Last night I
stayed up late ... really late ... on into the
early hours of the morning. Iraq was having its
election, and I wanted to see whether or not the
day would live up to the projections, or whether
things might go better than our media wanted to
think they would. I was pleased with what I was
seeing, because the people were coming out to
vote, even though there had been threats against
the lives of anyone who would dare to go to the
polling stations. While watching this unfold on
television was not the same as what it would have
been like to actually be there, it was a
heartening experience.
Still, it was far
more significant to those who were able to be
taking part. That would include Mohammed and Omar,
who have a blog called
IRAQ THE MODEL. Their
post on the voting experience is
definitely worth your time, as are nearly all the
comments that more than 700 people have
contributed in response. All the secondary
commentary in the world pales in comparison to the
reality of having voted for the first time after a
lifetime of living under a tyrant's thumb.
I wonder how many
of us living in the more comfortable nations of
the world would head to the polls on election day
if we thought we might be blown up or abused in
other ways in revenge for defying a terrorist's
will? Turnout here would likely be far less than
what we saw in Iraq today!
I am deeply
disappointed in the lack of support demonstrated
by some of the most powerful politicians in the
United States. Only a few days before the
election, the senior Senator from Massachusetts
declared his doubts, and today the junior Senator
from Massachusetts warned us against "overhyping"
the event. How can you "overhype" something as
significant as the first free vote in Iraq for
more than a generation? How can you "overhype" the
significance of another nation joining the still
too small community of democratically elected
governments?
We live in an
international community where there is still doubt
that the Islamic world is "ready" for democracy.
For all too many members of what might be thought
of as "the political class", it's still OK for
billions of people to live under authoritarian
rule, and that "Those People" are simply not ready
to participate in a representative form of
governance.
Today the Iraqi
people demonstrated otherwise. Not only are they
ready to take a hand in their own future at the
ballot box, but they are so hungry for the
opportunity that not even the threat of death was
enough to keep the majority away.
So, Mr. Kennedy
... Mr. Kerry, yes, it's time for the Iraqis to be
free, and it's well past time for you to get out
of their way
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