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From: kurtzman@uscvax.UUCP (Stephen Kurtzman)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion
Subject: Re: Falwell, South Africa, Homosexuality, and divestiture.
Message-ID: <975@uscvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 30-Aug-85 18:27:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uscvax.975
Posted: Fri Aug 30 18:27:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Sep-85 07:27:32 EDT
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Xref: watmath net.politics:10808 net.religion:7527

> 
> Someone wrote:
> >  In yesterday's newspaper it was reported that Jerry Falwell, leader
> >  of the Moral Majority, met with Botha.  Afterwards, he publicly
> >  promised to start a $1 million media campaign in favor of
> >  the South African government's current policy.
> 
> Someone else wrote:
> >  I've heard Jerry Falwell publicly disapproving of apartheid. What
> >  he  was  talking about was the campaign in favor of reinvestment.
> >  While  practically  all  blacks  in  South  Africa  are   against
> >  apartheid, a lot of them are against divestment as well.
> 
> 
> 1.
> A London newspaper this week or last found in a poll of the
> blacks in South Africa that over 50 % (something like 57 %) were
> for some form of economic boycott such as divestiture.
> 
> 2.
> "Interesting how Jerry Falwell apologizes for racists and is
> against homosexuality."   (Not the exact words),  Larry King,
> August 28, 1985.
> 
> 3.
> South Africa has suspended trading on its stock exchanges
> because of the dramatic fall of the S.A. Rand from 42 cents to
> 35 cents in one day.  They will reopen Monday, Sept. 2.  The BBC
> attributed the decline to the outflow of capital, and to rumours
> of a strike in the mines on Sunday.
> 
> 4.
> The US government (State department, I think) scolded the South
> African government for imprisoning the churchman who was going
> to lead the March Wed. to the prison where Nelson Mandella is
> imprisoned.  They said that the arrest leads only to greater
> tension and they questioned the effectiveness of 6 weeks of
> emergency decrees.
> 
> 5.
> In my opinion, Jerry Falwell doesn't have a clue about the real
> situation in South Africa, or have enough contact with ordinary
> people there (not hand-picked for him to visit), or have enough
> self-control to avoid insulting the churchmen who are showing
> real compassion.  His whole attitude and his very statements are
> examples of knee-jerk reactions.  He is generating more heat
> than light.
> 
> The Republic of South Africa, (as represented by the whites) is
> loosing their grip faster than I expected.  For the moment that
> is.  Expect them to get a grip on the situation momentarily.
> Whether that will be the open handshake of negotiation or the
> fist in the iron glove, only time will tell.
> 
> 
> ---
> {ucbvax,decwrl}!sun!alan
> 
> "Extraordinary how potent cheap music is."  Noel Coward

And, of course, the other day Reagan denied that South Africa is segregated.
Apparently the man does not even know what his own state department is saying
since he keeps apologizing for South Africa and denying facts about oppression.
The worst thing about Reagan's refusal to either admit or see the truth is that
he is enjoying as high an approval rating today as he has at anytime during
his administration. Maybe the moral majority is a majority after all - too
bad it isn't moral.