The election of our first African-American president truly shows how far we've come as a nation. Just eight years ago, this moment would have been unthinkable. But finally we, as a country, have joined together, realized we've reached rock bottom, and for the first time voted for a candidate based on his policies rather than the color of his skin. Today Americans have grudgingly taken a giant leap forward, and all it took was severe economic downturn, a bloody and unjust war, terrorist attacks on lower Manhattan, nearly 2,000 deaths in New Orleans, and more than three centuries of frequently violent racial turmoil. The American people should be commended for their long-overdue courage.