Nelson Mandela's Hospital Stay Brings Focus to the Beloved Leader's Final Years

Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa, was admitted to a Johannesburg hospital for routine tests on Wednesday, but he could be released as early as Friday, Reuters reported. The anti-apartheid leader is being treated for a collapsed lung. Said a African National Congress spokesman Jackson Mthembu, "He is a 92-year-old and will have ailments associated with his age, and the fact that he stayed the night should not suggest the worst."

As Mandela, a man who spent 27 years behind bars due to his fight against apartheid, grows older, his fans across the globe know the end is coming. When it does, the world will have lost one of the most influential leaders for justice of our time.

The health of a political leader can bring them to the forefront of the daily news.

Ronald Reagan was a president admired for not only voicing his conservative beliefs, but sticking to them. When the man, known for his "Reaganomics," was shot by John Hinckley, Jr. on March 30, 1981, both sides of the political aisle were relieved that he survived.

However, another problem emerged for Reagan, and that was memory loss. Although the rumors about Alzheimer's were discounted, speculations about the 40th president were numerous. His condition was the subject of many news reports and opened the door to voices of concern from those who supported him as well as those who did not. After Reagan left office, he made his diagnosis of Alzheimer's public through an open letter. Reagan died on June 5, 2004.

Senator Ted Kennedy was known as the "Liberal Lion," but he had skeletons in his closet, most significantly, the 1969 incident at Chappaquiddick. However, when Kennedy began experiencing the serious health issues that eventually took his life on August 25, 2009, the elephant in the room was removed and even those on the right focused on his positive legacies, such as his desire for equal rights for all races, women and gays.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is in the forefront of everyone's minds, no matter the political affiliation. Since her gunshot wound to the head, Giffords has been fighting to recover, and the nation has been fighting with her in spirit, with only the most positive thoughts for her rehabilitation.

The incident in Tucson has helped to mitigate the heated rhetoric and hateful sentiments that have the potential to ignite and produce unfortunate incidents. Giffords is currently rehabilitating in Houston, Texas.

Sources:

Nelson Mandela recovering from collapsed lung, Reuters

Nelson Mandela, Bio

Jolie du Pre, Jared Lee Loughner Joins the History Books with the Likes of Lee Harvey Oswald, Associated Content

Jolie du Pre, The Liberal Lion Ted Kennedy, Associated Content

Giffords' Recovery Called "Lightning Speed", Ozarks First