Was Mandela a great man?

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Frank S

A very very great person. Yes

Michael Kelly

Hello,

I do not no every detail about Nelson Mandela and realize he has had his problems but what impressed me and many others who are not South African was his attitude about reconciliation. He wanted to talk about the various segment's of societies past so called sins but he certainly wanted peace ahead, realized taking vengence (if possible) would only have negative effects for the future of the country, forgave all former enemies in his own way and moved on.
That is impressive.

Michael Kelly

P G

Mandela is like all people, he has good and bad in him. Yes, he became a symbol for ending opression everywhere. But on the other hand, he was put in jail for leading an extremely violent counterinsurgency.

poppyzcuz

personal opinion & depends who you ask!

london.oval

he's a man, he's just a man (to quote the musical)

bauhausball

yes, and an excellent prisioner.

vito r

HE WAS IN THE PAST BUT HIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SOME WHAT TAINTED IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.IT'S EASY TO LOOK IN ON A COUNTRY IT'S A BIT DIFFERENT IF U STAY THERE, AND THE PEOPLE THERE MIGHT HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TAKE ON MANDELA AND HIS PARTY.

Res

Mandela BECAME a great man...and remained a great man!

He was involved in actions that I am sure he regrets today though.

He will always be the Grandfather of South Africa to me.

Ibanez

He might have become great while he was in prison, but before he went to prison, he killed people. Men, woman & children. My mother was one of his victims when she was just 3 years old. He had a bomb planted at Johannesburg station & she was burnt badly & still has scars. Imagine growing up as a young girl with scars on your hands & face because of something like that.

T.I

A great man who was incarcerated 27years for fighting for the liberation of his country.When he finally was released, most black people just wanted revenge on the "oppressors" but being the man he was he convinced the nation to work together and to forgive.That's why he is renown as a peace icon.

welcome.to.today

indeed he was.

heavy D

To all the people who answered this ! No matter what my political believes is and not blind for what he has done in the past ,this is my opinion from personal experiance ! He is one of the greatest people I came to know ! There is nobody that can say anything bad of this man as a person !

Unicornrider

He was simply a man who said the right things to avoid war, which he could not afford since then all international interest and backing would leave on a one-way ticket. He said a whole bunch of nothing, and to date only ten percent of that's been done.

the generals wife

yes and still is

Brad Morris 9

you decide - http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~springbk/enemy.html

Laila

Yes, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela is a great man.

dWali

He still is a great man

Ayiza

Still is an amazing man

Lady "D"

He was more than a great man & now he is greater than great...

jack daniels

The USA could use a man like him right about now and you have one just don't vote for another Clinton.
Any mother that gives the thumbs down is a racist!!!!

Rumplestiltskin.

yes he was imprisoned for what he believed in, never backed down to anyone and then became president,

He is a great man!!!!

Thick Madame

He is nice, but he is not GOD!

Commander MJ

As usual Bull comes out with a load of predictable, right wing Ossewabrandwag Afrikaner bull.... !
Mandela IS a great man. If we compare him to the key figures in SA history at the time we find,
Strydom,
Vorster,
Botha
De Klerk.
hmmmm.....
we might add Dr Treurnicht as well.....hmmmm speaks for itself
Mandela WAS a terrorist, ja but then he did not have much option did he? Seeing as the National party refused to negotiate and used terror tactics against any moderate black voice of expression! Mandela IS a great man because on his release he rose above it all and in an act of great magnaminity called for PEACE and RECONCILIATION. This is something I do not remember Botha doing, "Anything I did I did for my country"....errr, whose country, Paul Roos, Stellenbosch educated right wing Nats with their farms in Argentina and Uruguay for when the barbarians come? I do not agree with the ANC and all of their policies but let's face it Mandela saved SA from a bloodbath and when many were baying for blood he called an end to it, he even saved the blerrie Springbok..... so all in all the answer is YES. Pity about his delusional ex-wife.
.

Happy Murcia

Yes and he still is......