Mandela

Nelson Mandela got a world-class sendoff today. More than one hundred world leaders gathered to pay homage. Mandela did 27 years in South African prisons because he objected to native South Africans, including himself, being relegated to second class beings, with no rights given to them by the ruling class, descendants of Dutchmen who heard of the country's rich natural resources and decided to hurry down there to take it for themselves.
 Mandela first tried to change things by organizing protests. This was frowned upon. The Afrikaners, as the Dutchmen called themselves, had no interest in changing anything. They stole the country, fair and square, and that was that. After a while, Mandela decided they needed further persuasion. He resorted to violence, was arrested, and landed in the can for a good part of his life.
 But a funny thing happened during his incarceration. He read books, he wrote letters, and he became a symbol of resistance to oppression all over the world. The system of Apartheid, which means this was all yours, but it's all mine now because I want it, was gradually exposed to the world for the fraud that it was. Artists refused to perform in the fabulous resorts in South Africa, and drummed up negative publicity to the point where Afrikaners finally gave up, let Mandela out of jail, and held democratic elections. Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa. But he didn't order the slaughter of his oppressors. He ordered full disclosure of what was done, and he ordered reconciliation. The true test of a man of peace is when he achieves power. He passed with flying colors.
 Not surprisingly, the far right in America insists on calling him a communist and a terrorist, even though he renounced both beliefs while still in jail. The far right fears nothing more than a man of peace who speaks truth to the masses. No idea is more frightening to them than that people might see they can change the system through the power of truth. That's why Caesar knew he had to kill Jesus. You just can't have people walking around knowing that others only have power over you if you give it to them.
 Any schoolyard bully can tell you that.