[blkbuttafly]

Originally Posted by Istlota

• White Folks do not send black men to prison for 27 years for being Uncle Toms.
• No sane person who heard Mandela's speech on February 11, 1990 would try to argue that he was senile then. As to if he is now, well, most people do get that way by the time they are 90 years old, if they live that long. But, I personally have seen no indication of that as yet.
• While her husband was in prison, Winnie had at least one affair that Nelson knew about. No one can judge her for that because 27 years is a long time for a sista to do without. But, after 27 years of being apart, and other bed partners becoming involved, you also can't judge her husband for choosing to move on as well.
• When Nelson was arrested, he was 44 years old and both he and his wife were cool with the use of violence to end apartheid. Remember that, at the time of his arrest in 1962, he was the leader of the ANC's armed resistance wing, Umknonto we Sizwe. Obviously, the brother was not a Uncle Tom.
• But, upon his release, he was a wiser elder who now saw the wisdom of reserving violence as a last, reluctant, resort. But, the younger Winnie was still very much into militant struggle. At the time of Mandela's release, they were two different people headed in opposing directions. They were, to borrow a phrase from the bible, unequally yoked together.

I'm sorry but with all due respect most of what you're saying is no real defense for Nelson Mandela..........Heck...25 yrs ago the guy that lives next door to my mother weighed about 150 lbs and name was Craig........he's now about 260 lbs and goes by the name of MERCEDES. MOST men go into prison ONE way and come out another if they're in there long enough. What does what he was when he went IN prison have to do with what came OUT of prison?

and i'm sorry you even bringing up Winnie having had other partners while her husband was in jail over 20 yrs is a bit silly. And if this is information you got that was suppose to have been said by Mandela himself... then he is hardly a wise MAN.