Thinking about a person whom I consider a shining example to emulate, the name that comes immediately to my mind is Nelson Mandela. I lived in Africa when he was in jail, and his name was on everyone’s mind when talking about a moral example. Standing against apartheid, he spent 27 years in jail, sentenced by the South African apartheid regime for claiming equality for all. He stood up against every attempt to corrupt him and break him. Despite the support that he got from all African countries, he spent 27 years in a small jail, breaking stones that filled his lungs with chalk, refusing to be treated differently than his fellow inmates.
I visited his jail on Robben Island a few years ago, during a trip to South Africa. The guided tour was led by some of his former inmates. His cell was no more than 10x7 feet. But he didn’t break, and finally prevailed, and became the first Black president of South Africa. Pressed by his fellow citizens to take revenge on the white population of the country when he was finally released, he stood firm, refusing to make them pay for these years of misery, eager to unite the whole population of the country rather than castigating his torturers. He became an example and an inspiration, and when he came to this country on a state visit, I brought my daughter, who was then a student at George Washington University, to see him come out of his hotel in Washington.
There are very few statesmen who can be seen as role models, but Nelson Mandela surely was one of them. He paid dearly for standing up for his principles and deserves all the admiration he inspired in me.
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