How Is Klerk And Nelson Mandela Alike

Some people can seem pretty similar but are actually very different in many ways. In this essay i will be comparing and contrasting Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk's nobel peace prize acceptance speeches. They were two men, winning the same prize, on the same day, but both live in two different worlds. F.W. de Klerk missed his opportunity to speak on the reason he won the nobel peace prize, Nelson Mandela on the other hand took his opportunity. F.W. de Klerk missed his opportunity to give a speech on why he won the prize, he instead went on a rant about the worlds history of war and violence. Nelson Mandela took his opportunity to give a speech. He spoke about the reason he was standing where he was that day and the horrors of apartheid and
de Klerk referred to the apartheid only 3 times in a 9 page speech. Nelson Mandela refferred to the apartheid 19 times in a 5 page speech. F.W. de Klerk was making a political speech, but Mr. Mandela gave a plea and reasons for change. Mr. de Klerk dedicated his address to those that work for change and peace but only mentioned them at the end of his speech. Mandela spoke consistently about those fighting for change. It was obvious that the two men actually did come from two different worlds. de Klerk from wealth and privilege who sat atop the apartheid systems. Mr. Mandela was put in jail for arguing against that wealth and privilege that was the apartheid system. This evident when critiqueing their nobel lectures. F.W. de Klerk began his address and continued on about human history of wars and conflict. He then said the only end to that was free markets, capitalism, the rule of law and democracy. He finished by thanking his supporters and talked about the coming election between him and mandela. You would think that a man winning the nobel peace prize would concentrate his thoughts on things like the meaning of the prize, or the reasons he was chosen and what that all meant in historical terms. But he left that to Nelson
Mr. de Klerk spoke mostly about a world in constant conflict and of its only chance of rebirth was through "economic growth, generated by the free market will transform societies". Also, "universal peace is the peace we derive from our faith in god almighty". Mr. Mandela spoke almost exclusively about apartheid. Mr. de Klerk chose to use this day to say: "The intervening years (since Alfred Nobel's death) witnessed the most dreadful wars and carnage in the long and violent history of mankind". Also, "peace is a frame of mind when people resolve their differences by agreements, negotiations, and compromise. By rules and laws and checks and balances". And, "Apartheid broke down by the pressure of the millions of people moving to our cities and becoming part of our economy". Nelson Mandela began his speech by congratulating Mr. de Klerk and said "Together, we join two distinguished South Africans, Chief Albert Luthuli and Arch bishop Desmond Tutu in the peaceful struggle against the evil system of apartheid." Then said "We stand here today as nothing more than representatives of the millions of people who dared to rise up." It was the contrast of the visions and the gravity of the moment and the importance of what one should convey at this critical moment in history that was so striking. One man so firmly planted in the past, trying to sound statey while understanding the politics of the moment. The other, scarred and sadened by the past but with great