The news has been announced of Nelson Mandela's death. It's been days now. Surprisingly, my news feed on Facebook was cluttered with quotes and other links that seemed to offer support of Mandela, acknowledging him as some reverent leader, a peaceful man, and a once-political prisoner who only wanted peace for his people.
All of this left me a bit horrified. My status?
Nelson Mandela? Who cares? A terrorist and a racist is dead. Good.So, why did I say this, you ask? First I would like to clarify that it is not my intent to "celebrate" his death. It was my intent to make it known that I will not be celebrating his life nor mourning over his death. As with every person, especially those involved in politics, they are multifaceted and often the image does not necessarily reflect the person themselves, nor their actions.
Most all of us have heard the story of South Africa, how horrible the apartheid was, how Mandela worked for peace but could not find it, how he had to fight through violent means with the ANC (his anti-apartheid movement) the oppressors, and how he was eventually locked up for 27 years as a political prisoner. He stopped his country from civil war and became South Africa's first black president in 1994 until 1999. He won awards that celebrated his belief in peace and forgiveness.
What many people are choosing to leave out is the other side of Mandela. In public he spoke of peace and forgiving. There is another side of Mandela that many would like to either ignore or just plain forget.
First of all, instead of choosing to peacefully fight the apartheid -his initial intent, the movement [ANC] became heavily armed and sought their means through force and violence. Some may say that this is necessary and certainly there is some truth to that. Here in the US a civil war broke out because sometimes two sides simply cannot sit down and talk to work out compromises. In Mandela's case, this seems to make sense. After all, the white minority was in rule and were a threat to the nation's black people. Nelson said he was fighting for the rights of all people.
While his cause may have been noble, his actions were instigating violence. He was indeed a terrorist. His people killed innocents, white and black alike.
What was the reason for the apartheid in the first place? Well, blacks did live there but there was nothing there, nothing created. The whites came and brought with them potential and and an economy; they were educated so they were able to build houses, roads, and offer the people a number of conveniences that were not around before; also jobs could be found. After some time unions were organized and ultimately it boiled down to blacks seeing whites having more and they themselves wanting more.
Protests by blacks drew anger from the minority whites in control. The reactions were violent and were followed by laws that required separation of the people by race. Obviously this was terribly wrong and of course Mandela and those like him fighting against the apartheid were given support in may ways.
Unfortunately Mandela's turn toward violence brought enough attention that he was arrested and tried for crimes, which he admitted to. He was sentenced to life in prison. After protests from here in the US and elsewhere Mandela was released. He ran for office and was elected president. To be more accurate, the government was basically handed to him on a platter in hopes of reconciling the countries racial relations. He has been credited for stopping further war but when we exam the facts, can anyone really claim he stopped a race war?
His first actions involved meeting up with tyrants, dictators, and other communists alike. Although Mandela would not admit to being called a communist, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, well... Furthermore, blacks were still killing blacks and whites, and now that blacks were in power, the tide turned and it turned violent in a huge way. Whites were now the victims of many crimes: robbery, rape, and murder, to name a few. Drug trafficking increased while the economy plummeted. Beings that blacks were now in control, Many of the educated whites left the area, leaving a gaping hole in its citizens being able to maintain what it once had under white rule. While everything the people did was separate based on race, under the apartheid, more opportunity and increased safety was enjoyed.
There are a few questions that may or may not have simple answers but they are worth asking:
Did Mandela really "end" anything going on inside of the country? No. He really did not end anything. Crime escalated and that statistic included both murder and rape - so much so that South Africa has become the murder and rape capital of the world.
Should we expect so much from him when we consider South Africa's past? Maybe and maybe not but more importantly, should we be giving so much credit to someone who really did not deliver any results? Nice talk is one thing but results are ultimately what matters. The truth is, his administration was notorious for being corrupt. He did not seem to take any reasonable action towards curtailing the violence that was steadily increasing during his time served in office. His party continues on and things have only gotten worse.
Yet this is the man whom Obama is now asking us to honor and keep our flags at half mast over?
Even IF I give Mandela every benefit of the doubt, I still cannot see what this man did that would equate to anyone celebrating his life. He was even offered his freedom in the 80's and all he had to do was denounce terror and violence; he refused to do so. Yet, we are to believe that he somehow changed and wanted equality? Where? Again, he didn't stop bloodshed in his country; he didn't help the economy. He did not even address the AIDS epidemic that was taking place and still continues over a myth that suggests if someone infected and has sex with a virgin, they will be cured. Babies are raped, some as young as 6 weeks old inside of this country and it's been going on since Mandela.
This is his legacy.
