Humanity strives for freedom. We have been driven by the need for freedom since the beginning of time. The freedom from worry, the freedom from hunger, and the freedom of choice. The regime of Slobodan Milosevic has oppressed every one of these freedoms. For 13 years the people of Yugoslavia have been living without any freedom. Now, they have finally achieved a state where they can achieve freedom.

With the inauguration of Kostunica as the new president, the Serbians have completed one of the greatest revolutions of the century. They have shown the entire world how powerful unity is. When interests combine and people decide to work together, no task is impossible. The people of Yugoslavia offer an exclamation point to the effectiveness of a democracy. By overthrowing the person that oppressed them for so long, they have broadcast a message to all dictators everywhere. They have essentially told every oppressor that their days are numbered. The power in numbers has been reasserted.

The Serbian people have accomplished what the bombings on NATO could not. They have overthrown a man who could not be overthrown when the powers of the world combined. This is further testament to the fact that if you want change, you must get it yourself. There are no easy ways to accomplish this. The Serbian people, for example, waited through thirteen years of toil and several military battles before they finally gained enough strength and confidence to gain control of their own lives.

This long wait, however, has left the nation they love in shambles. The country of Yugoslavia has been deteriorating steadily ever since Milosevic came into power. If the people had waited any longer to act, the country would have slipped past a point of no return. The job ahead of the newly inaugurated Kostunica is by no means a simple one. Not only does this president have to rebuild a shattered country, he has to rebuild the spirit of a broken people. Although excitement and adrenaline run high in the nation today, the end of this period of initial excitement will come. There will come a time when the nation will have to get back to work. This struggle to rebuild their nation will require several more years of toil. It is Kostunica’s job to ensure the people have the will and morale to accomplish this.

The people of Yugoslavia are a living breathing example of what unity can accomplish.