
After I became PRESIDENT, I asked one day some members of my close protection to stroll with me in the city, have lunch at one of its restaurants. We sat in one of the downtown restaurants and all of us asked for some sort of food.
โAfter a while, the waiter brought us our requests, I noticed that there is someone sitting in front of my table waiting for foodโ
*I told then one of the soldiers: Go and ask that person to join us with his food and eat with us. The soldier went and asked the man so. The man brought up his food and sat by my side as I asked and began to eat. His hands were trembling constantly until everyone had finished their food and the man went. The soldier said to me: the man was apparently quite sick. His hands trembled as he ate!โ
โNo, not at all,โ said MANDELA.
โThis man was the GUARD of the PRISON where I was JAILED.โ
โOften, after the torture I was subjected to, I USED TO SCREAM and ASK for A LITTLE WATER.
โThe very same man used to come every time and URINATE ON MY HEAD INSTEADโ.
โSo I found him scared, trembling, expecting me to reciprocate now, at least in the same way, either by torturing him or imprisoning him as I AM NOW THE PRESIDENT of the STATE OF SOUTH AFRICA.โ
โBUT THIS IS NOT MY CHARACTER NOR PART OF MY ETHICSโ
โThe MENTALITY of RETALIATION DESTROYS STATES, while the MENTALITY of TOLERANCE BUILDS NATIONS.โ
โThe WEAK can NEVER FORGIVE โฆ FORGIVENESS is the attribute of the STRONGโ.
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