IN DECEMBER 1989, two months before Mandela was released from prison, he met Winnie and Zindzi at his house in the prison grounds. He knew he would be out soon and informed them that it was his intention to bury the past and resume family life afresh. At a press conference the day after his release, he was asked whether he felt any bitterness or any regret. None, he replied, save for his wish that he could have been around to attend to family matters. For the next few months Mandela toured the country, often with his wife, his daughter and her baby Bambatho accompanying him.
No, I'm not interested in rewriting history by honoring someone who ultimately brought nothing of value to his people. Talk is cheap and anyone who was happy to visit Arafat can kiss my ass.
Mandela and Castro -- two peas in a pod.
I found that a few people were displeased by my announcement of expressing a bit of satisfaction over the death of Mandela. I was told almost repeatedly that "the good outweighed all the bad" he did. Another point made was basically a plea for me to consider the circumstances, that I should be more "Christian" and put myself in his shoes. There were even repeated accusations that amounted to me supporting the apartheid because I denounced Mandela.
As I have pointed out in this article, I cannot see any "good outweighing bad." At best he did nothing. So what exactly outweighs his previous terrorist activities? He never apologized for them; he never denounced any violent actions. I asked directly what good it was he did and never truly got an answer. Instead the responses moved towards deflection.
While I consider myself Christian (for the most part -- these days I've been doing some questioning), I certainly do not go around acting as if I'm better than anyone. I do not have to know what was in Mandela's heart or even if he had good intentions. I am judging his actions or shall I say, non-actions? I am judging the results of those actions. I do not believe in a pagan hell fire so the idea that my Christianity somehow comes into question from others who actually DO believe in hell and preach that nonsense to others is rather disturbing and even ironic. For one, judging actions and judging a person's relationship with G-d are by far two different things and in Christianity the former is encouraged, while the latter is forbidden. No, I will not tolerate someone lecturing to me about Christianity or basically telling me they are "more Christian" because they have taken it upon themselves to perform mental-moral-gymnastics to justify the actions of this terrorist. What is wrong is wrong.
Can I try to identify with a man who grew up under the apartheid? Can I at least understand that he may have felt a calling to do something because he watched his people suffer and simply did not see any hope fighting the evil through means of peace? Can I understand that he may have felt he must resort to violence in order to help his people and preserve his own life? Yes. Of course I can. In Mandela's case, there are a few problem with using this logic to somehow justify his actions. First of all, he did not target his attacks. He did not target leaders or government officials or even their family members. The attacks that were carried out left innocent people dead and injured. In addition he and the ANC targeted BLACK people, coercing them to join their movement or else die. The evil he was attacking was replaced with more evil and his own people suffered even more in many cases. He never apologized for his actions and again, he never denounced terror. How can one possibly forgive what the other refuses to take responsibility for?
Wrong is wrong. Just because someone like myself says that Mandela's actions were evil and resulted in the complete downfall of his country, and he should not be praised does NOT mean I am supporting the apartheid. It's time for those who think purely in false dichotomies to stop projecting that view onto others. This is not a case of either/or. This is not about what motivated a person or somehow I should be required to put myself inside the mind and shoes of another; this is about pointing out someone who did evil.
It was almost insisted by a few that I really think about things from Mandela's perspective before I call him a terrorist. I was accused of being simplistic and painting broad brushes of judgement. How dare I! Ummm...no. It's not necessary for me to do that. What he did was wrong. I wonder the response I would get from these folks if I asked them to stop judging and put themselves in Hitler's shoes? Or how about Osama bin Laden? Arafat? Castro? Come on, they had bad lives you see. They were only doing it for peace and love. I wonder if they will justify the actions of those terrorists and tyrants as well? Ever read stuff from people who still love Hilter? Oh, they have so many excuses for him; it's absurd. He had a horrible life; he had to watch those Jews take everything away from his own people, in his own country. Germans were starving and he had to do something! He could no longer stand back and allow the evil Jew to take over. He was doing it to bring peace and prosperity for his country. Let's just say for a moment that all of that is true -- does that justify what Hilter did? Am I "not being a good Christian" because I am not making moral allowances for his actions? Should I no longer be so harsh on poor Hitler because, after all, "the good outweighed the bad"? To me, there is NO difference in what these people are demanding of me when it comes to Mandela.
As I have pointed out in this article, I cannot see any "good outweighing bad." At best he did nothing. So what exactly outweighs his previous terrorist activities? He never apologized for them; he never denounced any violent actions. I asked directly what good it was he did and never truly got an answer. Instead the responses moved towards deflection.
