Hack the Planet
I saw this sign on the way home from picking up groceries today. Some clever person had modified the sign from its original text, which was something to the effect of “Forest Park Blvd. is under construction, expect delays,” to, “Free Mandela,” flashing over and over. How they did it, I don’t know, but I’m glad they did. Of course, Nelson Mandela has been free for over 13 years, but the sentiment remains. Even after his release from prison, there was a lot Nelson Mandela had to do before he could become free. And even today, as a father of a nation, and a symbol of peace and solidarity, whenever anyone is not free, Nelson Mandela is not free. I think the ‘editor’ of the sign intended for us to remember what Mandela went through. To that end, here is a nice biography of Nelson Mandela that has both a detailed section, as well as a brief bio near the bottom.
So lets obey the sign, and do everything we can to make Mr. Mandela, and all the people in the world that he cares about, free.
Sunday 29 Jun 2003 | Sam | Waxing Philosophical
Oddly enough, Dick Cheney and Nelson Mandela have a fairly serious running fued. Apparently Cheney was opposed to his release from prison.
Cheney voted against every senate resolution calling for the release of Nelson Mandela from prison that came up. In a 1986 case, the resolution passed, only to be veto’d by Ronald Regan. When it was voted on again to see if they could overturn the veto, they were just a few votes shy of the 2/3 required to overturn a veto, due in part to Dick Cheney.