Richard Gephardt: “few of us will ever forget the day, more than 4 years ago, that Nelson Mandela walked into this very room, and spoke…”

“few of us will ever forget the day, more than 4 years ago, that Nelson Mandela walked into this very room, and spoke before a joint session of the U.S. Congress. He spoke of the promise of a free and equal South Africa--the promise of a prosperity and peace that had been deferred, but could not be denied. Today, that powerful promise has been redeemed. Nelson Mandela--a man who emerged from 27 years of political imprisonment, a living embodiment of South Africa's struggle for justice--has now been elected President of his people. For those of us who heeded Nelson Mandela's words, and shared his dream of democracy, there is no doubt that his personal struggle--his thirst for freedom and justice--planted the seeds of equality and legitimacy which now flower on South Africa's political landscape. And there is no doubt that President-elect Mandela will be a leader for all of South Africa. This is truly a day of celebration and reconciliation for people all over the world. And it is further proof that human rights is the most powerful idea in human history. I am proud that the United States supported South Africa's struggle. We understood that the promise of justice can never be measured in dollars and cents--that our economic interests can never be separated from our fundamental human interests. That is the principle which fuels America's democracy--and I see that same basic dignity and humanity in South Africa's fledgling democracy.”