conversations with a table mountain mugger - groundup article

[Thor Buttox]

As horrific as these crimes are and as ghastly as it is to have endured them, until we realise that there is a connection between the fact that we are riding bikes that it costs more year on year to own and maintain than the huge majority of famllies have to feed, clothe and educate their children and then use that awareness to equip ourselves with ideologies and mechanisms to do something about that massive discrepancy, these crimes will continue.

 

It astonishes me that we privileged mountain bikers arrive at these rural locations for rides, are ushered around the course on our bikes, each of which costs more than the farm labourer marshalls might earn in that year and are apparently oblivious to the absurdity of our entitlement.

 

Yes I work work and no doubt so do you but it isn't hard work that separates me in my 250 grand car and my 40 grand bike and 3 grand of cycling clothes and my 1 grand camelback and the new bontragers at 1400 a set on the wheels - it is an accident of birth.

 

Misplaced sympathy - I feel sympathy for us all - for Norton, the psychopath that our society made, for myself and all that I've lost and dealt with in terms of crime against me, for all of us.

 

It's a horror story what's happening to us and I wish we could stop it.

if anyone doesn't 'get' this ^^^^, they are part of the problem. Edited December 6, 2016 by Thor Buttox

[CraZyCupCake]

I grew up in a ghetto type environment.had the same offers for tik and gangs. Many school friends dead. I chose to distance myself. Options are very limited in these places. People suffer for a lack of knowledge.was blessed to be one of the few that got out. There is no excuse.

[Skubarra]

 

Shame, poor guys.  

 

Your sympathy is misplaced.

 

Nonky - you misunderstood my post. It's not about sympathy for criminals.

 

I'll clarify - You remove Norton from this world, great, but there is a whole host of new Nortons queing up to take his place. If we can improve the circumstances that create the Nortons - that would be even better because we would have far fewer of them to deal with in the first place.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Skubarra

[Skubarra]

They should prosecute the journalist for not reporting him and his whereabouts as the law requires - guilty is guilty for both of them...

 

Now that is an interesting discussion for a Friday... You are not the only one feeling this way

 

http://www.groundup.org.za/article/ethics-our-table-mountain-mugger-article/

[King_Crispy]

This scum needs to be found and eliminated

[Patchelicious]

As horrific as these crimes are and as ghastly as it is to have endured them, until we realise that there is a connection between the fact that we are riding bikes that it costs more year on year to own and maintain than the huge majority of famllies have to feed, clothe and educate their children and then use that awareness to equip ourselves with ideologies and mechanisms to do something about that massive discrepancy, these crimes will continue.

 

It astonishes me that we privileged mountain bikers arrive at these rural locations for rides, are ushered around the course on our bikes, each of which costs more than the farm labourer marshalls might earn in that year and are apparently oblivious to the absurdity of our entitlement.

 

Yes I work work and no doubt so do you but it isn't hard work that separates me in my 250 grand car and my 40 grand bike and 3 grand of cycling clothes and my 1 grand camelback and the new bontragers at 1400 a set on the wheels - it is an accident of birth.

 

Misplaced sympathy - I feel sympathy for us all - for Norton, the psychopath that our society made, for myself and all that I've lost and dealt with in terms of crime against me, for all of us.

 

It's a horror story what's happening to us and I wish we could stop it.

You lost me at Camelbak....

[Prince Albert Cycles]

Total rubbish .

He had choices , a job , a sporting chance , but he chose to be a criminal .

He is not the only person to come from that background .

A large percentage chose a better path . All credit to them .

Typical of modern society , blaming everyone else .

[Pikey]

I couldn't even begin to make excuses for a self confessed criminal like that . He had a chance to play football and make a life. But that's hard work . To hard apparently.

 

We can make excuses forever and a day about any person in any circumstance . If you get that chance to get out doesn't matter how hard or easy it is ,If you don't want out that's it .

Edited December 6, 2016 by Pikey

[Phatman]

This scum needs to be found and eliminated

For every 1 person willing to get their hands dirty, there are 10 do-gooders waiting to point fingers and even incriminate that 1 person.

[Boerklong]

Where's Norton? Ek en hy sal in die stof dans!

[Mamil]

Against my better judgement I will engage. The irony of the statement "typical of modern society, blaming everyone else" strikes me. That's possibly what the article is trying to do - invite consideration that we are all responsible for the creation of our monsters. The greater and more brutal the inequalities in a society, the more violence is generated.

 

This doesn't negate individual agency and the capacity to choose, we are more than the sum of our environmental inputs to be sure.

