The death of Nelson Mandela

[Eva Elisabeth]

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.

Laurie, please don't say I can't understand your repulsion of violence. I think it doesn't need personal experience to that extent to repulse violence. I, however do, that you can be sure of. I just wanted to say Mandela wasn't born with a violent way of thinking (as your post suggested to me, maybe I misunderstood - then I apologize) but violence itself finally made him to knuckle down to it. And I didn't want to justify, just to explain.
BTW there still are people who try to change things peacefully, like Liu Xiaobo in China.