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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol 35 no. 4. 22 March 1972

[Letter from Peter Simpson to Salient vol 35 no. 4. 22 March 1972]

Sir,

After the N.Z. Government's highly predictable statement to the effect that everything within its power would be done to make the Springbok tour a success, the scene is now set for the greatest upsurge of antagonism ever to have been directed within this country's confines. Because I know that love and acceptance cannot be pressurised, into existence; that love begets love end can only be bred by love, I find myself in sympathy with Mr Marshall's decision not to obstruct those people who went to play garnet with mutually feeling people over here. So far as the appropriateness of action affecting others is concerned, there must be only one issue and this concerns whether or not the repercussions of that action will help dissipate, the ignorance which is the natural destruction to universal love, brotherhood and understanding. I would presume that a society which feels the need for apartheid is rather more darkened by the shades of ignorance than most. Oppression end ignorance have a rather vicious reinforcing effect on each other and it is good therefore that the African apartheid systems have been so well exposed and that they should continue to be well exposed. To still be in favour of apartheid one would indeed need to be blind. But blindness affects most of us to some extent or other. We live to eliminate it.

The anti-apartheid demonstrators, apart from my statement of sympathy for Mr Marshall, would I think, implicitly or explicitly profess to agree with me thus far, for it is the force of love which dispels ignorance and surely love of the South African blacks and coloureds can be the only valid motive for acting in the hope of effecting their liberation. I use the word "motive" not because I really believe that love can be a motive but is in fact rather a basis for action, but because I believe that the ant-apartheid factions use the word in this way. When "love" denotes [unclear: a] motive, then "hate" can coexistently "denote" [unclear: a] motive. Yet when love simply is, ie. when "love" denotes a basis, then hate cannot coexist. The loving of one group and the hating of another simultaneously is only possible when the word "love" is used as a purely emotional term. Emotionalism can be equated with ignorance and is certainly not conducive to satisfactory social revolution, ie that whereby the result is increased opportunity for enlightment (notwithstanding the prevalent feeling that it is appropriate enough in the personal sphere). Yes we all try to be "clear headed" in the big "social issues." So to love some is to love all. For this is what brotherly love must mean. Inconsistent with such feeling is the act of telling 30-odd ball-game players that they are a pack of shits for not being able to help themselves and that their shiftiness is such that they had better get out of this country until they manifest certain "changes" or else "we'll stop your ball games." To come right to the point this is a strong, urgent hopeful plea to all those New Zealanders who really want to act in the general interest of the people of South Africa for you to greet the Boks with open hearts and open minds. Realise that love within you and act upon it. Forget your tragi-comic hate fantasy, your highly neurotic attachment to factions and dissension and fly high with Mr Marshall (which will no doubt give him a lift as well). Let the light stream into the crannies of your minds becoming one with social consciousness shining and flowing, constantly penetrating, consuming - The Boks are no more! - meeting and merging - we are no moral - dissolution around the world - radiating - a throbbing glowing cosmic dance at last and laugh.

Let compassion rule your hearts and sorrow anticipate the inevitable bummer which will be experienced unless all individuals concerned through a bit more self-searching realise she possibilities of awakening this latent omnipresent, omnipotent love trip singing good good good vibrations and disolving into transparency...

Peter Simpson.