 

The fact that there are more individuals in our society like the psychopath in the article is not a function solely of his choosing. It is a function of the curtailment of his capacity to choose created by hundreds of years of violent history, poverty and brutalisatipn.

 

the inequalities of our society persist and for as long as they do WE will continue to create brutal people like this guy.

 

Total rubbish? too easy to say that. It's shorthand for "I don't want to think". I don't want to deal with the uncomfortable truth that we are all part of the problem here.

[Mr X]

As horrific as these crimes are and as ghastly as it is to have endured them, until we realise that there is a connection between the fact that we are riding bikes that it costs more year on year to own and maintain than the huge majority of famllies have to feed, clothe and educate their children and then use that awareness to equip ourselves with ideologies and mechanisms to do something about that massive discrepancy, these crimes will continue.

 

It astonishes me that we privileged mountain bikers arrive at these rural locations for rides, are ushered around the course on our bikes, each of which costs more than the farm labourer marshalls might earn in that year and are apparently oblivious to the absurdity of our entitlement.

 

Yes I work work and no doubt so do you but it isn't hard work that separates me in my 250 grand car and my 40 grand bike and 3 grand of cycling clothes and my 1 grand camelback and the new bontragers at 1400 a set on the wheels - it is an accident of birth.

 

Misplaced sympathy - I feel sympathy for us all - for Norton, the psychopath that our society made, for myself and all that I've lost and dealt with in terms of crime against me, for all of us.

 

It's a horror story what's happening to us and I wish we could stop it.

 

A bunch of libtard pc nonsense.

Edited December 6, 2016 by Mr X

[Mr X]

Against my better judgement I will engage. The irony of the statement "typical of modern society, blaming everyone else" strikes me. That's possibly what the article is trying to do - invite consideration that we are all responsible for the creation of our monsters. The greater and more brutal the inequalities in a society, the more violence is generated.

 

This doesn't negate individual agency and the capacity to choose, we are more than the sum of our environmental inputs to be sure.

 

The fact that there are more individuals in our society like the psychopath in the article is not a function solely of his choosing. It is a function of the curtailment of his capacity to choose created by hundreds of years of violent history, poverty and brutalisatipn.

 

the inequalities of our society persist and for as long as they do WE will continue to create brutal people like this guy.

 

Total rubbish? too easy to say that. It's shorthand for "I don't want to think". I don't want to deal with the uncomfortable truth that we are all part of the problem here.

 

Fixed it for you

[Mamil]

What's also strikes me about the brilliant and nuanced arguments of people like Mr X in debates like this is that it seems even harder for them to shake the effects of their own environmental conditioning than it is for those in hangklip and similar places to avoid the traps of poverty, drugs and criminality. Those spaces produce fewer criminals than the privileged spaces produce criminal stupidity.

 

Let me guess .... D aggregate Christian National Education circa 1984?

[Bonker]

As horrific as these crimes are and as ghastly as it is to have endured them, until we realise that there is a connection between the fact that we are riding bikes that it costs more year on year to own and maintain than the huge majority of famllies have to feed, clothe and educate their children and then use that awareness to equip ourselves with ideologies and mechanisms to do something about that massive discrepancy, these crimes will continue.

 

It astonishes me that we privileged mountain bikers arrive at these rural locations for rides, are ushered around the course on our bikes, each of which costs more than the farm labourer marshalls might earn in that year and are apparently oblivious to the absurdity of our entitlement.

 

Yes I work work and no doubt so do you but it isn't hard work that separates me in my 250 grand car and my 40 grand bike and 3 grand of cycling clothes and my 1 grand camelback and the new bontragers at 1400 a set on the wheels - it is an accident of birth.

 

Misplaced sympathy - I feel sympathy for us all - for Norton, the psychopath that our society made, for myself and all that I've lost and dealt with in terms of crime against me, for all of us.

 

It's a horror story what's happening to us and I wish we could stop it.

 I was about to make this exact point. Well put. Sad reality we live in. Those of us who are fortunate enough to have cycling as a hobby should count our blessings. 

Edited December 6, 2016 by Bonker

[Mr X]

What's also strikes me about the brilliant and nuanced arguments of people like Mr X in debates like this is that it seems even harder for them to shake the effects of their own environmental conditioning than it is for those in hangklip and similar places to avoid the traps of poverty, drugs and criminality. Those spaces produce fewer criminals than the privileged spaces produce criminal stupidity.

 

Let me guess .... D aggregate Christian National Education circa 1984?

 

You guessed wrong.

 

Precisely this

 

My problem is I get aggro when people justify crime that affects me and calls me part of the problem. Yes.