Deon maaas kaas artikel - protest

[amoryns]

Dear Cyclist<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

We refer to the attached disgusting article about cyclists published recently in the beeld.

Please join us in lodging a protest with the Editor by forwarding the following e mail to

csmuts@beeld.com with your name attached. Giovanni Mottalini of CGC is getting legal opinion on the article and what steps we as cyclists can take. In the meantime please play your role.

Regards

 

Simon Nash

 

 

 

The Editor

Beeld

 

Dear Editor

 

We write to you as concerned citizens and cyclists regarding the article dubbed ?Vat So julle fascistiese fiets-twatte by journalist Deon Maas.

In the first instance Mr Maas clearly has anger issues to deal with. The fact that he spent a considerable time dreaming up ways in which he can insult, threaten and belittle people who ride bicycles goes beyond an inability to value differences in our society, it shows clear signs of anti social behaviour.

His derogatory comments are a reflection of his lack of intellect, so what if cyclists shave their legs and wear brightly coloured clothes? So what if some of us ride expensive bicycles and drive even more expensive cars? Would it be acceptable to start an anti farmer movement based on their wearing khaki clothing and driving diesel vehicles? Could we start a mow down the farmer game because our local farmers block the roads with their farm vehicles on the way to market? Clearly not, and with good reason.

 What difference does it make if he pays more for a license than others. Mr Maas shows a distinct lack of understanding of cycling as a sport and as a mode of transport when he refers to cycling as a Sunday sport, and is completely ignorant of human anatomy when he suggests that cyclists either have currently got prostate problems or will have soon? Does he think our many thousands of female riders have prostates?

This kind of irresponsible journalism is in poor taste, even more so when considering that it will be read by the many families of cyclists who have been maimed and even killed by vehicles on the roads, that large heavy thing with four wheels that can take human life so easily as pointed out so gleefully by Mr Maas.

 

Mr Maas should answer to the Human Rights Commission on the basis that hate speech against cyclists is no different to hate speech against a member of a racial or religious group, it is the mindless senseless act of someone incapable of even understanding that there should be differences between us, never mind that the differences between us are what makes the world such a wonderful place.

 

He should also answer to the Department of Transport, they who are spending a fortune publicising the need for road safety, only to have a moron like this write an article suggesting that a new national sport should include knocking cyclists off their bike and get points for this. Regrettably he shows his true colours by allocating more points to black cyclists, supposedly on the grounds that there are less of them.

 

I am sure that Mr Maas could argue that the article was a light-hearted joke, if that is the case Mr Maas, your sense of humour sucks and is entirely insensitive.

If not Mr Maas, may you be lucky enough to never have to be on the receiving end of the narrow minded bigotry you yourself display.

 

We believe that Mr Maas should, and will be brought to book and will make every effort to ensure that the appropriate authorities are made aware of this article.

We also believe that it is your responsibility to get Mr Maas to withdraw this article and apologise to the many thousands of cyclists in our community.

 

Simon Nash

simonnash@vodamail.co.za

 

[epoh]

Petisie briewe gaan nie help nie,  al wat gaan help is as Ewep hom bietjie bydam (kool woord, dankie oupa) met 'n plathand 

[tamaties]

Done !!!!!!!!!!!!

[bikemonster]

If somebody wants to follow it up, it may be worth pointing out that the word "twat" is only slightly less offensive than c*nt.  Not a word I would expect to see in any newspaper.

 

(Interestingly the Hub's anti-naughtiness software seems to not like s-l-a-g 'cause every time an Afrikaans post mentions "gesl*g" it comes out with a * instead of an a.)

[IanJ]

Petisie briewe gaan nie help nie' date='  al wat gaan help is as Ewep hom bietjie bydam (kool woord, dankie oupa) met 'n plathand  [/quote']

 

I disagree there epoh, the more people that contact them the more they will realise that they are not just dealing with a handful of p11ssed off cyclists and they will be forced to take action.

