If anyone ever followed in the footsteps of Lincoln in the present day, it was Nelson Mandela. RIP.

Best
Rob

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/06/world/...ml?hp&_r=0

The world has lost a truly amazing man.

I agree - and one who handled adversity with dignity and honor and worked to make things better instead of whining and complaining about the treatment he had received. We need more like him.

President Obama, obviously borrowing from Stanton, remarked that Mandela "now belongs to the ages."

The iconic rebel. RIP

Mandela is considered the father of his country - and Lincoln the savior of the USA. I wonder if Mandela had read or studied anything about Lincoln?

How fortunate we are to have lived during Mandela's time and experienced first-hand how he changed the world. Mandela and Lincoln were both lawyers. You may want to check out "Lincoln, Mandela, and Qualities of Reconciliation Oriented Leadership" by Daniel Lieberfeld. http://citation.allacademic.com//meta/p_...5427-2.php

Bill, Good question. I don't know if he read Lincoln but he asked for a copy of Eleanor Roosevelt's book "The Moral Basis of Democracy" when he was in prison. " If we are honest with ourselves today, we will acknowledge that the ideal of Democracy has never failed, but that we haven't carried it out, and in our lack of faith we have debased the human being who must have a chance to live if Democracy is to be successful." The Moral Basis of Democracy (1940)

Sadly Nelson Mandela's successors also haven't been able to carry on his legacy appropriately, neither as presidents of Southafrica, nor in the A.N.C..

In the past two days, I have had two people send me information on the young Nelson Mandela and his tactics as a Communist revolutionary and terrorist before being sent to prison. I knew nothing about that period in his life - had never heard of him until he was released from prison back when I was in college. Based on what the world has been told about him since 1990, what a wonderful transition he apparently made in his actions.

We have heard so many say that "Mandiba" was a sign of hope. If he made such a transition, then yes, there is hope that others may change their actions so dramatically in the name of peace and human rights.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/opinio....html?_r=0

Best
Rob

Interesting. I learned a great deal from this one also: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/07/world/...l?src=recg I especially enjoyed the final paragraph.

In another article, reference was made to Mandela's tolerance for other people's opinions because he often learned so much from them. That is certainly a most admirable trait in this day and age. Perhaps it was this trait that turned him from a young age of violence to an old age of conciliation and compromise.

One thing I imagine Mandela will have in common with Lincoln is that a number of groups will lay claim to his legacy. We may even hear of African politicians having to "get right with Mandela."

Best
Rob

Let's hope they do better than some today who claim to emulate Lincoln.

Laurie, Mandela initially was against violence. In 1952 he led the Defiance Campaign of the ANC that was inspired by Ghandi's non violent movement. The Shapesville massacre in 1960 made him tolerate violence as an acceptable option.

Then perhaps the Nelson Mandela that we know is/was repentant for seeking evil actions in his younger days. I hope that some of the old-timers on here will remember that I am a product of the 1960s and watched bloody protests in the streets, on college campuses, and even in the burning of cities. If you were not alive during that time, I don't think you can quite understand my repulsion of violence. I'm sure that my intense interest in the Civil War has been fueled by what I experienced and saw on media during this period. My experiences are so minor compared to the tribulations of the 1860s.

I think my very rude awakening came around 1959 or 60 when I went to a funeral home in Anacostia (D.C.) to pay respects to an old family friend. As my mother and I left and walked down the sidewalk, a child no older than maybe 8 or 9 walked up and spit on us, turned and ran away. My view of society changed a lot that day.

The school where I taught was used as a command headquarters for police because it was just outside the D.C. border during the riots that destroyed a large portion of our city (that has still not fully recovered). I remember looking at the black smoke billowing up on the horizon. That decade left a very bad impression with me as to what can happen when one's hatred leads to death and destruction. I hope that some of the American radicals of that day had repentance at some point.

Sorry, but I think I'm having a catharsis.