Happiness About Iraq

Hopefully I'm not too soon to judge this, but it seems like the Iraqi parliamentary elections were a resounding success for, at minimum, the concept of democracy.

Iraqi officials said initial indications were that as many as 11 million people cast ballots, which, if the estimate holds true, would put the overall turnout at more than 70 percent. With Iraqis still lining up to vote in front of ballot centers as the sun went down, Iraqi officials ordered the polls to stay open an extra hour.

I think for once, both right and left of this country need to stand in unison and applaud the courage of ordinary Iraqis to bravely defy intimidation and make themselves a target for insurgent and jihadist terrorism. A purple stain on your finger means you're throwing in your lot with a democratic Iraq and against terrorism and insurgency. This country, mired in apathy, has a lot to learn from ordinary Iraqis. Let's look at them with awe and admiration for just a day before we resume our bickering -- however legitimate. The day is theirs, we should be gracious enough to recognize it without politicization.