Aloha Nelson Mandela!
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 16 Dec 2013
Jim Albertini – TRANSCEND Media Service
“In the desire to celebrate Nelson Mandela’s life — an iconic figure who triumphed over South Africa’s brutal apartheid regime — it’s tempting to homogenize his views into something everyone can support. This is not, however, an accurate representation of the man.
“Mandela was a political activist and agitator. He did not shy away from controversy and he did not seek — or obtain — universal approval. Before and after his release from prison, he embraced an unabashedly progressive and provocative platform…
“As the world remembers Mandela, here are some of the things (edited for space) he believed that many will gloss over.
- Mandela blasted the Iraq War and American imperialism. “All that (America) wants is Iraqi oil,” he said… He saw the Iraq War as a greater problem of American imperialism around the world. “If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America. They don’t care,” he said.
- Mandela called freedom from poverty a “fundamental human right.” Mandela considered poverty one of the greatest evils in the world, and spoke out against inequality everywhere. “Massive poverty and obscene inequality are such terrible scourges of our times — times in which the world boasts breathtaking advances in science, technology, industry and wealth accumulation — that they have to rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social evils,” he said…
- Mandela criticized the “War on Terror” and the labeling of individuals as terrorists without due process. On the U.S. terrorist watch list until 2008 himself, Mandela was an outspoken critic of (the U.S.) war on terror. He warned against rushing to label terrorists without due process… and basic tenets of the rule of law.
- Mandela called out racism in America. On a trip to New York City in 1990, Mandela made a point of visiting Harlem and praising African Americans’ struggles against “the injustices of racist discrimination and economic equality.”
- Mandela embraced some of America’s biggest political enemies. Mandela incited shock and anger in many American communities for refusing to denounce Cuban dictator Fidel Castro or Libyan Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, who had lent their support to Mandela against South African apartheid…
- Mandela was a die-hard supporter of labor unions. Mandela visited the Detroit auto workers union when touring the U.S., immediately claiming kinship with them. “Sisters and brothers, friends and comrades, the man who is speaking is not a stranger here,” he said. “The man who is speaking is a member of the UAW. I am your flesh and blood.'” The above is from an article by By Aviva Shen and Judd Legum originally published at ThinkProgress
QUOTES FROM NELSON MANDELA:
“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.”
“We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”
“When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”
TAKE ACTION:
It has been reported that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency played a key role in Nelson Mandela’s capture in 1962, leading to his 27 years behind bars. The CIA reportedly tipped off South African authorities as to Mandela’s exact whereabouts, etc. Call for the release of all U.S. government files relevant to Mandela’s capture. The public deserves to know the full truth even if more than 50 years late, and South Africa and the Mandela family deserve an apology from the U.S.
GROUND THE DRONES! SAY NO TO WAR!
- Mourn all victims of violence.
- Reject war as a solution.
- Defend civil liberties.
- Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
- Seek peace by peaceful means through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Hilo Peace Vigil (December 20, 2013– 639th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office, Hilo, Hawai’i.
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James Albertini is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment and director of Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action – P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i, 96760, USA. Phone 001 808 966 762 email ja@malu-aina.org http://www.malu-aina.org.
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 16 Dec 2013.
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