A day for freedom in Iraq

(2/3/05)

This past Sunday was to be the great political Judgment Day for the Democrats in Washington and around the country.
The Democrats, along with their cronies in the European Union were waiting like antsy children for the Iraqi National Election to fall flat and turn in to little more than a bloodbath.
Much to the chagrin of the Bush-haters out there the elections went off largely without a hitch. There were a few incidents of violence scattered throughout the country, but the majority of the people who could vote had little trouble getting to the polls.
The preliminary turnout numbers for this election were between sixty and ninety percent, this number represents an incredibly victory for the Bush administration and, more importantly, the people of Iraq.
This election provided the Iraqi people with a national assembly whose job it will be to draw up a constitution and select candidates for a future national election where the people will ultimately pick their president or prime minister (I'm honestly not sure which route they're going yet).
No matter how you slice it, the clips of Iraqi men and women dancing and singing in the streets on Election Day were triumphant affirmations of a democratic presence in the Middle East. This election sends a message to the naysayers, both in the Middle East and those here at home, that a democratic government can succeed in an Islamic culture and that the people of Iraq truly welcomed the United States as liberators and not the evil occupiers that the insurgents rally against.
As soon as it appeared that the Iraqi election had been a success, the top Democrats in Washington were already shooting off their mouths about how the United States should pack up and leave Iraq now that the people have stepped up against the insurgent threats. It is typical partisan bias that prevents the nation as a whole from enjoying this victory for freedom.
Regardless of one's political views, we, as a nation that is built on the idea of democracy must enjoy this moment and revel in the history of it. There was no finer sight than seeing the hordes of people out voting in a country that can occasionally be described as a quagmire at best. I'm sure other people will disagree and find some reason to doubt the legitimacy of the election, but what they will find difficult to dispute will be the zeal and enthusiasm showed by the Iraqi people.
This monumental moment will be a turning point for Iraq and perhaps other nations around the globe. There is a long way to go in Iraq but we must see this as another crucial step taken towards self-government and a working democracy in a region where dictators and religious fundamentalism reign. This past Sunday also puts the Bush administration and the President?s own agenda in higher regard, both domestically and in the eyes of foreign governments. Hopefully those nations who have been outspoken in their criticism of the United States will have to think twice before calling this country a bully or speaking poorly of our President. Nations like France, Russia, and Germany must now swallow their statements and return to milking the United Nations for more oil.
At the end of the day we must see this step for Iraq as just that, another step taken towards the greater good. We must also see it as a huge victory for America and Democracy. There is nothing our enemies, both foreign and domestic would like more than Iraq turning in to another Vietnam, but this step takes us one step closer to winning a war on oppression and intolerance.
Godspeed, fellow patriots and praise be to Allah.