A new statue was unveiled in Parliament Square today of Nelson Mandela. Labour Minister David Milliband ('Nu' Labour Golden Boy) was interviewed on the national news regarding the statue. When asked what he liked about it, he DIDN'T say 'the face of a man bearing the marks of the struggle for freedom and justice, that should inspire us all to aim for the same ideals. No. He said "I like his shirt". Well, there you have it. 27 years in jail, but he never lost his dress sense - thank goodness!
Fortunately, Nelson put it a bit better - "This statue is a beacon of hope. It sends around the world the most powerful of messages: that no injustice can last for ever, that suffering in the cause of freedom will never be in vain, that however long the night of oppression, the dawning of liberty will break through and there is nothing that we, the peoples of the world working together, cannot achieve."
This last sentence echoes a portion of MLK in his famous "I have a dream" speech - "With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment