Understanding why Afrikaners chose to leave South Africa

DUGAN Brown’ piece titled ‘Resettlement of Afrikaners in the US rooted in refusal to co-exist’, in The Mercury (May 16), needs scrutinising.

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Firstly, Brown's assertion that Afrikaners are fleeing democracy and diversity is beyond absurd. Please do not confuse democracy and diversity with an effort to secure a better future for your wife and kids in the face of very aggressive race-based legislation and an all-out attack on minority groups’ basic human rights.

The right to find a job despite my skin colour is not a privilege, but a sign of meritocracy and fairness. The right to produce food for the rest of my nation is not a privilege, it’s an honourable act of selflessness whilst feeding my own family, which deserves praise.

The right to walk freely in the streets without being threatened by another race because of my country’s complicated past is not a privilege, it should be a given. Having Afrikaans taught in as many schools as possible is also not a privilege, but a must in a country where the influence of this beautiful, rich and uniquely expressive language adds to the spectrum of your so-called ‘diversity.