Throwing tickets in a river does not accomplish anything and is very far from constructive debate and not much of a protest either. That is of course if you did do the same and the supposed 'river' wasn't actually your loo.
We would suggest next time that the press gets called so that at least the act can be captured on film and a relevant sound bite added so that you are not misquoted or taken out of context, as happened in this case.
The article in question and the interview with Bono actually reads:
"I was a kid and I'd sing songs I remember my uncles singing . . . rebel songs about the early days of the Irish Republican Army," he said, proceeding to sing a song whose lyrics spoke of carrying guns and readying them for action.
"We sang this and it's fair to say it's folk music . . . as this was the struggle of some people that sang it over some time," he told the newspaper.
But the rocker went on to say such songs shouldn't be sung in the wrong context.
"Would you want to sing that in a certain community? It's pretty dumb," he said.
"It's about where and when you sing those songs. There's a rule for that kind of music."
So that brings us once again to the context question. We fully support the banning of the Shoot the Boer song, from public gatherings and public forms and spaces. Purely from a practical viewpoint as well as a reasonable compromise.
As much as we don't see a place for it in post-Apartheid South Africa, it will not be possible to police in any way otherwise. Public gatherings and places are accessible to all and therefore there will be a certain deterrent, but you cannot control what is being said behind private doors.
Allowing songs such as these in a private space is not much worse than what is already being discussed over the fire at any AWB or Boeremag gathering. It cannot be denied that there are certain things that you will discuss and talk about with your friends, you also use certain terms that you would not repeat to your colleagues, boss or parents.
It is only the definition of what is private versus public space which can be debated in this case, which is pretty obvious and with very little leeway for interpretation.
Then the Boners who think that their grand act of throwing little pieces of paper into water will also be silenced so that we do not have to hear them whine, and then apologise for misunderstanding.
