I'm sure we've all heard that on December 5th, 2013, Nelson Mandela passed away. Unfortunately, he passed away at a very unfortunate time for Paul Walker. Just for a second, before I launch into why Mandela's life is worth remembering, I'd like to talk about how not to honor someone in death via Paul Walker and Nelson Mandela. They both died. They've both gotten equal amounts of recognition. Except that we've used Nelson Mandela's death to belittle Paul Walker, who was a son, a father and a charitable man, not just an actor. The world lost two good men, and I highly doubt Mandela would appreciate how his death has been used to make others feel ashamed.
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| This is not okay. |
For those of you who don't know, Mandela was the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, but not before winning a Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Additionally, Mandela is to South Africa as Obama is to America. At least when it comes to people getting their heads out of their asses and realizing that skin color doesn't make a bit of difference when it comes to intelligence and leadership capabilities, or anything else for that matter. As far as their rule... well, that remains to be seen where Obama is concerned. However, Mandela used his time in office to fight against racism, poverty and all types of inequality.
What makes all of this extraordinary is that Mendela was once regarded as a traitor because of his actions as a member of the African National Congress. In 1964, Mandela was sentenced to life in prison, and wasn't released until 1990. (To put it into perspective, I like to think of it this way: in my 25 years, I haven't yet outlived the length of his sentence.) Mandela's entire political life was spent leading the fighting against apartheid, sometimes more peacefully than others. When he and his comrades were waiting to be sentenced, "they agreed that even if sentenced to hang, they would refuse on principle to appeal." That's pretty badass.
Nelson Mandela's accomplishments in life were many, and there are few who can stand next to him and claim they have done half as much. We are better people, a better world, for having him in it. Rest in peace.
If you have some extra time, here are some stories I found interesting (or silly) that didn't make the cut:
News on Detroit's recent bankruptcy.
CNN thought it was important to let us know the Pope was once a bouncer.
Did you know that Microsoft is developing a bra that will text you, telling you to avoid the kitchen because you're too stressed? That's right, a health-concious bra that teaches you not to stress-eat. Read the hilarious article here: This smart bra will stop you from eating your feelings. Ladies, rejoice!
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/06/world/africa/nelson-mandela_obit.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0
Lastly, I've noticed recently that a lot of my pictures are no longer able to be viewed, not just from long-ago posts, but from recent ones too. This is unfortunate since I post a lot of pictures. I'll do my best to replace what I can, but I simply don't have all the pictures any more.
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