Amptelike verklaring / Official statment
Oktober 28, 2013 in Uncategorized
AMPTELIKE VERKLARING OOR DIE RASSISTIESE AANVAL OP MY SEUN
OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING THE RACIST ATTACK ON MY SON
(To my English-speaking friends, please scroll down, the English version follows below.)
INLEIDING
Eerstens, ‘n woord van dank: Die geweldige ondersteuning wat ons ten tyde van die aanval gekry het, is oorweldigend. Laat ons nie vergeet nie dat Suid-Afrika ‘n warm, vriendelike lands is vol wonderlike mense.
My seun het reeds saam met my na die debakel gekyk, en hy stem saam.
AGTERGROND
Op Sondag 27 Oktober het ek ‘n foto van my seun op Facebook geplaas om. ‘n Bepaalde individu het gevra oor my seun se donker vel en wel op ‘n taamlik neerhalende wyse.
Ongelukkig was die res van haar interaksie met my vriende op Facebook redelik naar en sy het ’n hele aantal mense beledig, nie bloot my gesin nie.
Die Facebookgemeenskap aktief het teen haar opgetree.
‘N MENSEREGTE-AANGELEENTHEID
Ek het gekies om hierdie saak te beveg as ‘n menseregtekwessie, nie bloot ‘n persoonlike een nie.
Ek vra dus my vriende en diegene wat my ondersteun het, om ewe waaksaam te wees wanneer gays vertrap word, of wanneer daar godsdienstige onverdraagsaamheid gebesig word, of indien xenofobie of enige ander menseregteskendings plaasvind, sou dit hier op Facebook wees, of elders.
AANNEMING
Volgens die wet is hierdie seun my eie. Die amptelike kennisgewing wat ‘n ouer, of ‘n ouerpaar, ontvang ná die voltooiing van die proses, lees dat die kind nou behandel sal word “asof van julle gebore.”
Om ’n kind te hê, is groot voorreg.
Ek en my vrou het deur die staatsinstellings gewerk en het slegs wonderlike ondersteuning van almal geniet.
Op die oomblik is daar is sekere kantore in die staatsdiens wat dit baie moeilik maak vir gay paartjies om aan te neem, iets wat ek tans ondersoek. Ons het ‘n aantal gay vriende wat ouers is van aangenome kinders en, voorspelbaar, is hulle kinders so normaal en so stout soos ons eie.
Ek doen ‘n beroep ouers ‘n kind wil hê om ’n aanneemagentskap te nader.
Ek versoek ook dat vroue wat weet dat hulle nie in staat sal om na ’n kind om te sien wat hulle verwag nie, om onverwyld die staat se organe te nader vir hulp. My seun se biologiese ma het dit gedoen en sy het vir my en my vrou baie gelukkig gemaak.
Aanneming is ‘n wonderlike voorreg.
FACEBOOKVRIENDE
As ‘n persoon wat feitlik daagliks met die publiek werk, kan ek nie uitnodigings van mense beperk tot diegene in my binnekring nie. Die oorweldigende meerderheid van my Facebookvriende is ‘n daaglikse plesier. Ek bedank elkeen wat my lewe verryk op hierdie wyse.
FOTO’S OP FACEBOOK
Ek is versigtig oor die foto’s wat ek op Facebook en ander sosiale media plaas, maar ons kan nie ons kinders te alle tye beskerm nie, veral omdat my seun regtig graag op Facebook wil wees.
Hy het my gevra om daardie foto van hom vir Facebook te neem en ons het kwaliteittyd, ‘n halfuur lank, spandeer om daardie toertjie te skiet. Dit is ‘n baie moeilike foto te neem en die mannetjie het groot volharding getoon deur die toertjie oor en oor te doen totdat ons ’n goeie foto daarvan kon neem.
Ek my seun gesels gereeld daaroor om nie alles op die internet uit te lap nie en hierdie geval sal ‘n goeie les vir hom wees.
Dié geval versterk egter ook die siening: As jy twyfel, moenie .
Ek sal egter voortgaan Facebook om te gebruik.
GEVOLGTREKKING
Die wêreld is vol van goeie mense.
Saam kan ons ‘n verskil maak.
Dankie nog eens aan almal wat ons ondersteun het.
Izak de Vries
* * *
OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING THE RACIST ATTACK ON MY SON
INTRODUCTION
Firstly, a word of thanks: The tremendous support we have received in the face of the attack is overwhelming. Let us not forget that South Africa is a warm, friendly place full of wonderful people.
My son has already looked at the furore with me and he agrees.
BACKGROUND
On Sunday 27 October I placed a photograph of my son on Facebook. A particular individual asked about my son being dark, but did so in a rather derogatory way.
Sadly her interaction with my friends on Facebook turned nasty and she insulted a whole lot of people, not just my family.
The Facebook community rose up against her.
A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE
I chose to fight this as a human rights issue, not a personal one.
I therefore ask my friends and those who have supported me in this to be as vigilant when gay bashing, religious intolerance, xenophobia or any other form of human rights abuse takes place, be it on Facebook, or anywhere else.
ADOPTION
By law this child is my own. The legal notice a parent, or a set of parents, receives at the completion of the process reads that the child will now be treated “as if born of you.”
Having a child a huge privilege.
My wife and I worked through the state organs and have received only wonderful support.
At present there are pockets in the civil service that are making it increasingly hard for gay couples to adopt, something which concerns me and which I am investigating. We have a number of gay friends who are parents of adoptive children and, as to be expected, their kids are as normal and naughty as our own.
I urge any set of parents who wants a child to contact an adoption agency.
I also urge women who know that they are unable to look after a child they are carrying, to look at the state’s organs for help. My son’s biological mother did so and she made my wife and me very happy.
Adoption is a wonderful privilege.
FACEBOOK FRIENDS
As a person who deals with the public in my daily life, I have had to accept invitations from people who are not in my inner circle and the overwhelming majority have only been a pleasure to deal with. I thank each and every one who has enriched my life in this way.
PHOTOGRAPHS ON FACEBOOK
I am careful about photographs on Facebook and other social media, but we cannot shield our children at all times, especially since my son really wants to be on Facebook.
He actually asked me to take that picture of him for Facebook and we spent a quality half an hour shooting that stunt. It was a very hard photograph to take, and he showed persistence in doing the stunt until a good photograph was captured.
My son and I do chat about the importance of not putting everything on the internet and this will be another learning curve for him.
It does, however, reinforce the view: When in doubt, don’t.
I will, however, continue using Facebook.
CONCLUSION
The world is full of good people.
Together we can stand up and make a difference.
Thank you once again for all of those who have supported us in this.
Izak de Vries
Onlangse kommentare