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South Africans, and millions of more people around the world, are waiting anxiously for more word about Nelson Mandela and praying for the former president and anti-apartheid icon.

Mandela, 94, remains in critical condition at a hospital in Pretoria where he's being treated for a recurring respiratory infection.

The word from South African President Jacob Zuma on Monday was that "doctors are doing everything possible to ensure his well being and comfort," South Africa's News 24 reports.

But as NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports from Pretoria, Zuma's spokesman, Mac Maharaj, added that: "Let's hope that he's able to improve, but at the same time, let us appreciate that [Mandela's condition] is critical."

And the BBC writes that "a senior official said South Africans should not hold out 'false hopes.' " The news network's Karen Allen "reports from outside the Pretoria hospital that the mood in the country is somber, and reality is sinking in."

Mandela, NPR's Jason Beaubien reminds us, was born in a country that viewed him as a second-class citizen. But from his childhood as a herd boy, Mandela went on to lead the African National Congress' struggle against the racially oppressive, apartheid regime of South Africa. For his efforts, he spent 27 years behind bars as a political prisoner, finally being released in 1990.

In 1993, Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with former South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk — the nation's last white leader. They were recognized for "their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa."

Then, in 1994, Mandela was elected president in South Africa's first democratic elections. He pledged to serve just one term and left office in 1999.

Nelson Mandela, the former South African president and anti-apartheid leader, is in critical condition in a hospital in Pretoria where he was admitted two weeks ago with a recurring respiratory infection.

A statement from South African President Jacob Zuma said the 94-year-old Mandela's condition had become critical over the past 24 hours.

"The doctors are doing everything possible to get his condition to improve and are ensuring that Madiba is well-looked after and is comfortable. He is in good hands," said Zuma, referring to Mandela by his clan name.

NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports that Zuma has also met with Mandela's wife, Graca Machel, to discuss his health.

Mandela, a Noble Peace Prize laureate, was rushed to the hospital on June 8, but was reportedly stranded for 40 minutes en route after his ambulance broke down.

On Saturday, Zuma's office confirmed that an ambulance that transported Mandela had been disabled. Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Mandela was transferred to another military ambulance for the remainder of the journey between Johannesburg and the Medi-Clinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria.

He did not say how long the trip to the hospital took, but said "all care" was taken to ensure that Mandela's medical condition was not compromised.

Mandela's lung problems date from his long imprisonment at Robben Island near Cape Town, where he spent 27 years for his anti-apartheid activities before being released in 1990.

In 1994, Mandela became South Africa's first black president.

Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid insist gun control legislation is not dead — they say they're strategizing on how to bring the issue back to the Senate floor.

Even if it does return, one proposal unlikely to survive is an assault-weapons ban. Military-style assault rifles now form a nearly $1 billion industry supported by gun owners who spend thousands of dollars collecting these firearms.

And while the gun-rights lobby keeps invoking the right of "self-defense" to defend Americans' right to buy these guns, home protection is low on the list of reasons gun enthusiasts keep buying military-style weapons.

'They Picture You As Some Kind Of Militant Freak'

There's a lot of name-calling in the gun control debate. Gun control advocates are slammed as the elitist, urban liberals who want to take everyone's guns away. Gun rights people are accused of being paranoid rednecks who think the government is out to get them. And then there are the special labels reserved for people who love their assault rifles.

"You know, they picture you as some kind of militant freak. And that's not me," says Mike Collins, who owns more than a dozen military-style rifles with his wife.

Collins wants you to understand something: He is a rational, intelligent, regular guy.

"I spent 27 years in the military," he says. "I defended this country all over the world. I've been in multiple combat tours. I'm not a nut. I'm not a crazy guy. I'm just a normal person who enjoys shooting."

And for Collins, target-practicing with an AR-15 is a hobby.

Next to Collins at the shooting range at Clark Brothers Gun Shop in Warrenton, Va., is Jason Glascock, who says if more Americans knew what it was like to shoot these weapons, they would see these guns can actually be good, clean fun.

"The AR — it's America's gun. It's what our troops carry. It's been our military firearm," Glascock says. "It's our, if you will, symbol around the world, this gun."

The fully automatic version of this gun — the M-16 — was introduced by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. The AR-15 is semiautomatic, which means you need to squeeze the trigger for each bullet.

Glascock was 3 years old when he started shooting a .22 caliber with his grandfather. By 5 years old, he moved on to shotguns. He started collecting military-style guns when he turned 18, and he just built an AR-15 for his 19-year-old son last Christmas.

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On "The Booger-Eater" and childhood bullying

"Originally I wanted to call this Summer of the Booger-Eater ... 'The Booger-Eater' is an important character in here in that he's sort of Rafe's first real friend.

" ... It's a big deal to me, beyond physical bullying, verbal bullying. ... With this kid, you know, he was nicknamed 'The Booger-Eater' when he was 3 or 4 years old, and it stuck with him. And that happens to kids. They kind of get a caricature and it's very hard for them to get away from it."

On whether writing for young readers requires "a certain number of flatulence jokes"

"I mostly have stayed away from it, but I just couldn't resist it. It just seemed to fit into a summer camp situation. Generally I don't try to take the easy way out with humor, but there is a 'Bombardier' in there, and it's pretty funny, I think."

On why reading is important for young people

"What I'm really addicted to is getting people to understand that if their kids aren't competent readers coming out of middle school, it's really going to be hard for them in high school. They're going to have trouble getting through. Kids don't read as much as you'd like them to, just in terms of seeing the world from different perspectives. I mean, that's the great thing about books, still. Here's television, here are the movies, and it's pretty limited in terms of the perspectives. But books, it's still, there's so many different ways to look at life, so many different stories, and books are still the best place to get that kind of diversity."

James Patterson On NPR

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