Nelson Mandela: "It always seems impossible until it is done."

A piece of honorary memory from a student. Learning to craft words of summary and honor is a challenge. Well done, A.R.G.

Nelson Mandela: "It always seems impossible until it is done."

By A.R.G., Fifth grade

    I now find myself in the rather odd position of having to write an obituary for the first time, but  there are many obituaries on this subject, so thankfully I'm not the first to do this. I'd like to take a minute to remember the man they called Tata Madeba or 'father'. His real name of course was Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, President of South Africa and in my opinion one of the greatest civil rights leaders of all time. He lead the African National Congress (ANC) in non-violent resistance to the brutal race laws called apartheid in South Africa, but in the end had to resort to violence. For this he was tried and sentenced to life in prison. But in 1990 South African president F.W. de Klerk announced that Mandella would be released from prison after 27 years.

    In 1994 Mandela was elected the first black president of South Africa. He demanded that everyone who  had committed crimes during the years of apartheid confess to their wrongs. Once they had done that they were free to go. No retribution, no revenge, just simple forgiveness. It is, to me, positively incredible that this man who had been wronged so many times  could just forgive the people who wronged him.

    He faced insurmountable odds and won through determination and perseverance. He changed the world for the better. As he said, "It always seems impossible until it is done." After retiring from office after one term in 1999 his health began to fail. He suffered from lung infections for many years, probably caused by his decades in prison. Unfortunately, Nelson Mandela died last Month at his home in Houghton, South Africa. He was 95.