In response to the tragic news of the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela, President Obama gave a statement about the late hero live from the White House. Below is the full transcript, via the Washington Post:
At his trial in 1964, Nelson Mandela closed his statement from the dock saying, "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I've cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."
