Who gets the chocolate?

I AM a proud Rhodent, having graduated from Rhodes University in 2014. I am abroad, but still managed to hear about the student protests. It saddens my heart to have to hear how the protests have escalated and to see videos of the resulting conflicts.

Since I am no longer within a South African tertiary institution, I do not know all the facts and details. However, I would like to present some scenarios and questions that I hope will provide good food for thought for readers, particularly the protesting students.

Scenario 1: You are the parent of a single child in South Africa. You believe that all children should be able to enjoy something sweet. So, you give your child a bar of chocolate. However, instead of enjoying the chocolate, the child throws the chocolate down the drain.

Do you feel the child should get a second bar of chocolate? Should the child get the chocolate for free? Or should the child do house chores or homework to earn it first?

Scenario 2: You are a school teacher in South Africa. You have one bar of chocolate to give to one of the children in your class. Who do you give it to? The child who is always polite, pays attention in class and does homework? Or the child who is loud, rude and causes a lot of trouble?

Scenario 3: You are a police officer in South Africa. You’re looking after a class of schoolchildren (let’s say 30 children) by yourself. Suddenly, every child is holding a stone or bottle. Do you allow this to continue? Are you going to give any of the children chocolate?