Mandela

[dehro]

http://www.news.gov.tt/sites/default/files/styles/article_preset/public/Nelson%20Mandela%203.jpg?itok=_jDGhZQP

[Socratov]

someone said that Mandela was not only a great man, he is actually the only politician the world will truly miss. And he is right. If only more Nelson Mandelas existed in politics.

[Killer Angel]

The man was truly a Giant.
R.I.P.

[Dal]

I've never written a eulogy before, but I will try...

The world has lost a great man. A man who fought for freedom while sacrificing his very own, and despite enduring intense setbacks and hardships, he finally made it after nearly thirty years. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_general_election,_1994)
He never bowed to the excesses of corruption, a rare quality in the politicians and statesmen of today.
Even out of office, his influence has remained strong. He continued to fight for the freedom of other oppressed people throughout the world.
Even in death, his message will still resonate to all, at home and abroad.
May his soul find rest in the heavens above.


IN MEMORIAM
NELSON ROLIHLAHLA MANDELA
7/16/1918 - 12/5/2013

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Socratov
...someone said that Mandela was not only a great man, he is actually the only politician the world will truly miss.

I hadn't heard this, but it's very true.

The fact that he stepped down after only one term as president is amazing. Given his stature and popularity, he could easily have made it a lifetime appointment, as so many of his far-lesser colleagues elsewhere on the continent have done. Instead he chose integrity and moral example.

My country has a lot to learn from Nelson Mandela.

.

[Fates]

I can't agree more with you guys. Mandela has always been a hero of mine, and I think if it weren't for him I never would have pursued a degree in political science, because, well, it's so rare to find one who is so open, and kind, and humble. I can't say I was sad when I heard the news- I understand his condition had been quite painful of late, and it's good to know he's at peace, and that he was beside those he loved. Where so many amazing men and women have not had the fortune to live to such a ripe old age, and whose lives have been cut short by violence, it does warm my heart to see that he lived to do all that he meant to do, and all that he could do, and that he was content.

Of course I'm going to miss him, but at least I can be happy with that knowledge.

Just my two cents.

[Tengu_temp]

I wasn't aware he was even still alive, until he died. He was over 90, after all. I hope he passed away peacefully.

Nelson Mandela was one of the people who made the world a better place - not just on a small scale, but the world as a whole. He will be missed.

[Palanan]

My mother overheard a desperately sad thing at a doctor's office this afternoon.

According to her, two young women in medical uniform were chatting and checking their messages. "--Who's Nelson Mandela?" one of them asked, looking at her phone. "Anyway, he died." The other just shrugged without a clue.

When I heard that, I was so appalled I could barely speak. I still find it hard to believe.

.

[Worira]

I wasn't aware he was even still alive, until he died. He was over 90, after all. I hope he passed away peacefully.

Nelson Mandela was one of the people who made the world a better place - not just on a small scale, but the world as a whole. He will be missed.

95, in fact.

[Anarion]

someone said that Mandela was not only a great man, he is actually the only politician the world will truly miss. And he is right. If only more Nelson Mandelas existed in politics.

That was The Onion, iirc. Doesn't mean they can't print the truth once in a while.


My mother overheard a desperately sad thing at a doctor's office this afternoon.

According to her, two young women in medical uniform were chatting and checking their messages. "--Who's Nelson Mandela?" one of them asked, looking at her phone. "Anyway, he died." The other just shrugged without a clue.

When I heard that, I was so appalled I could barely speak. I still find it hard to believe.

.

Why is that desperately sad? It speaks poorly of education, I suppose, since people ought to know about recent history. On the other hand, I think that a state of affairs in which the society Mandela helped to create is so normal that it no longer bothers to remember him would have been exceptionally pleasing to him.

[Hiro Protagonest]

My mother overheard a desperately sad thing at a doctor's office this afternoon.

According to her, two young women in medical uniform were chatting and checking their messages. "--Who's Nelson Mandela?" one of them asked, looking at her phone. "Anyway, he died." The other just shrugged without a clue.

When I heard that, I was so appalled I could barely speak. I still find it hard to believe.

.

Yeah... I have no idea who he was either. But I am still in high school, so it's kinda before my time and I never took a lot of history classes.

[Mando Knight]

Yeah... I have no idea who he was either. But I am still in high school, so it's kinda before my time and I never took a lot of history classes.

Basically, he's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela) the guy behind ending apartheid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid_in_South_Africa) in South Africa, which was a terrible system (as in, the southern US before the 60s has nothing on this) that is probably beyond the scope of these forums.

[Fates]

It is an issue in history classes in the states, particularly in High School. They seem to only focus on the US and Western Europe (and sometimes Russia) and don't cover more recent history for the most part. It can lead to a lot of ignorance in those who don't research history independently.

[ArlEammon]

The Liu Bang of Civil Rights in the Twenty First Century could be Martin Luther King, Mohatma Gandhi, OR Nelson Mandela, sure, I find him to be number three on that list, but he's still in the top three.

[Anarion]

It is an issue in history classes in the states, particularly in High School. They seem to only focus on the US and Western Europe (and sometimes Russia) and don't cover more recent history for the most part. It can lead to a lot of ignorance in those who don't research history independently.

It's kind of the nature of history. If your class goes from 1776 to 2006, and the teacher falls behind by a bit, it's going to be 1950-present getting the warp speed treatment.

[dehro]

Yeah... I have no idea who he was either. But I am still in high school, so it's kinda before my time and I never took a lot of history classes.

This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_h6xjoa6rM)

On a more serious note, lf anything, I'm glad this thread serves a purpose beyond the simple mourning of a great man

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff: Real world politics is an Inappropriate Topic for this forum. Give it a wide berth. That includes discussions of politicians, past or present.