While I consider myself Christian (for the most part -- these days I've been doing some questioning), I certainly do not go around acting as if I'm better than anyone. I do not have to know what was in Mandela's heart or even if he had good intentions. I am judging his actions or shall I say, non-actions? I am judging the results of those actions. I do not believe in a pagan hell fire so the idea that my Christianity somehow comes into question from others who actually DO believe in hell and preach that nonsense to others is rather disturbing and even ironic. For one, judging actions and judging a person's relationship with G-d are by far two different things and in Christianity the former is encouraged, while the latter is forbidden. No, I will not tolerate someone lecturing to me about Christianity or basically telling me they are "more Christian" because they have taken it upon themselves to perform mental-moral-gymnastics to justify the actions of this terrorist. What is wrong is wrong.
Can I try to identify with a man who grew up under the apartheid? Can I at least understand that he may have felt a calling to do something because he watched his people suffer and simply did not see any hope fighting the evil through means of peace? Can I understand that he may have felt he must resort to violence in order to help his people and preserve his own life? Yes. Of course I can. In Mandela's case, there are a few problem with using this logic to somehow justify his actions. First of all, he did not target his attacks. He did not target leaders or government officials or even their family members. The attacks that were carried out left innocent people dead and injured. In addition he and the ANC targeted BLACK people, coercing them to join their movement or else die. The evil he was attacking was replaced with more evil and his own people suffered even more in many cases. He never apologized for his actions and again, he never denounced terror. How can one possibly forgive what the other refuses to take responsibility for?
Wrong is wrong. Just because someone like myself says that Mandela's actions were evil and resulted in the complete downfall of his country, and he should not be praised does NOT mean I am supporting the apartheid. It's time for those who think purely in false dichotomies to stop projecting that view onto others. This is not a case of either/or. This is not about what motivated a person or somehow I should be required to put myself inside the mind and shoes of another; this is about pointing out someone who did evil.
It was almost insisted by a few that I really think about things from Mandela's perspective before I call him a terrorist. I was accused of being simplistic and painting broad brushes of judgement. How dare I! Ummm...no. It's not necessary for me to do that. What he did was wrong. I wonder the response I would get from these folks if I asked them to stop judging and put themselves in Hitler's shoes? Or how about Osama bin Laden? Arafat? Castro? Come on, they had bad lives you see. They were only doing it for peace and love. I wonder if they will justify the actions of those terrorists and tyrants as well? Ever read stuff from people who still love Hilter? Oh, they have so many excuses for him; it's absurd. He had a horrible life; he had to watch those Jews take everything away from his own people, in his own country. Germans were starving and he had to do something! He could no longer stand back and allow the evil Jew to take over. He was doing it to bring peace and prosperity for his country. Let's just say for a moment that all of that is true -- does that justify what Hilter did? Am I "not being a good Christian" because I am not making moral allowances for his actions? Should I no longer be so harsh on poor Hitler because, after all, "the good outweighed the bad"? To me, there is NO difference in what these people are demanding of me when it comes to Mandela.
Evil is evil. Putting a rainbow on it changes nothing.
WARNING -- GRAPHIC IMAGES
WARNING -- GRAPHIC IMAGES
LINKS - Please note that I do not support all of the views expressed on many of the blogs i.g. any racist commentary, however the links to the articles I generally agree with and find them informing. Decide for yourself.
http://greatsalandscandal.blogspot.com/
http://nubbi.wordpress.com/
http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/dont-mourn-for-mandela/
http://www.genocidewatch.org/southafrica.html
http://www.wnd.com/2013/12/the-real-mandela-in-his-own-words/
http://www.genocidewatch.org/images/SAfrica2002Over1000BoerFarmersInSouthAfricaHaveBeenMurderedSince1991.pdf
http://www.genocidewatch.org/images/White_Genocide_TVA.pdf
http://afrikanerjournal.wordpress.com/tag/sonia-hruska/
http://afrikanerjournal.wordpress.com/?s=nelson+mandela
http://censorbugbear-reports.blogspot.com/2010/06/threats-against-foreigners-whites-soar_21.html
http://www.ragemeister.com/Opinions2003/Mandela's%20Evil%20Past%20and%20Present.htm
http://www.ldjackson.net/nelson-mandela-just-another-thug/
http://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/africa/item/15888-saint-mandela-not-so-fast
http://www.censorbugbear.org/black-racism/terrorism/nelson-mandela-the-bombing-record
http://ozziesaffa.blogspot.com/2013/12/mandela-dead.html
http://www.rhodesia.nl/goodcom.html
http://www.newswithviews.com/EmanuelMcLittle/mclittle1.htm
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