to honor a legacy

Upon hearing about the death of 95 year old Nelson Mandela, I was overcome by sadness, as millions of others around the world were as well. A student of international studies, concentrating in Africa, and centralizing my career goals towards human rights advocacy, for me, Mandela stood as a prominent figure, if not the leading figure, in my learned global paradigm.

On December 9th, 2013, thousands of people, including 91 heads of state, gathered in Soccer City (the stadium where Mandela gave his last public speech in 2010) to honor his life and achievements for South Africa and the world. Mandela united political and racial adversaries, led his country out of decades of apartheid and inspired peace through conflict reconciliation and consultation. The international response to Nelson Mandela's death or his life rather, has been overwhelming. People near and far have shown their gratitude to a man, who most never met, but who directly or indirectly affected their lives.

As a nation with rich racial history, the United States has much to learn from the likes of Mandela. Especially, living in the conservative south, I have been surrounded by people who share a political ideology less liberal than that of my own. I chose that diversity when I chose to live in this state. I chose to adapt to a culture which leans towards conservatism, however, I won't deny that it is tiresome to constantly battle what I might call regressive creed for the sake of progression. That being said, since Mandela's death, I have seen many exhibitions of praise and exaltation for this incredible man, but I have also seen acts that solicit a condemnation of Mandela's "radical" (read: not American) ideology. The issue here is that people can't seem to wrap their mind around accepting different outlets to success. Mandela's life inspired the largest gathering of heads of state since Winston Churchill's funeral. He was impressive, inspiring and a symbol for the freedom and equality of all. Let his legacy remain as such.

"If there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America. They don't care for human beings."

I'd really be interested to hear a logical and factually dense argument against this. Truly. Put down your American pride (arrogance), your M16 and try to see our global democratic campaign for what it actually is. What U.S. presence means in a country is less than positive. The way U.S. promotion breaks cultures, dismantles economies and acts only by self-interest, is unspeakable. And your response, "but we can't take care of the whole world! someone else should step in for once!" Nope, that is the role WE adopted when WE decided to assume that WE are the 'leaders of the free world', so to speak. It's in the job description. A problem that the U.S. is going to confront in coming years is a shift of power throughout other nations. Whether the conversation includes GDP, military, or politics, adjustments will have to be made that allow for a bigger world stage.

"Long live the Cuban Revolution. Long live comrade Fidel Castro."

Yes, Mandela governed with a pseudo-Communist ideology. Is that wrong? As far as his governance, he used Communist ideals to delineate a system operating on racial inequality in favor of a nation rebuilt on equality. Selflessly, Mandela didn't want to demobilize the white operating elites that had suppressed blacks for decades. He spoke out against social conditions, fighting for "no unemployment, no poverty and starvation, disease and ignorance, no colonies or wars."

I would wonder why or how he wouldn't support other revolutions, as he lived in a country and led a revolution based on his intellect. Jailed for 27 years, his time allowed him to reflect on progress rather than act on anger. President Obama is catching hell in the media for shaking hands with Raul Castro at Nelson Mandela's memorial service. May their handshake stand as a testament for Mandela's ability to unite adversaries rather than as a political err by President Obama. He should shake Castro's hand, for hopefully he knows he's on the right side of history. (All of this being said...I know that Fidel Castro and Nelson Mandela's grasp on freedom are polar.)

It's preachy and maybe pushy - I know. But I want Nelson Mandela's legacy to reign forever. For his symbol to never fade. For world leaders to emulate him. Most importantly, Mandela's motivations were driven with a sense of urgency, to change things for the better as soon as possible in order to ameliorate life for people. This we cannot forget as we respectively fight for equality in all of the countries we call home. Whether its women's rights, ending LGBT, religious or disability discrimination, or even fighting against racial discrimination that still occurs every day, do it with urgency. For the 90 year old homosexual who wants to be married before they pass. For the man or woman with a physical deformity or mental handicap who wants go to sleep every night feeling accepted. For the white, black or purple man who wants to be valued for his humanity, not his color. Imagine it's you up against the odds fighting for what everyone deserves - a free world like Nelson Mandela pictured.