You guys are ruthless, I'll tell you the whole back story. My ex wife was from South Africa. Her family introduced me to the customs and culture (they where white) they spoke very highly of Mandela. I became interested in him and looked into his accomplishments and read his book "a long walk to freedom". It's a excellent book and I hjighly recommend it. The quote
No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.
Really stuck with me for some reason, it could be being raised in racist family in Texas and then serving with some of the greatest guys I'll ever will know. It changed my out look on race and people in general. I'll be the first to admit that ideology that you are brought up with are hard to shake and some times I fall back into the old mindset. But the tattoo is a reminder to not make a judgment just because of someone race.
If you read the book that kinda the whole point of it. He took hate he had for other and others hate for him and was able to turn it around a change for the better. 30 years in a 6x6 ceil and he still came out with love and forgiveness fir those who put him away. That for me is somthing to look up to