Argument

Desmond Tutu is a very well-known man everything he does and says is out there forever. Although he regrets little there are always people that are going to tell him that he is wrong and doesn’t know what he’s talking about. When it comes to his and the other people on the board’s decisions for how the Truth and Reconciliation Commission handled things I thought it was performed with grace. Not a lot of countries are able to handle a situation like that without making things worse. After the Apartheid Government South Africa just wanted to move on to better things and a better society. The idea of this commission was to help lead the Country into healing from what happened in the past and not fight it with more bloodshed. What South Africa was able to do was to hear from all sides, the perpetrator and the victims they discussed what they had done or been through and listened to forgive and heal from things. In an interview Tutu said “Unfortunately you see they can’t just let bygones be bygones. They have an incredible capacity to return and haunt us”. Bring everything out in the open almost has a therapeutic aspect behind them. (Weekends all Things Considered). Many people have awarded Tutu for his active role in pushing for equality and dedicating his life to bring people together as a union. He was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, Order of the Companions of Honour from Prince Harry, the Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama and many more. These awards show the positive impact he had not only on his Country but other counties. Tutu set a footprint along with other strong activists on how you should fight for what you believe in (Star Tribune). Tutu wrote the foreword page in the beginning of a book called Compassionate Careers and he states that “You and I are made created for goodness”, This is his view point on most of this argument (Career Press). I found it very interesting that in an interview Tutu talks about how he believes that America needs to do something like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He said “This country has not really faced up to the legacy of slavery or of the dispossession of Native Americans. That there is a pain which is setting in the pit of the tummy of virtually every African American and every Native American.” (Weekends all Things Considered). Tutu talks about why and how he got to the point to be able to forgive some things that seem unforgivable. As a little boy his father was an alcoholic and would verbally and physically abuse him mother. Every time Tutu wanted to hurt him back and make him feel the same pain he inflicted on his mother. “Are you hurt or suffering? Is the injury new, or is it an old, unhealed wound” Tutu went on to say that no matter what the damage is all done but holding on to that will keep you tied to that person forever. I have had things happen in my life that no matter what anyone would say to me I would never forgive that person. It destroyed me for years and once I decided I was going to speak up and forgive I felt a sense of calm, I imagine that’s how the Truth and Reconciliation Commission felt like. In this book Tutu says “Without forgiveness, we remain Tethered to the person who harmed us. We are bound with chains of bitterness, tied together, trapped. Until we can forgive the person who harmed us, that person will hold the key to our happiness; that person will be our jailor.”(Readers Digest). In conclusion I believe that Tutu and his peers made the best decision and efforts when it came to handling life after the apartheid government in South Africa.