Nelson Mandela suffered under a racist system that had unjustly punished him for years. When he finally was released and became the leader of South Africa he did not seek vengeance but rather brought the nation together. He did not resort to inciting his people to mindless opposition against those that had been in power. Gracious reaching out to those that had unfairly imprisoned him was the key to creating better race relations in his country.
Yesterday in a ceremony named after John McCain the president did not mention his name because of his petty vindictive attitude to anyone that opposes him. He could not for one moment bury his hostility to a dying man; who is in my humble opinion a true hero.To top off this deliberate slight he made fun of McCain at an event which encouraged booing of the Arizona senator.
Genuine leaders try to mend fences and appeal to the higher angels in our midst but Trump consistently publicly embarrasses himself by his inability to be compassionate and forgiving.