IN today's world we all get used to seeing awful things.

But there are some things so terrible that I'll never get used to them, such as the brutal, drawn-out, public murder of a kid.

There was a story in Daily Sun on Friday about a mob justice incident in Rustenburg. Five teenagers were accused of beating a man to death, and then an angry crowd got hold of them.

The self-appointed executioners moered the kids before pouring petrol over them and setting them on fire. At least one of them has died. It was all captured on video.

Hanging out with some friends on Friday night, our tongues loosened by fine blended scotch, we started talking about this incident.

Some of my friends said they weren't shocked, that this sort of thing happened all the time. Another one said the kids were killers anyway, so they deserved just what they got. Besides, people are sick of crime and of useless cops.

Then there was the guy who said that yes, it's bad, but it shouldn't be reported in the media because it makes communities look bad.

We argued our different views until closing time, and I'd be lying if I said things didn't get a bit heated at times. I'm afraid we couldn't really agree on anything, so it was a bit like a session of Parliament, but without the someone in a fancy hat calling in sharply-dressed bouncers to remove us when we got loud.

Maybe it's unfair of me to give you all my opinion while my friends aren't here to argue their cases, but I'm going to do it anyway.

Fact is, I disagree with the positions my friends took.

Don't get me wrong. I am as sick of crime and of thugs getting away with murder as everyone else in Mzansi.

But praising yet another crime seems like a pretty stupid way to fight it. You can't get rid of lawlessness by promoting more lawlessness.

Those kids weren't found guilty by a court. How would you like it if someone falsely accused you of committing a crime, brutally killed you and then you had to watch from beyond the grave as everyone said you deserved what you got?

I'm not saying those kids weren't guilty, I'm saying we don't know. And even if they were, it's still wrong to torture and murder another human being.

I agreed with the friend who said this sort of thing happens all the time, but I didn't agree with him that that means it's no big deal.

Maybe I'm just not cynical enough yet to simply dismiss the murder of kids as something that just happens.

As for the argument that this sort of thing shouldn't get publicity because it makes black people look bad, well, I think that's pure nonsense.

I guess in Mzansi we always have to make everything about race, but I don't think this case has anything do with that. People of all races do terrible things all the time. Just read about that white kid who allegedly chopped up his family with an axe not so long ago.

WHO knows, maybe there were some white people who read that story and said it shouldn't have been published because it made white people look bad. But I doubt it.

I think we should all air our dirty laundry as much as possible.

If we're confronted with the ugly things we do, maybe we'll become more motivated to do something to put a stop to it. This is the approach taken by countries like Germany, who make a point of teaching everyone all the evil things done by Hitler and the Nazi government.

By not hiding the ugly truth, they've been able to prevent similar things from happening again.

It's like my gogo always used to say: Some wounds need to stay uncovered for them to be able to heal.

We can't make things better until we admit what problems we're facing.

) E-mail me at [email protected]

Until next time, salani kahle!

This article first appeared in the Sunday Sun.

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter