Honestly, why do people think so highly of Nelson Mandela? All he did was be imprisoned for 22 years right?

Answer 1

He was imprisoned for terrorist activity, and he admits himself that he committed the crimes for which he was imprisoned for. He was used as a figurehead by the left who were also campaigning against apartheid at the time. He was the leader of the ANC which is why he got the support he did.
You are correct though in pointing out that he actually did nothing of note in terms of creating a better country.
After his term as the first black President of South Africa, the country was suffering from the worst crime rates in history, and about a million people of all races have since fled the crime and corruption of South Africa under Mandela's ANC.
Mbeki, his successor, has shown himself to be equally as enept at running a large industrialised country and it's highly unlikely that the next soccer world cup will be held there without some sort of outside assistance. Meanwhile Mandela floats around the world like some kind of superstar and still does nothing except smile and shake hands.

Answer 2

Think it was 27 years and it was a cell the size of an small apt bathroom. (Paris Hilton had better living conditions and she couldn't last three days .)

Having been to Robben Island it's hot , it's an island , it's isolated and most people would have become extremely angry being in those conditions. They did hard labour chipping away at granite or limestone or whatever it was.
Mandela had the time to think about what humanity really means and how blowing people up didn't really acoomplish much . That terrorism was NOT the answer.

The man ranks right up there with Ghandi, Mother Theresa in his self sacrifice. He will probably be known as the only totally success black president South Africa will ever have who has the world's respect.

Answer 3

During his years in prison, Nelson Mandela's reputation grew steadily. He was widely accepted as the most significant black leader in South Africa and became a potent symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid movement gathered strength. He consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom and standing by his values.

After his release, on February 11, 1990 he plunged himself wholeheartedly into his life's work, striving to attain the goals he and others had set out forty years earlier. In 1991, at the first national conference of the ANC held inside South Africa after the organization had been banned in 1960, Mandela was elected President of the ANC.

It takes great courage to stand by your values in the face of adversity, would you do the same?

Answer 4

Nelson Mandela was the leader of the African people in South Africa under apartheid. He spent 27 years in prison for the crime of wanting to be treated with equality and respect. He never gave in to anger or despair. He never called for violence. He never hated his captors or the people they represented.

Many people predicted that when the revolution finally came in South Africa, it would be long, violent and bloody. They were wrong. It was short and remarkably peaceful. This was because Mandela consistently called for a non-violent approach.

When Mandela was released and became the first black president of his country, many white people were afraid. Many black people wanted vengeance. But Mandela treated everyone fairly. He consistently called for peace, patience, forgiveness. Most white citizens stayed in South Africa. While the nation still has problems, they are in many ways a model for a successful multi-racial society.

Nobody has ever been more deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize.

Answer 5

He never gave into the Apartheid regime and continued to hold out hope for a more just society for all those years.
When he was released he offered peace and reconciliation instead of revenge.
This showed him to be an exceptional statesman and averted a civil war based on racial differences.

Answer 6

I see your point, but he is better than Paris Hilton.

"He spent 27 years in prison for the crime of wanting to be treated with equality and respect." -er, no, he spent time in prison for the crime of committing terrorist actions against the state. Now they might have been justified, but let's not rewrite history too much, hey? I think this is the point of the question.

Answer 7

ok i have a problem with that dude that said its only cuz of his skin color i mean im mixed with african-american and caucasian but thats wrong if u read a book once in a while u wouldnt have 2 ask dis question all you had 2 do was get online an google his name so thats what i think bout dis question an das my answer for u

Answer 8

it is clear you must be a non African American or Black American......because if you were you would have never asked such a DUMASS question.
You need to reread your history and your bible.

Maybe you will learn something.

Answer 9

Why dont you read up on it, stu***. He did WAY more than that.

Did you even finish school?

Answer 10

well, look at his skin color, thats the only reason, if he were white you never would have heard of him