Dear Editor,
No society has “unity” and the function of democratic institutions is to deal with the inevitable conflicts and the interests of differing constituencies in that society. So, promoting the rhetoric of unity ignores their primary function .
Well-organized societies are not successful because there is “unity” in their societies. They are successful because they have developed the means of dealing with the inevitable conflicts and different interests in their society in a manner that allows the society to develop for the majority of the population.
I recall the white supremacist government in South Africa having their motto as “unity is strength” (Eendrag maak mag = Eendracht maakt macht) . They neglected to define in which of the many constituencies of that country they searched for unity. It was, of course, not hard to guess.
“Unity” is a convenient and distracting myth.
Robbie Ferron
