Stone Soup by Jan Eliot for June 16, 2013

Thank you, Jan Eliot, for your tribute to our beautiful country. Today is a very important day in South Africa. The 16th June commemorates the death of Hector Pietersen, a 13-year old schoolboy who was killed by the South African police in 1976. The African school children were portesting against the enforcement of learning Afrikaans as the first medium of instruction in high school. That day and the events that followed marked the beginning of the end of apartheid in South Africa.

The US has the greatest population of Great Whites, due to the huge rebound in seal populations after the Marine Mammal Act.

You know…

The bird flying overhead and the two of them looking down into the pool than jumping out (if it wasn’t for the shark-fin) gave me another impression…

It’s very disturbing that Americans still think a crime against property (arson — if indeed it was) should deserve summary capital punishment (i.e., murder, lynching, etc.) The students weren’t burning down state of the art colleges — their schools were probably long past the date they should have been bulldozed and replaced.

Politics aside, I really enjoyed the comic today as I do anytime Alix goes into her pool. Bravo, Jan, for the creativity, for spreading knowledge and for showing us what an imagination can do! Thank you!

Thanks to Bob. I recently lived in South Arica for three months and was awed by its natural beauty, it’s complicated history, it’s triumphs and continuing struggles to achieve balance. If you are interested in reading about my time there visit my blog (www.stonesoupcartoons.com). Meanwhile, I’m sending all my best wishes to your country, JoanHelen, and hope that your incredible natural resources can be protected and your resilient citizens thrive forever. Thanks for reading Stone Soup!

the bubbles over her head, under the bird, makes it look like the bird is making a deposit on her head…

Now it’s over.

I’m glad that you enjoyed your visit to South Africa and how wonderful that you were able to meet so many of our cartoonists. I regularly follow Madam and Eve and Zapiro; they capture our crazy society perfectly.

If anyone is interested, I highly recommend Alexander McCall Smith’s books on Botswana…the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series. They are a window into the lives of modern Africans in Botswana.

@ All:

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I rest my case. There will be no more comments from my side.

Cue the Jaws music and RUN!!!!!

Thanks, JoanHelen, for your bit of South African history. I am amazed at the vitriolic and inaccurate comments it has received, and so I did a bit of fact-checking. At the school where the shooting occurred, the demonstration was peaceful (no arson or riots) until the police arrived. Rocks were thrown, and in retaliation, police shot the demonstrators as they ran away. Like you, I am white, and am appalled at what humans can do to each other … it has happened here in the USA, too. And Germany.

Well, I just wanted to say that I enjoy seeing Alix in Stone Soup and Sunny in Jump Start being enthusiastic about science. We sure need more concentration on that subject.

Thank you for busting that dirty little ANC agitator.I knew all the time something was wrong but I couldn’t put my finger on it.A 72 years old white South African lady wouldn’t have written such youthful enthusiastic texts. She wouldn’t have written about our South Africa. Her style would have been less enthusiastic and more resigned. It isn’t her South Africa anymore. The first time she would have been deeply disappointed would have been when she heard on the radio the “Wind of Change speech” of the British Prime Minister Harold MacMillan in 1960. The second time she will have been desperately disappointed was when 1994 Mandela and his former ANC thugs won the election and became the South African government.Anyway, thanks again.