Entitlement must be Earned

Written by: Dylan Ross Wilkinson

In light of the recent protest, I think we all learned something. We have learnt that a driving factor of protest actions is a deep seated belief that one can deserve something without working for it, and another belief that whites are to blame for not receiving those goods.

The rhetoric surrounding the protest has always complained about ‘the Struggle’. That they lost everything during the so-called ‘struggle’ and to a degree, that is true, but after the Struggle each and every one of them could have actually done something to help the economy and growth of this country. Many people started businesses or found work rather than sit around doing bugger all; some, even more selfish than the lazy, turned to crime, feeding off those who did work. I know Apartheid did screw up a lot, but it has been 18 years since Apartheid ended. By this time, no one has any excuses not to work, no excuses for ignorance or laziness. Please do not hold the right to blame Apartheid any longer, by doing so, they are in fact enforcing the idea that Apartheid actually made people more productive.

Think of it this way: there are people who come from other countries such as Zimbabwe, where they have lived in worse conditions and they are all criticized and ostracized because they ‘steal’ the jobs from the people here when the people here aren’t trying to get any jobs in the first place. Immigrants have become harder workers than our local people. You know the reason? Entitlement, these foreigners know that they need to earn it and know that if they just expect handouts, they will get nothing.

Now back to the protest; one of the previous bloggers here has already written a concise report of why the protest is bad but I will be adding on to it. People claim that these protesters are bastions of freedom and the only people who can deliver us from a ‘1984-society.’

I have seen these protesters’ websites and their Facebook page, and they say that ‘these toxins must be removed,’ accompanied by a picture of Patricia de Lille and Helen Zille. Any person who knows the work that these two people have done to combat the bigger enemy of the ever encroaching ANC and build up our province, will know that this statement of ‘toxins’ is disgusting and slanderous. I will quote an anonymous individual, “We’re all fortunate to live in a DA-led city where there is action taken for housing on the Cape Flats. This protest is nothing but provocation. The Rondebosch Common is not a site for protest. It’s a heritage site with endangered species. The protesters need to grow up and deal through the open channels. It’s nothing but adolescent resentment.”

This statement is simple, elegant and most importantly, true. You don’t see these protesters going after the ANC, when in fact; it is the ANC who made the promises that led to their entitlement.

I also think that the so called ‘White elitists’ that supported this were actually giving the protesters a bad name by actually making it seem like these people deserve what they want, if someone doesn’t want to work for something they shall not receive.

 “A Baker only gets paid if he bakes” – Nicholas Woode-Smith

This is the type of mentality that we need to build up South Africa. If we get too soft on these people they will become dependent and expect more and more for nothing. And it will be the working class citizens who will have to pay more taxes so these people can laze around and get houses that are better than some of the houses in the nice areas of Cape Town for free. This dilemma can be summed up in the quote:

“What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.” – Adrian Rogers.

I don’t think that is fair, no one should. If I went to someone right now and demanded that they give me their bag, since I don’t have one, do you think they will give it to me? No, they would not give me the bag, and they would have every right not to give me their bag. They worked hard for that bag and paid for it with their own hard earned money.

This article was about the protest but mostly acted as a method for me to rant about entitlement. Something is gravely wrong in our country and we need to fix it before it’s too late. People need to start realizing again, that it is work, not riots, that get your houses, work and most importantly, entitlement.