Mandela is free...

[Pilgrims Drop]

...and the world is a poorer place without him

[Gnam]

RIP.

[TravelGal]

:( He was steadfast in all ways. From what I understand the new movie about his life (Long Walk to Freedom) is quite good. I hope it will help others remember what a tremendous individual he was.

[dando]

RIP, Mr. Mandela. Indeed the world is lesser without him. :(

[Napoleon]

RIP Mr. Mandela.

Excerpts from his Rivonia Trial speech (opening speech for the defense):

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/world/nelson-mandela-rivonia-trial-speech/

The entire speech:

http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mandela/mandelaspeech.html

For a while I have been thinking of going back and reading some of the fiction I read in my childhood, particularly some things I read in school, and with this it made me think of having read Cry, The Beloved Country in high school. I checked this morning and it was published the year of the first Apartheid Laws, 1948.

[nrc]

"Let freedom reign."

RIP Nelson Mandela

[TrueBrit]

Proud to say that I was at the Free South Africa gig at Wembley Stadium in 1990 to hear his first public speech after being released...the crowd gave him an 8 minute standing ovation before he spoke....what a giant of a man....