Fletcher Barker: Mandela as Hero

The word “hero” is thrown around a great deal today; sometimes appropriately; sometimes to stroke some group or person for political gain.

This hero though, meets the definition of those willing to sacrifice to make the way for others, straight.

Nelson Mandela is THE modern day example of liberation without firing a shot.

He gave up a third of his life jailed as a criminal who committed no crime except to yearn to be free to be able to do as President Kennedy often noted to be, “the master of my own fate.”

You can incarcerate the man, but the ideal he stood for was freedom and liberty itself. It is a blessing to have lived during his time. His countrymen know that truth all too well.

His legacy is not only forgiveness but the challenge for all time that dreams are just not impossible to come true.  He is a hero and a man for all seasons.

Raamie Barker is Senior Advisor to West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin