Opinion: We are always free to choose

“Stop the world, I want to get off,” is the way I feel while reading some comments on news articles or follow heated debates on social media.

Often I feel like adding my opinion in BOLD CAPITAL letters too, as some debaters do, just to wonder whether they really feel that strong about the issue, or if this is mere laziness or incapability to use a keyboard correctly.

And keyboard warriors can stick to their beliefs! Most also seem to be experts in the art of scan-reading, because they don’t even bother to read all comments. Missing answers on questions asked or corrections on allegations doesn’t deter them…

So the original story gets blown out of proportion as new facts and “what ifs” are fabricated, the moral high ground gets higher and no brakes are applied regarding defamatory or plain insulting remarks.

Over the past two weeks I experienced this in overdrive again with two issues involving our beloved Kruger National Park. Yes, I call it “our” and “beloved” because it is a national park, open to all of us, and despite all their know-all remarks and criticism on its management, everybody who visited it once, seems to have fallen in love with it.

Recently, renovations to the popular Afsaal picnic spot were announced by the managing contractor.
New additions may include a play area for children and a spa. Now I myself don’t necessarily agree with those additions and welcome any opportunity to debate its merits – as the contractor suggested – but the level of selfish antagonism expressed on social media just baffled me.

Within days from the news breaking, the play area sommer became a crèche and a spa could just as well have been a brothel, to the extent of people condemning the thought.

I have been reporting on events and developments in the KNP for more than 10 years and still remember the vitriol around the plan to build the hotel at Skukuza and bringing popular franchises to restaurants. Whether those were wise decisions of course also remains an open question.

But great was my astonishment when one such lobbyist against a hotel recently asked me about when and where this would happen. Madam, the hotel is almost finished, how come did you, who visits the camp often, not even noticed it now? Perhaps because it doesn’t affect other visitors at all?

Neither you, nor me will probably ever overnight there, but believe me, some people look forward to its opening. Yet we can happily continue to camp and braai and kuier in Skukuza like before, without hotel guests being in our way.

The choice will be ours.

I love the little huts in Pretoriuskop, they hold wonderful memories and if we don’t camp, we still stay there. It is located within a stone’s throw from the (Lord help us!) Wimpy, but we still prefer, and are able to, braai our own dinner and breakfast in front of the hut, just like “in the old days”.

The choice remains ours.

Every time I walk past the restaurant however, I see other people enjoying a meal there. Once, during our recent stay in Namibia, we flew down to Pretoriuskop and boy, were we glad about access to a restaurant.

See, everybody is not in the same position as you, keyboard warrior!

This week I was privileged to attend the opening of a Muslim prayer facility at Skukuza and learned that more facilities will be opened in due course at Lower Sabie, Satara, Afsaal (heaven forbid!) and Tshokwane.
At the time of writing this, only one newspaper had reported on this but already the warriors were at work: complaining, preaching, warning and prophesying.

Now Muslims can enjoy that privilege in the park, just as Christians can attend church in the staff village on a Sunday or at Christmas.

Everyone according to his choice…

I can’t imagine ever feeling like a spa treatment at Afsaal, but who knows who may? Did you know, warrior, that there has actually been one in Skukuza for some time now? Has anybody complained about it hampering their bush experience? You are not forced to use it.

People don’t all like the same things.

We prefer different kinds of relaxation, even in the park.

We have only one Kruger and one (often very hot) sun shining upon all of us. Is it really too much to asked to allow others to make their own choices as they allow you?

All these modern things will bring even more people to the already overcrowded park, is your last argument. Yes, that is possible, so we will have to curb the influx, nè?

So who is going to be prohibited from visiting then – me and you who visit as often as we can, or the thousands of foreigners who have never been there and are willing to pay a fortune for a once-in-a-lifetime privilege?

How about making that choice, keyboard warrior?