As the story goes...
Once the Facebook World caught wind of condolence statements from Texas Senator Ted Cruz & Former GOP Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, the backlash created from years of hate-mongering turned right back at these two influential leaders. Supporters cried foul-accusing both leaders of losing their way. Mindless Tea Party supporters couldn't believe that Cruz & Gingrich would have anything good to say about a fearless Black Leader. All sorts of Ignorant & Unfounded Allegations were made against Nelson Mandela's Legacy-and the Republican Leadership was accused of supporting it. And while Cruz apparently remained silent, Gingrich hit back HARD.
Gingrich advised that people were confusing Mandela's work with others within the African National Congress; and asserted that most of the violence from the ANC happened while Mandela was in prison. Newt went on to state that Mandela was "deeply committed to a nonviolent approach, until you had a South African Dictatorship...which made it impossible to have anything that was purely nonviolent." In another statement, Newt went on to compare Mandela to the Founding Fathers and those who took up arms at Lexington and Concord in the Revolutionary War. Gingrich has a long history as a Mandela supporter; as he was among the many Republicans in Congress who pressured the then-President Ronald Reagan to impose sanctions on the South Africa during the Apartheid Regime's Rule.
What did Newt & Ted actually Say? Well Ted Cruz intimated that Nelson Mandela was an "Inspiration to the Defenders of Liberty." Gingrich more eloquently advised that Mandela was "one of the greatest leaders of our lifetime." In response, Facebook users accused Mandela of being everything from a Communist, to the Prince of Darkness, to a murderer.
But as Newt himself said, "What would you do?" In the week since Newt's response, it appears that the rationale of what one would be required to do-in the face of violent oppression-has at least temporarily shut down some of the backlash from his one-time supporters. Or maybe it's just that they are busy with some of their other scandals. Lol.