Though only South Africans can legitimately claim "Madiba" as one of their own, Nelson Mandela was a widely loved figure whose death is being felt across the entire globe. Human beings of this sort are incredibly rare, and the accolades that will be heaped upon him for helping end the atrocious apartheid in South Africa will be fully deserved.
At the same time, we must not forget that Mr. Mandela was an imperfect human being. We should avoid the urge to deify him, as we have with other transformative world figures, such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Pope John Paul II -- not because they weren't great men, but simply because they were men.
For a substantial portion of his life, Mr. Mandela endorsed violence. The Jerusalem Post highlights this nefarious past:
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