Yesterday, President George Bush signed a bill that will enable the U.S. government to remove Nelson Mandela, and other ANC apartheid protesters, from the U.S. terrorism watch list. Specifically quoted from www.cnn.com: "The bill is H.R. 5690, which 'authorizes the Departments of State and Homeland Security to determine that provisions in the Immigration and Nationality Act that render aliens inadmissible due to terrorist or criminal activities would not apply with respect to activities undertaken in association with the African National Congress in opposition to apartheid rule in South Africa.'The bill's signing timing fails approximately three weeks before the freedom fighter's 90th birthday. Prior to the passage of the bill, Nelson Mandela and his ANC associates were deemed terrorists and banned from possessing U.S. visas unless they received special permission. H.R. 5690 will remedy this.
Earlier in the year, The U.S. was embarrassed when International news sources broke the story that Nobel Peace Prize Winner Nelson Mandela was officially deemed a terrorist by the American government. Condoleezza Rice and other government officials expressed their deep embarrassment when this faux pas was uncovered and brought to light.
Nelson Mandela should be treated with nothing but honor. His personal sacrifices in the name of freedom have been unparalleled. During his struggle, he stood his ground despite several nations making vicious attempts to break his spirit and sully his name. Nelson Mandela's life story shows the irony that can belie public & governmental opinion. Just like Muhammad Ali, Mandela is a man who was once reviled and hunted for his unwavering character. With the passage of time he stoically held his ground; it was the world that changed and came to him.
No comments:
Post a Comment