 

 

[amoryns]

 ek het die brief op ander forum van simon nash afgekry....stuur dit maar net aan aan al die mense op die hub omdat ek weet hier is meer mense op

[epoh]

 

Petisie briewe gaan nie help nie' date='  al wat gaan help is as Ewep hom bietjie bydam (kool woord, dankie oupa) met 'n plathand  [/quote']

 

I disagree there epoh, the more people that contact them the more they will realise that they are not just dealing with a handful of p11ssed off cyclists and they will be forced to take action.

 

 

 

In addition to whatever they wanna do Ewep should still give him 'n plat hand!!

 

[fourbar]

Ek sal dit teken, maar Volksblad moet ook verduidelik waarom hulle dit vooraf goegedink het om die neerhalende artikel te plaas!

[cyclemania]

Ek het my mail gestuur en ook sommer gevra hoe n familie koerant sulke taal kan druk. Het sommer vertaaling van twatte vir hom gegee.

[cyclemania]

Ons moet dan dieselfde dink vir die Volkblad stuur.......

[widget]

To be honest, I read the article and had a bit of a chuckle.

 

Sure its in bad taste, and sure it could be derogatory, and sure it could be inflamatory, but, in the end, its only his opinion.

 

99% of news today inflames or insults or demonizes someone.!!! - dont tell me you believe and act on everything you read.!

 

So whats the issue, I really dont believe the majority of SA citizens are going to now start waking up in the morning and say - HEY LETS KILL A CYCLIST TODAY - Beeld condones it.!!

 

Give the population a bit more credit please, and for "GOODNESS SAKE", stop taking everything so seriously, see it for what it is - a bit of bad journalism - and move on!!.

 

What next, should smokers start a petition and a march down eloff street because some joker wrote about how they ruin the ozone and should all be eliminated.

 

*Sigh* - I dont know, I just dont know. 

 

PS- Please dont start a thread in reply about the  (or any) cyclist who was run down by a motorist and the ..............................................!!!

 

I am well aware of these situations, and have experienced it first hand, but these are non related issues, no person in a sane mind will ever run a person down because of a news article.

 

 

[Thug]

Sent mine off earlier.

[Mudsimus]

Widget....all you need is another small minded idiot like Deon, that feels that this article can justify him running over a cyclist...hopefully not you.

[fourbar]

To be honest' date=' I read the article and had a bit of a chuckle.

 

Sure its in bad taste, and sure it could be derogatory, and sure it could be inflamatory, but, in the end, its only his opinion.

 

99% of news today inflames or insults or demonizes someone.!!! - dont tell me you believe and act on everything you read.!

 

So whats the issue, I really dont believe the majority of SA citizens are going to now start waking up in the morning and say - HEY LETS KILL A CYCLIST TODAY - Beeld condones it.!!

 

Give the population a bit more credit please, and for "GOODNESS SAKE", stop taking everything so seriously, see it for what it is - a bit of bad journalism - and move on!!.

 

What next, should smokers start a petition and a march down eloff street because some joker wrote about how they ruin the ozone and should all be eliminated.

 

*Sigh* - I dont know, I just dont know. 

 

PS- Please dont start a thread in reply about the  (or any) cyclist who was run down by a motorist and the ..............................................!!!

 

I am well aware of these situations, and have experienced it first hand, but these are non related issues, no person in a sane mind will ever run a person down because of a news article.

 

 

[/quote']

 

Widget: you and I see it as bad journalism...etc. but some of the "rest of the population", might not-

No person in his sane mind "will ever run a person down because of a news article", but don't be naive- there are some who will attempt to do it!!! *Sigh*Sigh* Tsk*Tsk*

[fourbar]

"PS- Please dont start a thread in reply about the  (or any) cyclist who was run down by a motorist and the ..............................................!!!"

 

...we are not that naive/desperate... but if someone choose to start it, you can surely choose not to participate?...

[Windbreaker]

Widget, it's also about standing up for what you believe. If you think that it's ok for people to be spouting this type of inflamatory rhetoric then that's fine.

 

I personally think it definitely is harmful in that it perpetuates the notion that cyclists don't belong on the road. I also think that it is in poor taste - but that is a separate issue.