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* The story…
Former Illinois Gov. George Ryan says Nelson Mandela was instrumental in his 2003 decision to empty death row. […]
Ryan and Mandela met in 2000 on a trade mission to South Africa.
Ryan said Sunday to hearty applause that Mandela called him ahead of his decision to empty death row and it inspired him. Ryan drew national attention for emptying death row, which led to Illinois abolishing the death penalty in 2011.
* The back story…
Back in 2000, staff members for then-Gov. Ryan tried to get a meeting with Mandela during the trip but were rebuffed, Ryan recalled.
“We were told that Nelson Mandela was a busy man and that he only met with heads of nations and world leaders,” Ryan told the mostly full church at 6430 S. Harvard in Englewood.
But then someone in the trade group had an epiphany. Ryan, who met with Cuban leader Fidel Castro the previous year, had maintained friendly enough relations with the communist dictator that his staffers were comfortable asking a favor of Castro, who was a close ally of Mandela’s.
“The staff I had called back to Cuba, to Fidel Castro, who had a long personal, affectionate relationship with Nelson Mandela over the years and asked if he could put in a good word,” Ryan said. “Don’t you know what happened? We had a meeting.”
* And then…
Several years later, after Ryan had imposed a moratorium on the executions in Illinois, Mandela called him while Ryan was contemplating commuting the sentences of inmates on Death Row.
“I hadn’t decided what my decision was going to be, and Nelson Mandela called me from South Africa and asked me to do what I [eventually] did and it had an impact on my actions,” Ryan said.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 11:25 am
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An interesting “coming out party” to say the least.
Comment by A guy... Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 11:37 am
So a Republican Governor, a communist dictator and an accused terrorist walk into a bar…
How’s that for strange bedfellows?
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 11:41 am
Sounds like the beginning of a really bad joke: .”Governor Ryan, Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela walk into a bar . . . . “
Comment by East Central Illinois Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 11:46 am
47th Ward beat me to the punch.
Comment by East Central Illinois Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 11:46 am
Great minds East Central.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 11:55 am
Like him or not, George Ryan could get things done.
Comment by 100 Miles West Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 11:56 am
Ryan led a full life and has compelling stories to tell. I hope he continues to do so.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 12:21 pm
Mmmmhm. Planning to write a book, is he?
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 12:30 pm
I doubt that Mandela offered some compelling fact based information that Gov. Ryan had not had access to during their brief conversation. In fact, the turning point had to be the stroke of the Governor’s considerable ego that turned the tide in his decision to commute the sentences of death row inmates.
Comment by Stones Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 1:21 pm
===In fact, the turning point had to be===
Yes, right, because you can get inside his head and tells us “facts” that “had” to be true.
C’mon. That sort of hate doesn’t become you.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 1:24 pm
Point well taken Rich but the word “hate” would be a little strong. Dislike is probably a more appropriate description.
I am just surmising what took place during the contact between Mandela & Ryan.
Comment by Stones Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 2:29 pm
Yes, his book “Fidel, Nelson, and Me (but mostly Me).
What a weird cat that George. When he quit the Ryan Pharmacy in Kankakee, I’m not so sure all the inventory was left intact.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 2:39 pm
47th and East Central IL, include in your great minds club Brian Slodysko from the Sun Times who started his article out nearly the same way.
Comment by A guy... Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 4:17 pm
–Mmmmhm. Planning to write a book, is he? –
I hope he does. A real one. He’s on my short list of those I’d like to see write a candid accounting of his life and times, warts and all.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 5:45 pm
Thanks A Guy, I completely missed that S-T article. Slodysko beat us by half a day.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Dec 16, 13 @ 10:15 pm