Flags at Half-Staff for Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela (1918 - 2013) has died at age 95.  He was on my list of most admired and was a huge inspiration to the world for his opposition to apartheid most of his life.  President Obama ordered flags flown at half-mast in his honor.

President Obama recounted to the nation on Thursday how he drew inspiration from Mandela during his first public speech.

"My very first political action, the first thing I ever did that involved an issue or a policy or politics, was a protest against apartheid. I studied his words and his writings," he said in a televised address shortly after Mandela's death was announced.

"And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without the example that Nelson Mandela set, and so long as I live I will do what I can to learn from him."

"He no longer belongs to us," Obama said. "He belongs to the ages."

However the US government opinion of Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress (ANC) movement that he led were blacklisted as terrorists by the US until a 2008 law was signed by then-President Bush removing it from the terrorist list.

The Daily Beast notes:
In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan placed Mandela’s African National Congress on America’s official list of “terrorist” groups. In 1985, then-Congressman Dick Cheney voted against a resolution urging that he be released from jail. In 2004, after Mandela criticized the Iraq War, an article in National Review said his “vicious anti-Americanism and support for Saddam Hussein should come as no surprise, given his longstanding dedication to communism and praise for terrorists.” As late as 2008, the ANC remained on America’s terrorism watch list, thus requiring the 89-year-old Mandela to receive a special waiver from the secretary of State to visit the U.S.

Who do you admire most?

I struggle with this question constantly, after all why should there be only one single person?  I think we should have a list of maybe ten or twenty most admired, there's a lot of good people out there.  My choices are biased towards people who "Walk The Talk".

Ralph Nader has devoted his life to Corporate Accountability and Responsibility, founding what would become the organization Public Citizen.  He is almost 80 and still railing against the machine.

Mark Hatfield.  OK I live in Oregon so I gotta have some people from there, and Mark is the one.   Hatfield opposed the Vietnam war, but pledged "unqualified and complete support" for the troops.  What a wonderfully principled guy!

 Nelson Mandela showed the most persistent and principled advocacy for equality of anyone I can name.  He is truly a legend who endured much persecution and deserves reverence.

Jimmy Carter, former US President and  tireless advocate of humanitarian causes.  After his election as Governor of Georgia in 1970 he said  "I've traveled the state more than any other person in history and I say to you quite frankly that the time for racial discrimination is over. Never again should a black child be deprived of an equal right to health care, education, or the other privileges of society.".  He is an honest  principled person.

Mohatma Ghandi who inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights and freedom across the world.

John Steinbeck who wrote about the suffering of exploited innocents most eloquently.

I invite you to name others.