8 Responses to

1. artsifrtsy says:

   September 29, 2012 at 2:18 am

   He’s always been one of my heroes too. Such determination and integrity.

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   • russtowne says:

     September 29, 2012 at 3:52 pm

     Cool.

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2. billgncs says:

   September 29, 2012 at 4:12 am

   When I was growing up, he was considered a terrorist. Somehow in the 1990’s happened upon a book called “True confessions of an albino terrorist” about a white South African man imprisoned and often in solitary confinement for his public stand against apartheid. It was there I saw the the possibility that the press in the US had painted Nelson Mandela man wrongly.

   Then when Mandela was released after his long imprisonment, his support of reconciliation reminded me of another great man, Abraham Lincoln when Lincoln reached out in compassion to the South following the battle of Antietam.

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   • russtowne says:

     September 29, 2012 at 4:19 pm

     I wasn’t aware of of the interesting info you mentioned in your first paragraph. Thank you for sharing it.

     I agree that Mandela and Lincoln shared many positive traits, and I greatly honor Lincoln too. Sadly, for Lincoln, he carried the weight and perhaps guilt and anguish that he wasn’t able to avoid the the terrible bloodshed and was even blamed for it by many. I I believe–and suspect that he did too–that his weakness in selecting the top general for much of the war was largely responsible for the prolonged suffering on both sides. As you probably know, but perhaps some of our readers outside the U.S. may not, the north had virtually insurmountable advantages that a commanding general of Lee’s–and even Grant’s (though I view him as the lesser-skilled of the two generals)–caliber could have fairly quickly put to good use to end the war. Lincoln kept making terrible decisions regarding the succession of men to lead the Union Army. When US Grant was finally selected he used the overwhelming resources of the north to bludgeon the south into submission.

     I suspect that Lee knew what he could do with the north’s resources and had to know at some level that his decision to join the south cost the lives of tens of thousands–perhaps hundreds of thousands of brave young men. What a terrible burden he carried, and what a terrible choice he had to make regarding being loyal to his state and nearly all his family and friends or to his country. I greatly honor him not only as a soldier and general but more importantly to me, as a kind, honest, strong, determined, compassionate, courageous, and humble man of integrity.

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     • billgncs says:

       September 29, 2012 at 5:41 pm

       yes, with Grant they spent men’s lives like pennies. I often thought what a burden that must have been.

       Have you been to Normandy? Eisenhower faced the same kind of decision. Before they gave the OK, it is said he closed his eyes for a few seconds and considered the options before saying yes. Afterwards he was told he sat motionless for 5 minutes and didn’t believe the tale.

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       • russtowne says:

         September 29, 2012 at 8:08 pm

         I’ve only been to Normandy in my minds-eye, and that has been close enough to date. I feel the tragedy and galantry from here. And of so many batttlefields throughout history where brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice.

         Thank you for sharing the info regarding Eisenhower. I didn’t know that story. I’ve studied a lot of military history to get a better understanding of why humanity continues to keep choosing to go to war and mainly to be reassured that no mattered how awful a conflict it is that there are some who rise above it, never letting the conflict make them hate or turn their enemies into evil monsters in their minds.

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         • billgncs says:

           September 29, 2012 at 9:37 pm

           it as if a cultural insanity overtakes us, and then emotions spent a semblance of peace breaks out while we rest.

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           • russtowne says:

             September 30, 2012 at 2:36 am

             Yes. Or a new generation who has not been scarred by war are pumped up and primed to be sent to the next “glorious” war by by powerful old men, and now sometimes women. Unfortunately, there are still “winners” of most wars. And as usual they aren’t the ones doing the fighting the the dying. Until the winners no longer have something to gain or until the vast majority of potential fighters refuse to bear arms against their fellow man, war will persist. To me, war is a crime against humanity, sod if humanity ever decides to consistently prosecute those who send people to their deaths on the battlefield and elsewhere, then we have a chance to have wars begin to gradually fade into history.

             Russ

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