Nelsen Mandela

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Now this is someone working respecting for a life of good and fighting a worthy fight.

RIP.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-0...a-dies/5139232

[Gramps Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gramps]

For all this guy went through in his life, he still remained positive and never sought revenge. One of the most revered and influential people of our time.

RIP Nelson Mandela

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

The passing of an absolutely amazing human being. He had an incredible capacity for understanding and forgiveness and of the situation South Africans of all race were facing.

I had the oppotunity to tour Robben Island when in Cape Town, where he was incacerated for 18 years. I would suggest anyone who has the chance, should do it. It brings a whole new appreciation of this man and why he is revered as he was.

The tour was conducted by a former inmate who described the condidtions he and others lived under. Standing in the cave, in the quarry, where the prisoners went to the toilet and were forced to eat their lunches on breaks, he described how Mandela, Walter Sisulu and others sought to educate themselves, and forgave their captors (to the point of helping educate some of the guards to pass exams) in spite of awful hardships, because "They are just as much victims of Apartheid as we are" brought me to tears.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Icon of our times.. *Respect*

RIP

[Ozpat Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ozpat]

The only leader who ever criticised Mandela was that dog Mugabe, dictator of a failed state, who started under similar circumstances but didn't share his passion for equality for all. No doubt he'll expect a place at the state funeral. RIP Nelson. Truly a world statesman.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I think he is probably the greatest human being of my life time!

If you haven't read his autobiography "the long walk to freedom" I would highly recommend it, there is so much more to his life than most of realise.

No doubt tributes will pour in from all over the world, and he deserves every one of them and then some.

Cheers Andrew

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

I think he is probably the greatest human being of my life time!

If you haven't read his autobiography "the long walk to freedom" I would highly recommend it, there is so much more to his life than most of realise.

No doubt tributes will pour in from all over the world, and he deserves every one of them and then some.

Cheers Andrew

Andrew - If you haven't read it already you should also try "One step behind Mandela: the story of Rory Steyn, Nelson Mandela's chief bodyguard" - a very good behind the scenes look at his presidency from the viewpoint of his white bodyguard, who was converted from a sceptic to someone who would lay down his life for the man.

[krypto Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close krypto]

One of the few leaders who was universally respected and lived true to his values.

Respect... RIP Mandela

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Andrew - If you haven't read it already you should also try "One step behind Mandela: the story of Rory Steyn, Nelson Mandela's chief bodyguard" - a very good behind the scenes look at his presidency from the viewpoint of his white bodyguard, who was converted from a sceptic to someone who would lay down his life for the man.

I haven't read it, but will look out for it. Thanks

Cheers Andrew

[K & M McF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close K & M McF]

One of the few people I would love to have met. RIP a great man.

[REV Find all posts View Profile Close REV]

No doubt he deserved respect in his later years. But what about earlier on....??


Is any of this true????? http://thebackbencher.co.uk/3-things...elson-mandela/

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

No doubt he deserved respect in his later years. But what about earlier on....??


Is any of this true????? http://thebackbencher.co.uk/3-things...elson-mandela/

One mans freedom fighter is another mans's terrorist. He's no saint but C'mon! Mandela was in prison 1962-1990. I'll hazard a guess that the bombings in the 1980's probably weren't carried out by him. Buying arms to replace old ones is carried out by every government. That article has an issue with a president protecting his people and state. Africa is a very unstable continent in case you hadn't noticed? Mugabe hates Mandela and Zimbabwe borders South Africa. Those Olifant tanks being replaced were originally based on the British Centurion supplied to the Apartheid government by the UK. Why isn't the author having a go at those governments?

His speech at his trial defending the violence:

"I and some colleagues came to the conclusion that as violence in this country was inevitable, it would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and non-violence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force. It was only when all else had failed, when all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us, that the decision was made to embark on violent forms of political struggle...
...we felt that without violence there would be no way open to the African people to succeed in their struggle against the principle of white supremacy. All lawful modes of expressing opposition to this principle had been closed by legislation, and we were placed in a position in which we had either to accept a permanent state of inferiority, or take over the Government. We chose to defy the law. We first broke the law in a way which avoided any recourse to violence; when this form was legislated against, and then the Government resorted to a show of force to crush opposition to its policies, only then did we decide to answer with violence."
- Statement at the opening of Mandela's defence in the Rivonia treason trial, April 20, 1964.

[REV Find all posts View Profile Close REV]

One mans freedom fighter is another mans's terrorist. He's no saint but C'mon! Mandela was in prison 1962-1990. I'll hazard a guess that the bombings in the 1980's probably weren't carried out by him. Buying arms to replace old ones is carried out by every government. That article has an issue with a president protecting his people and state. Africa is a very unstable continent in case you hadn't noticed? Mugabe hates Mandela and Zimbabwe borders South Africa. Those Olifant tanks being replaced were originally based on the British Centurion supplied to the Apartheid government by the UK. Why isn't the author having a go at those governments?

His speech at his trial defending the violence:

"I and some colleagues came to the conclusion that as violence in this country was inevitable, it would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and non-violence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force. It was only when all else had failed, when all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us, that the decision was made to embark on violent forms of political struggle...
...we felt that without violence there would be no way open to the African people to succeed in their struggle against the principle of white supremacy. All lawful modes of expressing opposition to this principle had been closed by legislation, and we were placed in a position in which we had either to accept a permanent state of inferiority, or take over the Government. We chose to defy the law. We first broke the law in a way which avoided any recourse to violence; when this form was legislated against, and then the Government resorted to a show of force to crush opposition to its policies, only then did we decide to answer with violence."
- Statement at the opening of Mandela's defence in the Rivonia treason trial, April 20, 1964.

I would say, that it is well documented, that in a lot of cases he did not actually kill all of those women and children with his own hands but he did sanction a lot of it.

I will always stand up for any person who recognizes their wrong doing and admits to it. I admire the man for his stance in latter years, but what he has done or any of us have done for that matter, can not be undone. All we can do, is to ask for forgiveness.

[r4ndll Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close r4ndll]

I would say, that it is well documented, that in a lot of cases he did not actually kill all of those women and children with his own hands but he did sanction a lot of it.

I will always stand up for any person who recognizes their wrong doing and admits to it. I admire the man for his stance in latter years, but what he has done or any of us have done for that matter, can not be undone. All we can do, is to ask for forgiveness.

I agree with you there Rev. And Mandela was definitely no saint during the early years. He was quoted as saying that had he left prison as bitter as he entered into it he'd still be in prison, and he was worried people would only remember the sanitized version of his life once he died.

I think that part of what makes him stand out so much was the recognition of his past and his attempts to change and find a different way and how successfully he did that. Certainly that's why Mugabe hated him, he showed an alternative to Mugabe's version of the world.

There's certainly a lot of leaders today who could learn a thing or two from him about forgiveness and understanding.