A human being died that night: A South African story of forgiveness
Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, who experienced the apartheid first hand, writes of her experience interviewing a man that is known as "Prime Evil" to the people who survived the suffrage of that time period. The man's name is Eugene de Kock, and in first meeting the man, Pumla feels a moment straight out of Silence of the Lambs, shuddering at the fact of what this man was capable of. He was the driving force behind the surge of violence against Black Africans all throughout South Africa. He was the one giving orders to murder innocent men, women, and even children. When first reading of the stories this man had to tell, I was disgusted. And then I thought of Pumla, who had been there in destruction, and how courageous she must have been to sit across from a man that terrorized her people. If she was willing to put her personal opinions aside and hear what this man had to say, then so would I. What I appreciated about the book is that instead of recording the man's actions and letting the viewer come to their own conclusion, Pumla discusses her own process of forgiveness for this man. Most people would see him as a beast and leave it at that. But as Pumla continued her interviews over a lasting time period, she realized that this man does have a soul, and that he does recognize that what he did was wrong, and he is seeking refuge for his actions. Some may say that his remorse is too little too late in thinking of all the innocent lives that have been lost, but during the Apartheid time frame, de Kock did what he thought to be "just". From the time he was a child, he had always been told that the Black South Africans were the enemy, and to preserve the population of his people, he had to strike before he became the victim; a pre-emptive measure, if you will. At some point during this time, slowly but surely, a breakthrough occurred and de Kock went from monster to almost human. In knowing for a fact that what he was doing was wrong, but continuing to do so anyway, de Kock gave the explanation that if he even gave a hint to the idea that he wanted out, his superiors would make his life a living hell. And he knew they were capable of doing so, because they had taught him to do the same to the Black Africans. This makes Pumla realize that if one were to take the time and shed the exterior of this monster, as a result, a person would a weak man who was just as scared as she was; being able to see him as a human. That is when the process of forgiveness starts for Pumla and she is able to take back control over her life. There is a great quote in the book talking about forgiveness and the power it gives someone. "For just at the moment when the perpetrator begins to show remorse, to seek some way to ask for forgiveness, the victim becomes the gatekeeper, to what the outcast desires- readmission into the human community". I could see that need for absolution from de Kock. It was as though he was using his interviews with Pumla as his last salvation.
Do I believe that this book demonstrates the concept of living beyond war? Absolutely. One of the main messages that I have learned about through this organization is that the best way, the key to creating a more peaceful environment is to change one's mind frame. If a person is set in stone of how they think; right versus wrong, innocent or guilty, then they leave no room for growth, no room for understanding. One of the guiding principles of BW is that "I will not pre-occupy myself with the enemy. I will maintain an attitude of goodwill." Pumla sticks to that objective whole-heartedly in this book. She could have gone in and done her job, asking questions and getting answers, having the idea remain in her head that this man is a savage beast. But instead, she took the high road and found the story of the man behind the monster.
Discussion Questions:
1) Is forgiveness an infinite resource or is there a line drawn in the scope of justice, that once an action has crossed the boundary, it cannot be overturned?
2) Do you believe that forgiveness makes a person weak? Use examples from the book to illustrate your point.
Do I believe that this book demonstrates the concept of living beyond war? Absolutely. One of the main messages that I have learned about through this organization is that the best way, the key to creating a more peaceful environment is to change one's mind frame. If a person is set in stone of how they think; right versus wrong, innocent or guilty, then they leave no room for growth, no room for understanding. One of the guiding principles of BW is that "I will not pre-occupy myself with the enemy. I will maintain an attitude of goodwill." Pumla sticks to that objective whole-heartedly in this book. She could have gone in and done her job, asking questions and getting answers, having the idea remain in her head that this man is a savage beast. But instead, she took the high road and found the story of the man behind the monster.
Discussion Questions:
1) Is forgiveness an infinite resource or is there a line drawn in the scope of justice, that once an action has crossed the boundary, it cannot be overturned?
2) Do you believe that forgiveness makes a person weak? Use examples from the book to illustrate your point.
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