The world lost a great leader and human rights advocate yesterday with the passing of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. He made the needed transformation of the world by living through apartheid in South Africa that included 27 years in prison for speaking out against racial discrimination where the White minority ruled and the Black majority had no voice.
Quick to draw comparisons between President Obama and Nelson Mandela, the media and The White House are off. Last night on CBS News, Scott Pelley reported “Nelson Mandela kept in his office a photograph of himself with another trail-blazing president: The first black president of the United States, Barack Obama. The photograph was taken when Mandela visited Washington in 2005, and Mr. Obama was then a brand-new United States senator from Illinois.”
Also yesterday, The White House tweets a picture of President Obama standing inside the prison cell where Mandela spent 27 years of his life. His cell was a museum when the photo was taken.
The two are so much alike if you pay attention to skin color. Sorry Mr. President, but you are no Nelson Mandela. Comparing the two Presidents, one was a uniter, the other is a divider.
Here’s another Presidential selfie, sitting in the seat once occupied by Rosa Parks. Another trailblazer, for real.
Judging from the content of their character, below are some quotes from these men. Who said them? Here’s a hint. Two of them are Mandela’s. Five of them are Obama’s.
- “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”
- “I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.”
- “If they bring a knife into the fight, we bring a gun.”
- “It’s very rare that I come to an event where I’m like the fifth or sixth most interesting person.”
- “We’re gonna punish our enemies and we’re gonna reward our friends who stand with us on issues that are important to us.”
- “We don’t mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back.”
- “I want you to argue with ’em and get in their face.”
Give yourself a smiley face if you attributed the first two to Nelson Mandela.
