Political Quotes

“I ask my colleagues to join me as we pause to honor and remember the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela, who dedicated his life to making his vision of a free South Africa a reality. Mr. Mandela stood for peace, for justice, and for a society that recognized the equality of every human being. After serving 27 years in prison for challenging the apartheid-sanctioned South African Government, Nelson Mandela emerged with a powerful message of forgiveness and reconciliation, a message that would transform his nation and unite the world. In 1986, the members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the majority of the U.S. Congress stood with Mandela for peace and justice, and helped force an end to apartheid in South Africa. Today, I leave you with Nelson Mandela's words: What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead. South Africa and the world will forever be changed because Nelson Mandela lived. I now ask that you pause for a moment of silence in honor of a great man, a man we respectfully and affectionately refer to as ``Madiba.'' ____________________”