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A black kid who grew up playing playground basketball in Hawaii has been elected President of the United States. The more things change, the more things change.Some will claim that it was the genius of our forefathers that foretold this American miracle. And to the extent that the founding fathers created a living document, that is certainly true. But none of the Constitution's framers could have foreseen that one day a racial member of the class they denominated slaves would ascend to the highest office in the world. The more things change, the more things change.
In speaking with colleagues today in France and Switzerland, I felt a pride in America that I have never before experienced. I wept openly. The promise of America today became reality which has nothing to do with the American economy, foreign wars, or even, whether President-elect Obama can deliver on his promises of change.
For today, America ignited the torch in the hand of her gift from France. She assumed her mantle of beacon to the world. Send America the world's huddled masses yearning to breathe free. She has proven she has the heart to comfort and console them.
Today Americans took a giant leap forward, not as explorers of space, or victors in Olympic competitions, but as progenitors of freedom and equality. Each day that Barack Obama walks among us will be a reminder that the American promise is more than just words on a page.
For truly, the more things change, the more things change.
