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Dec. 12, 2013
Remembering Nelson Mandela
By Burton Hodges
Opinion Editor
I was 7 years old when Nelson Mandela
completed his term as the President of
South Africa in 1999. Most textbooks, at least
the ones used in North Carolina public schools
while I was growing up, taper off “history”
around the ’80s. Maybe in high school books
there was a little bit of information regarding
the iconic human rights figure, but for all
intents and purposes, the life and times of
Nelson Mandela were obscured from my
education.
What I know about Mandela now
is what I have taught myself
from biographical chronicles
of his life, his work, and the
legacy that he left behind.
I do not know enough
to say that I know who
he was, but I know what
he stood for, and I have
learned enough about him
as of recent to suggest
that on Dec. 5th 2013, the
world lost its finest living
revolutionary.
He was a rebel. He was
a freedom fighter. He was
champion.
Nelson Mandela was a
humanist and a renaissance
man. Or at least he acted like
one. Nelson Mandela
stole the power
from a
hegemony of racial discrimination, helped
restructure and promote a new Constitution
and served one short term as president after
a life-long pursuit to earn that office for his
race.
Nelson Mandela didn’t just pursue equality
for his black brothers and sisters, but for his
gay and lesbian brothers and sisters as well.
He was driven by a puritanical belief in
natural human rights.
In a piece written for a biography of
Mandela, author John Batttersby asserts that
Mandela held the conviction that “inclusivity,
accountability, and freedom
of speech” were the
fundamentals of
democracy. He
was an apostle
of democracy
and abided
by the
decisions
of the
majority,
even
when he
disagreed
with them.
Nelson
Mandela
had roots in
the Methodist
Church but was
outspoken about
his connection
and comfort with
multiples faith creeds
across the world.
He was a
liberal and a socialist, hated capitalism,
opposed private landowners and hated big
money.
He was often critical of American
involvement in foreign affairs—often calling
our actions overseas “atrocities.”
CNN reported last week that he was on
the U.S. terror watch list until he was 89
years old, because of his African National
Congress’s militant fight against apartheid.
Indeed, Margaret Thatcher once criticized
the African National Congress as a “typical
terrorist organization.”
He was criticized for being too “soft” on
white people, seeking reconciliation instead
of retaliation.
He was a statesman and refused to condemn
his friends Fidel Castro and Muammar
Gadhafi for their repeated violations of
human rights.
He served almost 30 years in prison.
He had several wives, many children and
was somewhat of a sex machine. He had
impeccable style, a devious sense of humor,
and a sharp temper.
Anthony Sampson described him in his
official biography as being a “master of
imagery and performance.”
At his eulogy in Johannesburg, President
Obama compared him to “Washington,
Lincoln, Ghandi and King, Jr.” rolled into
one man.
But what I don’t quite understand is why
Americans seem so upset that Mandela, who
is—and I’m sorry Mr. President but this is the
truth—far more of a cross between Malcom
X, Karl Marx and Thomas Jefferson than
any other combination of historical figures,
has died.
I find it curious that Nelson Mandela
received so much attention from the American
public following his death. If he were
an American politician today, he
would’ve never made it out of jail,
much less to the White House.
While some fundamentalist
conservatives in America aren’t too
upset up over the loss of Mandela,
Tea Party Senator Ted Cruz, who
helped to orchestrate a government
See 'Mandela/ page 4