Nelson Mandela

I have lived nothing short of a privileged life. I come from a loving family. I was given a free education. I was riding a bike - that was mine - by the time I was 6 years old. I was driving a car - that I owned - by the time I was 17. I was given the right to vote, and the opportunity to work and earn a living. My country allows me to live where I want and basically do what I want to do. In my 32 years I’ve never known anything but freedom.

Nelson Mandela spent the first 72 years of his life without many of the basic freedoms I know… and he spent most of that time trying to get them, not only for himself, but for everyone in South Africa. His speeches and writings inspired millions to stand up against the European government and its system of apartheid. By 1964 the ruling white party realised the only way to thwart the African National Congress (ANC) movement for equality was to throw as many of them into jail as possible... and that’s where Mandela stayed for the next 27 years. Nelson Mandela was a moving speaker and an even better writer from what I can tell. I just finished a book called ‘Nelson Mandela: The Struggle is My Life’. It’s a collection of his speeches and writings. I was astonished by his command of the English language. It’s no wonder so many people rallied around him. At the age of 34, after graduating with a law degree, he became Deputy President of the ANC. The ANC fought against the apartheid government, mostly through non-violent protest, until South Africa finally gained its freedom in 1994. Nelson Mandela was accused of sabotage and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964. Imagine being told you would spend the rest of your life behind bars because you sought equality among people. Mandela was a major threat to the ruling racist government. That’s essentially what it boils down to and why he was imprisoned. He was released in 1990, and eventually became the free country’s first president. The thing I suppose I’m most impressed with is his composure, and ability to suppress his anger. Those who were close to him in prison say you didn’t see him get angry, or rant about the wrongs done to him. He just kept talking and planning over what their next move should be. And after 27 years in prison for committing no real crime he wanted no revenge. He didn’t want the leaders of the former government rounded up and jailed. He just wanted a new beginning. This is a man who suffered for the betterment of his people and sought no recognition. He sought only justice and peace.

What is suffering? What does it feel like? Will someone of my background ever really know? I want to understand what people who suffer go through. What was it like to be a Jew in Germany during World War II? What was it like to be hunted by your own countrymen in a genocidal war like that of Rwanda? What’s it like to be stripped of basic human rights based on the colour of your skin? Part of me feels like I’ve missed something by not suffering. I think we learn a great deal through our most painful times. If I had suffered I think I would have more wisdom, more passion, and more empathy. I guess I feel I would have more to offer had I suffered.