Nelson Mandela closed his statement from the dock saying,

"I have fought against white domination,

and I have fought against black domination.

I have 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."

And Nelson Mandela lived for that ideal,

and he made it real.

He achieved more than could be expected of any man.

Today, he has gone home.

And we have lost one of the most influential, courageous,

and profoundly good human beings

that any of us will share time with on this Earth.

He no longer belongs to us --

he belongs to the ages.

Through his fierce dignity and unbending will

to sacrifice his own freedom for the freedom of others,

Madiba transformed South Africa --

and moved all of us.

His journey from a prisoner to a President embodied the promise

that human beings -- and countries --

can change for the better.

His commitment to transfer power

and reconcile with those who jailed him

set an example that all humanity should aspire to,

whether in the lives of nations or our own personal lives.

And the fact that he did it all with grace and good humor,

and an ability to acknowledge his own imperfections,

only makes the man that much more remarkable.

As he once said, "I am not a saint,

unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying."

I am one of the countless millions who drew inspiration

from Nelson Mandela's life.

My very first political action, the first thing I ever did

that involved an issue or a policy or politics,

was a protest against apartheid.

I studied his words and his writings.

The day that he was released from prison gave me a sense

of what human beings can do when they're guided

by their hopes and not by their fears.

And like so many around the globe,

I cannot fully imagine my own life

without the example that Nelson Mandela set,

and so long as I live I will do what I can

to learn from him.

To Graça Machel and his family,

Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathy and gratitude

for sharing this extraordinary man with us.

His life's work meant long days

away from those who loved him the most.

And I only hope that the time spent with him

these last few weeks

brought peace and comfort to his family.

To the people of South Africa,

we draw strength from the example of renewal,

and reconciliation,

and resilience that you made real.

A free South Africa at peace with itself --

that's an example to the world,

and that's Madiba's legacy to the nation he loved.

We will not likely see the likes of Nelson Mandela again.

So it falls to us as best we can

to forward the example that he set:

to make decisions guided not by hate, but by love;

to never discount the difference that one person can make;

to strive for a future that is worthy of his sacrifice.

For now, let us pause and give thanks for the fact

that Nelson Mandela lived --

a man who took history in his hands,

and bent the arc of the moral universe toward justice.

May God Bless his memory and keep him in peace.