Freedom

Let freedom ring! To the tune of 72%, Iraqi registered voters turned out to cast their votes for the future of their nation. Would it be unfair to compare the courage of present day Iraqis to that of the courage shown by our Founding Fathers? I think not. Our Founding Fathers knew that they were risking everything, very possibly their lives, by placing their names on the Declaration of Independence. Just as surely, Iraqi citizens faced intimidation and death as they boldly marched on the polling places.

Call me a mushy, sentimental old coot, if you will; but, my eyes filled with tears and my voice became hoarse and trembled, as I told my wife of the stunning victory that is occurring in Iraq. Yes, there will be those naysayers and prophets of doom that will endlessly sermonize about how illegitimate the elctions were because everything did not happen with parade ground precision. They will moan about how the Sunni population was under represented. They’ll whimper and cry about how the Shiites intimidated the Sunnis. Or perhaps, they’ll complain about how the Kurds didn’t have adaquate representation. And for the truly obsessed, the list of voter fraud infractions will never end.

Hear this though! And hear it loud and clear! Today the citizens of Iraq painted a bold stripe on the canvas called freedom. Their actions will serve to remind others that freedom does not come without a cost. But, once attained, is something to be cherished and fiercely guarded forever.

UPDATE: The earlier estimation of 72% turnout was revised downward to 60%