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WHfTBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28,1990, PAGE 7 PAGESEVEN- 1GREAT LEADERS It takes a lot of people to nieke a successfil revolution and events of the last yeer bave gîven plenty of exemples. I every movement there are leaders and followers, ideelists and pragmatista, watcbers and doers, heroes and hellions, egotists and altruists, saintseand sinners. Each plays bis role. Without effective leadership thougb, there will be no foilowers, and without followers there is no revolution. Sorne of the revolutions of the past year occurred so fast that leadersbip was tbrust very hurriedly on people who were visibly iil-prepared, and only tume wili tell if the confidence of their peple cen be sustained or was justified. However, two narnes stand out as great leaders. Although tbey live on different continents and are fighting quite different battles, they are very similar. Their battles 'ave been, and coinue to be, long, arduous and painful. Given all the hype of the last few yeers, the release of Nelson Mandela from prison efter twenty-seven years bebind bars could bave been completely anti.clirnactic. Yet, in bis flrst few day of freedom, he has shown such awesome qualities of leadàersbip that it was obvious why the South Arcan goverrnent bas feered him so rnuch - not bis advcayo violence, bt rather bis ability to rally bis people. Teother ret leader of the last few years is Lech Walesa. Like Madelà bis struggle bas en a long one wth many yeers spent in jail. Beginning as an electrician in the Gdansk sbipyard, he rose te prorninence on the simple demand that the workers there should bave a. sa . inho they were treated. The vebicle of proteat was an inependent trede union, as untbinkable in cornrunist Polend as a black person baving the vote in South Africa. Ten years later bis simple revolution for comnion justice bas spreed ecyoss the rest of eastern Europe. At the beginning of any revolution men like Mandela and Walesa are simply troublernakers. "Sit down and be quiet before y ou get us ail into trouble." They are teken seriously only efter every formi of subtle intimidation bas been tried endfailed. Jailing or worse is the only way te silence those who adhere unswervingly to principlea - especieily populer principles. Mandela spent an extra five years in jail R*mply because he refused to renounce violence as a means of Îaébeving bis goals. I the end, he won - bis releese was unconditional. The wfllingness of both Mandela and Walesa to sacrifice everyting - even their lives - for their cause provided the inspiration that kept their revolutions alive. SouthMnfrca and Poland eventually reelized tbat their prisoners were just as potent bebind bars as they were on the outside. The unassurning power of these two rnen'spersonalities bas kept their countries froni bloodshed. As little as six montbs ago, most observers were expecting a bloodbatb in Soutb Africa, but now for the first time in years, there is a sense that it can be avoided. It takes great causes te develop great leaders and as a result, we in North Arnerica find it bard to appreciate the depth of emotion tbat these two leaders bave sperked in tbeir people. We are far too coniforteble with the statua quo te risk rnucb for a cause. We talk a lot about tex revoîts and tbe like but bow many of us really do it - how rnany of us will risk goingr to jeil for a principle? We're complecent folks whom tbe goverrnent cen trod on at will. Oh, sure, we complein a lot and we tell tbe polisters we bate the governrnent more tban weve bated any otber goverrnent ever before, but sure as sbooting we'll vote for them agein in the next election. 'Dont rock tbe boat!" - tbat's what makes tbe status quo tbe statua quo. But once ini awbile a leader stands up and says "beat me and intimidate me as mucb as you like, and fine nme or put me in jail, but I will- not do as you say because it is wrong;" and firat a few, and then a few more corne forward to beck bim up. Thats bow great plitical changes begin. There are extremely fewre=lY great leaders. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King are two tbat corne reedily te mind. Both were assassinated; both would bave said tbey failed, but their followers rejoice in their succeas. Death is no deterrant te such men. It is interesting that nmen like Gandhi, King and Walesa bave shunned direct poitical power, and it seerna likely that Mandela will likewise play the role of statesman rather than poiticel leader. They recognize tbat leadership cornes ini many forma. Once the principles are won, it requires a different type cf leader to turn them into reelity. Walesa and Mandela will remein the symboic leaders. By staying aloof froni the munlndaine and potentially unpopular day-te-day operation cf g mi BALDWIN STRET LOOK1NG SOUTE, BROORLIN, C. 1910 The large brick building at right is the T. J. Holiday store, the largest store in Brooln.The next building south is the Brooklin House Hotel, now the headquarters of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 152. The building at centre was A. C. Eliott's general store, derolished in 1972. Whitby-Arddvo phloto 10 YEARS AGO from the WededaFbruar 27, 1980 edition of the j;" YPREEPRESS " A municipal bus service for Whitby will start on April 1 at a cost of $199,500. " Ken Marabail of Whitby bas received a Cluef Scout Award from Governor-General Ed Scbreyer. e The Royal Bank bas honored its oldest Whitby custoniers Mr. and Mrs. Victor Evans, who bave been banking there since the branch opened in 1958. " Whitby Rotary Club celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of Rotary Clubs. 25 YEARS AGO from the Thursday, February 25, 1965 edition of the WHITBY WEE]KLY NEWS " Wbitby General Hospital bas applied to the Ontario Hospital Servioes Commission for permission to build a 125-bed hospital. " Town Council bas returned the Wlutby Ambulance Service to Jack and Harry Town on a five-year contract. *Park Vista residents are opposing a town sewer tax. *Anderson I-gh School Drama Club presented Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" last week. 1L25 YEARS AGO fromn the Thursday, February 23, 1865 edition of the WHITBY CHRONICLE " Dr. Tucker wil deliver a lecture on Oliver Goldsmith at the Mechanics' Institute Hall tomorrow. " The Chronicle is having difficulty collecting unpaid accounts from its subscribers. le Richard T. Harrison, Whitby Township Clerk, sends reports on counicil meetings te the Chronicle. *Z. M. Williamson is tax collector for WÈhy Township and William Nicol is inspector of licences._ _ _j --U 1-À, )w