the village is beginning to change its world view. 

Privilege of the Tao

The great universe,

The Tao is the master of it all.

He cares for us,

Shows us the way.

Yet he allows us freedom to discover ourselves.

We are given the opportunity to be free,

Fluid,

Graceful,

Happy.

The Tao gives us these privileges

So that we can find him in ourselves.

The Tao holds ambition and greatness

Do not waste your life by being unforgiving and hateful.

Allow the Tao to open your soul,

And never again shall you be disappointed.

Reeling in Radical Remembrance

Reeling in Radical Remembrance

Images: thenounproject.com