Free Nelson Mandela (From Police Harassment)

So, I was watching the news the other day, when I saw the story about Nelson Mandela being released from hospital. Well, I have to tell you that I was outraged by what I saw - things clearly haven't moved on much in South Africa despite the end of apartheid. I mean, there was the poor guy being driven away from the hospital, when his car is surrounded by no less than four police cars! They were clearly out to intimidate him, they had their lights flashing and continued to pursue him until they went out of sight of the TV cameras. I daresay that after that they pulled him over, searched his car, possibly cited him for a bogus traffic violation - a broken rear light that the bastards smashed themselves is an old favourite - and, in a worse case scenario, might even have roughed him up.

I think you'll agree that this sort of thing is pretty disturbing. I really thought we'd seen the end of this sort of thing: police harassment of a black man with radical political views. What makes it worse was the number of policemen they had to deploy to try and intimidate a single 93 year old man! It was like the Rodney King business all over again! At least the Rampart Division of the LAPD cleaned up its act after that - they only ever used a maximum of two cops to beat up black suspects, and one of them had to be from an ethnic minority. As I haven't seen any follow up stories, showing Mandela's wrecked car, or even the former ANC leader himself showing the press his injuries, I can only assume another establishment cover up. Of course, there are those of you out there who will undoubtedly think that, once again, I've completely misinterpreted another news report. But I beg to differ.