OFFICIAL
STATEMENT FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
THE PRESIDENT: At his trial in 1964, Nelson
Mandela closed his statement from the dock saying, “I have fought against white
domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the
ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in
harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for
and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
And Nelson Mandela lived for
that ideal, and he made it real. He achieved more than could be expected of any
man. Today, he has gone home. And we have lost one of the most influential,
courageous, and profoundly good human beings that any of us will share time
with on this Earth. He no longer belongs to us — he belongs to the ages.
Through his fierce dignity and
unbending will to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others, Madiba
transformed South Africa — and moved all of us. His journey from a prisoner to
a President embodied the promise that human beings — and countries — can change
for the better. His commitment to transfer power and reconcile with those who
jailed him set an example that all humanity should aspire to, whether in the
lives of nations or our own personal lives. And the fact that he did it all
with grace and good humor, and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections,
only makes the man that much more remarkable. As he once said, “I am not a
saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
I am one of the countless
millions who drew inspiration from Nelson Mandela’s life. My very first
political action, the first thing I ever did that involved an issue or a policy
or politics, was a protest against apartheid. I studied his words and his
writings. The day that he was released from prison gave me a sense of what
human beings can do when they’re guided by their hopes and not by their fears.
And like so many around the globe, I cannot fully imagine my own life without
the example that Nelson Mandela set, and so long as I live I will do what I can
to learn from him.
To Graça Machel and his family,
Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude for sharing this
extraordinary man with us. His life’s work meant long days away from those who
loved him the most. And I only hope that the time spent with him these last few
weeks brought peace and comfort to his family.
To the people of South Africa,
we draw strength from the example of renewal, and reconciliation, and resilience
that you made real. A free South Africa at peace with itself — that’s an
example to the world, and that’s Madiba’s legacy to the nation he loved.
We will not likely see the
likes of Nelson Mandela again. So it falls to us as best we can to forward the
example that he set: to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love; to
never discount the difference that one person can make; to strive for a future
that is worthy of his sacrifice.
For now, let us pause and give
thanks for the fact that Nelson Mandela lived — a man who took history in his
hands, and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice. May God Bless his
memory and keep him in peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment