Heard it breaking while driving in to work, and my first thought was something along the lines of “a well deserved rest” and my second thought was “I wonder how long before Twitter starts trending variations on #NelsonMandela or #RIP.”
I am not proud of my second thought, but that’s modern media for you. Of course, here we are as well, so there’s that.
Regardless of current silliness, his legacy is massive and inspiring, and I seriously doubt social media will have any lasting impact on how he is remembered by the many who live MUCH better lives due pretty much entirely to his strength of conviction.
He is/was a secular saint for South Africans and many others. I do think he is a unique figure in history and will be the George Washington of South Africa.
The Onion, on point as always, announces Mandela as “first politician to be genuinely missed.”
The funeral is going to be an amazing spectacle and security nightmare, but I’m sure it has been being prepared for for a while now.
The comparison to George Washington is, I think, quite apt. Mandela, like Washington, was a man of calm courage, quiet determination and bedrock integrity. He, more than any other individual, helped form a new nation and led his people into a brighter future. After a time in elected office, he willingly and peacefully yielded power to his successor, setting an example that far too few other leaders around the world have followed.
Nelson Mandela tirelessly fought for liberty, equality and democracy all his life. He stood up to a brutal, tyrannical regime and, by sheer force of will, helped force change for the benefit of all. When he was finally released from prison he could easily (and understandably, considering all the years of life he lost) have given into anger and hate - but he refused, and his country is a far better place for it.
He was a great man who did great things. We shall not see his like again. I honor him.
Godspeed, and thank you, former Prisoner No. 46664.
A job well done. He stood up for the right cause, sacrificed, suffered, led by example, and was ultimately vindicated and venerated. A lot of people are better off because of the kind of man he was and what he did.
Flashing on Invictus. Nothing in the film suggests Mandela was ever a big rugby fan, but he saved the historically-white Springboks (saved them from being renamed the “Proteas,” at least) because they offered a chance at the emotional unity the country needed at the time: South Africans of all colors cheering for the same thing.
I try not to feel sad by reminding myself of his own words, that he wanted his epitaph to read “Here lies a man who has done his duty on Earth.” He has done his duty here, so what else could I want from him? He was 95. Duty done. But I’m still sad.
Thank you, Madiba, for showing us that love is stronger than hate, peace is greater than anger, and truth and reconciliation are greater than bigotry and violence. Let the history books record that post-apartheid South Africa was the Civil War That Never Was, thanks in such large part to Mandela’s guiding hand.
An interesting question, isn’t it? I thought of a couple of contenders, but they were either too identified with one side of the political spectrum or too little-known outside of their country. We might not see another statesman on the level of Mandela for decades.
It might be a little soon to compare her to people who’ve spent decades and decades working for their causes, but she seems to have the strength and character they do and practically everyone loves her.
That does go hand-in-hand with standing up for your rights. The old South African government wasn’t fond of Mandela and Tutu - nor was the U.S. government and the CIA! - and the Chinese aren’t big fans of the Dalai Lama.
I am a bit of an old cynic, and not much of a one for heroes, but Mandela was someone I really admired. I honestly think it was he and he alone, through his example and integrity, who prevented the collapse of the apartheid state from descending into a total bloodbath. If Mandela had not been there, acting as he did, and if he had not built up the reputation that he had thorough the dignified way he bore his unjust imprisonment for so many years, a lot of people, black and white alike, would have died (some did anyway, but it could have been much, much worse). He had plenty of reason to be very angry, and thirsting for vengeance, but instead he acted as an exemplar for reconciliation and forgiveness. A truly great man.
