Nelson "Madiba" Mandela passed away at 95 years old. I started this the day after his death but am finishing it today after seeing the movie "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" based on his phenomenal autobiography. As crazy as it sounds being overly sad at the death of someone almost a century old, it was very sad news for me when I heard it. My first memories of Mandela were learning of his election to the presidency of South Africa and the effect it had on his country and the world as a whole. As I learned more, the most amazing part of the man's story was his ability to forgive and truly push peace and reconciliation after being stripped of everything by the system of apartheid. But until recently (I'm grown now) I still never asked the question: what exactly was he imprisoned for? Not long before his death, I researched and learned that he was imprisoned for actions to sabotage that would be widely considered domestic terrorism against the establishment; such as bombing unmanned logistical targets to weaken government communication or resources. He started out pushing non-violent resistance but was pushed to take a more extreme position after repeated incidents of innocent Black South Africans (including women and children) being killed by Afrikaner soldiers. While in prison, the institution imprisoned and tortured his wife, Winnie, to the point where she took a more extreme position than he had; she was advocating all out war and murder of Black Africans who cooperated with the whites. By the time he was released, it was inevitable that all-white rule could not sustain much longer in South Africa. Violence was rampant, Black South Africans were looking for revenge and expected Madiba to be the military leader for the revenge effort beside his wife. But something unexpected happened in the hell that is prison, Mandela emerged championing forgiveness and reconciliation. This was not popular and drove him away from his wife; however he did what was difficult. And he did what was right. Gradually, the angry population, out of trust for Madiba, followed suit and have formed the much more unified nation. It was a lesson that the world could benefit from and he will always be seen as a foremost warrior for forgiveness and peace. He will never die in our hearts. If I could, I'd rename the Nobel Peace Prize after him. Rest in Peace Madiba.
No comments:
Post a Comment