sad day

[Mescalero]

Nelson Mandela has taken the journey.
Water fall from eyes.
Your path will be lighted.

[wvfarrier]

It's sad but was long time coming. May he find peace

[jeepnik]

Can't say I agreed with all of his politics, but he was a man to recon with. I doubt his kind will be seen again for many a generation.

[JerryB]

Reckon he saved??????

[cas]

One less Marxist / Communist?

Jailed for terrorist acts. (Fire bombing a railway station was it not?) Kept in jail so he couldn't lead a Marxist revolution. Revisionist history made everyone fall in love with him.

[6pt-sika]

Uhm yeah .

[BrentD]

A great man. Many will disparage him, but he had courage and vision and he made it count. I can name no living person that is his equal.

[FWiedner]

Everybody has a political point of view.

I can't say that I agreed with his stance from his earlier life, but I didn't walk in his shoes.

After years of prison and persecution, he changed the world for the better, peacefully.

His nation is at peace and prospering, and benefitted greatly because he passed their way.

He was a leader to his people.

[piller]

Some men read history, and a few make it. He made history. May he Rest In Peace.

[Pitchy]

Nelson Mandela has taken the journey.
Water fall from eyes.
Your path will be lighted.

Don`t know much about him so won`t comment but will say prayers up for you pard for your sad feelings.

[Mescalero]

When he was elected president, he did not throw the white citizens under the bus.
He also served 1 term as pres. breaking the tradition of African rulers declaring themselves " president for life "

[bdhold]

He had to be president - he was the only one left - they killed Stephen Biko in protective custody.
I was young enough then that I was about ready to take a gun to South Africa.

[jazman]

Everybody has a political point of view.

I can't say that I agreed with his stance from his earlier life, but I didn't walk in his shoes.

After years of prison and persecution, he changed the world for the better, peacefully.

His nation is at peace and prospering, and benefitted greatly because he passed their way.

He was a leader to his people.

I agree with these well spoken thoughts.

[Blaine]

I have a hard time getting past how the ANC necklaced their own people for disagreeing with them

[Rusty]

I have a hard time getting past how the ANC necklaced their own people for disagreeing with them

+1

[Ray Newman]

As Blaine mentioned the ANC (African national Congress) was not exactly a timid organization. But some place all the blame on Winnie Mandela, Nelson’s, ex-wife for the violence. Per Wikipedia and from I remember reading in the 1980’s, she endorsed “necklacing”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie_Madikizela-Mandela

Interesting though is that the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission – founded by Nleson Mandela when he South Africa’s President -- found:
“….Ms Winnie Madikizela Mandela politically and morally accountable for the gross violations of human rights", concluding that she had personally been responsible for the murder, torture, abduction and assault of numerous men, women and children, as well as indirectly responsible for even larger number of such crimes.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie_Madikizela-Mandela

Now how much of this did Nelson Mandela know of or endorse, is debatable. But as for Nelson M., seems that he was not known to shun violence or the communists either:
“Although initially committed to non-violent protest, he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in 1961 in association with the South African Communist Party, leading a sabotage campaign against the apartheid government. In 1962 he was arrested, convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the government, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

And his "legacy" might be up for differing interpretations. While it is a leading nation among the African nations,

As of 2010, South Africana economy #101 in the world at approx. $10,500 per capita
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_g ... per-capita

South African homicides by firearms #2 in the world
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_g ... s-firearms

South African per cent of population living in poverty: 50%
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_p ... verty-line

South African public as a per cent of GDP: 33%
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_p ... ublic-debt
(US public debt is 58%)

South African life expectancy: 49.3 years
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_l ... population

[JerryB]

Don't reckon a tire full of gasoline around your neck would be an easy way to go.

[Mescalero]

Not good,
but not attributable to him.

[Mescalero]

By the way,
the ANC made a statement today saying Mandal WAS a member of SA's communist party.

[Blaine]

By the way,
the ANC made a statement today saying Mandal WAS a member of SA's communist party.

I suspect Good Man, bad company.....I don't know how much control he had over Winnie.....
United States were idiots not to step in any further than we did

[Sixgun]

Let's not be brainwashed here. This trash don't belong on Leverguns. (Sorry Mes, nothing personal) The truth is, he turned South Africa into more of a toilet than what it was.

More corruption than you can shake a stick at.

20 kids by 5 different wives.

What's next, a Nelson Mandela National USA Holiday?

I hope they feed him to the crocs.

Whitey may be corrupt too, but he does know how to bring prosperity.----6

[92&94]

I have to agree with Mescalero.

Mandela's integrity shone through when he was in power, not when he was the underdog. Whatever a man's political opinions may be, whatever his supposed confederates may do, I can't help but respect a man who does not abuse those over whom he has triumphed. He could have become a Mugabe but did not.

Most never have to take that test. Most that do take it fail. A rare few pass it. It is really the only thing that rises above race and cultural norms in our lives.

[BrentD]

I have to agree with Mescalero.

Mandela's integrity shone through when he was in power, not when he was the underdog. Whatever a man's political opinions may be, whatever his supposed confederates may do, I can't help but respect a man who does not abuse those over whom he has triumphed. He could have become a Mugabe but did not.

Most never have to take that test. Most that do take it fail. A rare few pass it. It is really the only thing that rises above race and cultural norms in our lives.

Well put. Very well put.

[Retro]

The truth is, he turned South Africa into more of a toilet than what it was.

Erm, no, you're wrong.

Yes, white people are worse off than they were. But we were only as well off as we were because we were exploiting black people. Black people are better off. Not as much as they could be, but that's not Mandela's fault, the current bunch is corrupt as anything.

Nelson Mandela could have come out of jail with vengeance in his heart, and we would have had a civil war. He could have kept himself in power until pretty much the day before yesterday, and he didn't.

The majority of people in this country think Nelson Mandela was a hero. The majority of *white* people in this country think Mandela was a hero. That's important.

Yes, the ANC is a horrible political party (but that also applies to your Republicans and Democrats, I don't think "good" and "political party" fits easily into the same sentence). The National Party was a horrible political party. The ANC learned a lot from them.

This is Africa. We never had a hope of being like you* All we are trying is to not become Zimbabwe.

Nelson Mandela was 100 times the statesman Barack Obama will ever be.

* Although you guys seem to be headed more in our direction right now...

[Old Time Hunter]

The truth is, he turned South Africa into more of a toilet than what it was.

Erm, no, you're wrong.

Yes, white people are worse off than they were. But we were only as well off as we were because we were exploiting black people. Black people are better off. Not as much as they could be, but that's not Mandela's fault, the current bunch is corrupt as anything.

Nelson Mandela could have come out of jail with vengeance in his heart, and we would have had a civil war. He could have kept himself in power until pretty much the day before yesterday, and he didn't.

The majority of people in this country think Nelson Mandela was a hero. The majority of *white* people in this country think Mandela was a hero. That's important.

Yes, the ANC is a horrible political party (but that also applies to your Republicans and Democrats, I don't think "good" and "political party" fits easily into the same sentence). The National Party was a horrible political party. The ANC learned a lot from them.

This is Africa. We never had a hope of being like you* All we are trying is to not become Zimbabwe.

Nelson Mandela was 100 times the statesman Barack Obama will ever be.

* Although you guys seem to be headed more in our direction right now...

Fair assessment from one that lives it...may he rest in peace.