Nelson Mandela still needs to get special permission to enter the United States. He is still on the list of terrorists that our government has compiled. It seems as if we've never gotten around to officially changing our policy against him and the African National Congress.
It's a painful reminder of our shameful support of the pro-apartheid South African government until the mid 1980's. When the South African government declared Mandela and his counterparts at the ANC terrorists, the United States also conformed to the policy and restricted his travel.
However, it is also a positive reminder that our government is one that can heal itself and rectify past mistakes. When Ronald Reagan vetoed the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, his veto was overriden. This marked the first time in the 20th century that a president had a foreign policy veto over turned.
