These are the so called facts, this is all that now remains after all the speculation, out cries and legal wranglings of the past few weeks since the infamous Jules High School Sex Scandal emerged.
I for one find it hard to stomach that the statement above is all that remains; that this will be the only warped remainder of what was once known as the 'truth'. I know I'm supposed to feel some sort of closure now that the whole sordid thing is about to be wrapped up in a nice judicial bow. I know I should be grateful that our justice system has cleared up any confusion about it 'not being rape'. And I know I should praise the wheels of justice that have been set forth, the ones that now wearily creep towards a politically acceptable conclusion. I know I should let it go because after all - those aren't my children, siblings or friends. Why should I be giving myself indigestion about it? It's not like I can stop kids from having sex, downloading porn or drinking themselves senseless and engaging in orgies.
But I can't let it go, all that keeps going round and round in my head is: where does this leave one times girl 15; now branded a lying, drunk, whore? What happens to the boys aged 14 and 16 who'll forever be known as those alledged gang rapists?
Well if newspapers are to be believed they've all earned themselves a one way trip through SA's court system, via diversion, with a free mandatory stop in government counselling. And while they do their time we'll continue our lives, tut tutting on our soapboxes about 'the plight of our youth' and 'the despicable state of the public schooling system'. But for all intents and purposes this case will soon take it's place in the dark archives of "Eish! The kids of today..." with no solution in sight.
I don't know if it's because I work with young people everyday but at this point all I want to shout is: STOP, NO, NO, NO! THIS IS NOT OKAY...
You know what...I don't think it will ever be okay, for those who participated, for their parents, their siblings and close ones. It will never be fine for those who saw, cheered and downloaded. For the teachers who turned a blind eye and officials who leaked info on a minor's case and the journalists and public who devoured every word - none of them will ever be okay again. That girl with her shame splattered all over the internet for one will never walk tall again and how will those boys ever grow into strong, respectful men of worth with those sexual antics now having taken their place in the cell phone porn hall of fame?
They will never be okay again and neither will I...
My mind now lives tainted with the acceptance that drunken underaged sex on school grounds is a part of modern day dinner table chat. My moral fibre must now stretch to accommodate that drunk girls can have consensual sex. Furthermore this revelation must share a place in my brain with jokes about kangas and zuma's Aids shower cure. The idea that children have the capacity to find entertertainment in sex acts (to the point where they'll record and sell them online) is now as much a part of my digital revolution as the Ipad.
The sick poison of acceptance has begun its infection of my brain, and I feel helpless to stop it.
So NO mister lawyer man, you are wrong what occurred at Jules High School was rape, a societal rape...we were all raped as a nation. Raped of our morals, raped of our sense of compassion and ubuntu, raped of our sense of right and wrong and worst of all our children were long ago raped of their innocence and yes we did nothing to stop it...
and that is NOT okay!
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