California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

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Mandela is Dead, but His Spirit Lives On

Last Thursday, a man died; but it was not just any man. This man changed the destiny of an entire nation by standing up for more than 27 years for what he believed in. The one people would call “Madiba,” was not only a pillar for an entire nation, but a great inspiration for an entire planet.

At this point, you’ve probably read or heard a lot about Nelson Mandela’s life and great achievements in every traditional, social or alternative media.

You might have talked about him in school, in your workplace or with your friends and family. You might have even read a few fake inspirational quotes that were supposedly from him that circulated on the web.

You might also have watched Clint Eastwood’s film “Invictus” to learn more about him, because you wanted to know what was all that fuss about—and what was up with all those jokes about Morgan Freeman.

I realize now that a lot of people barely knew who Nelson Mandela was, and why it is that he was so important. While this might sound blunt, I think it was his time to go. Let me explain myself before you stop reading this.

Of course we all wish that those we love lived forever, but the sad truth is, they don’t. Nelson Mandela was 95 years old and suffering from a terrible lung infection that made every day another fight.

I think that he fought enough in his life; he deserves a little rest now. While the entire world, myself included, is grieving his death, a whole new less informed group of people gets to know why “Madiba” was so special.

Not only do they learn about the incredible man he was, but they also learn about the terrifying concept that is apartheid. I think that his death is actually good in a way, because it allows a whole new generation to learn about his journey.

Nelson Mandela is a great example of what a good revolution is. Like Gandhi, Ho Chi Minh, Che Guevara, Aung San Suu Kyi, Martin Luther King, and many others, he is more than a man. He is a symbol, an ideal, and somehow, a spiritual guide. A symbol never really dies. As long as we talk about them they are still alive.

That is why I say, talk about Nelson Mandela, talk about Che Guevara and Gandhi, mourn their deaths, but also celebrate their minds, actions and ideals. That way, they are never really dead.

I also think, on the other hand, that while we celebrate those rebellious spirits and the way they changed the world, we should also not forget they were just human beings.

Why? First, those men all had grey areas. We now know that Gandhi was beating his wife, and that Che Guevara executed hundreds of officials after the Cuban revolution.

And while this reminder of how flawed they were is extremely painful, it also gives me hope. We will also probably learn about some of Mandela’s grey areas in a few years too. And while I do not support those behaviors, I think it is good that we are aware that they existed.

In the end, it means that everybody can be Nelson Mandela. A single man, with flaws and all, changed the fate of his country, why can’t you do the same?

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Mandela is Dead, but His Spirit Lives On