If You Keep Your Eyes Open, You May Find Yourself There

Every so often, moments of brilliance break through the noise, and remind us that no matter how dense or oppressive the darkness, light pierces our eyes and our consciousness. One of those moments occurred January 30 in Iraq.

I realize that American enthusiasm should be tempered, and the loss of an estimated 50 lives on the election day is another example of the tragic consequences of human conflict, but there is also cause for jubilation. If anything, it should shame the American people when we examine our own voting habits. I don't think anyone in the U.S. last November 2 decided to not visit the polls because of probable suicide bombers or mortar attacks. I'm sure we all had more pressing reasons than that.

There are pictures of women holding up ink-stained fingers to compliment their tear-stained cheeks. There are pictures of people waiting in voting lines longer than the typical queue at the latest Six Flags thrill ride. Because we are the world's foremost democracy, I think we often forget how precious the opportunity of selecting the leadership of one's nation is to many people around the world. It is a relatively new facet of world affairs, and one that still has a tenuous hold at best in many parts of the world. It is grounded in the conception that all human beings are equal, and because of that, each man or woman's vote counts just as much as anyone else's.

David Brooks of the New York Times wrote an Op-Ed Column today on the recent Iraqi elections. You can read his piece here.