Leave Mandela alone
November 14th 2010 21:25
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Vyoos news
Major news agencies around the world, of which we obviously consider ourselves one, have undertaken to spread an important message regarding the the most-loved human being on Earth, Nelson Mandela.
The message is this: leave him alone
The plea comes from The Nelson Mandela Foundation, a social justice forum established by Mandela when he retired in 1999.
"Nelson Mandela receives at least 4000 messages a month from people throughout the world," the foundation says on its web page. "Many of these pay tribute to Mr Mandela and wish him well in his retirement. However, there are just as many requests for his signature, a message of support, a public appearance or an interview. There are also continued injunctions for him to intervene in struggles around the world, and to endorse various causes."
The trouble, the Foundation says, is that Mandela is 92 years old and no longer capable of carrying the weight of South Africa, let alone the world, on his shoulders.
The great man these days prefers sitting quietly in the sunshine. He didn't even want to attend the football World Cup in South Africa this year, although he did in the end because of the pressure of public desire.
The feeling was that South Africa couldn't put itself on the world stage without giving us a look - poignantly, possibly a final look - at the face of the man who freed the country from tyranny, and freed the rest of world from the guilt and frustration of living alongside such tyranny without finding a way to end it.
Nelson Mandela didn't want to attend the World Cup, but everyone else on Earth wanted him there. And so he honoured us by making an appearance.
But no more. Please. "The Nelson Mandela Foundation would like to ask people everywhere" to help make Nelson Mandela's retirement "a time of peace and tranquility''.
He's not ours any more. We have to let go. We have to let him sit peacefully in the sunshine.
So leave him alone.
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