Giving the Finger
[I re-worked my immediate post-election post into this form, for an editorial in tomorrow's paper. It's likely to get cut for space, however.]
Meet the real Iraqi "resistance."
Not a coward with a masked face and a bared gun. A 22-year-old Baghdad woman holding up an ink-purpled finger, advertising her vote to the world – and to those who vowed to kill her for doing what that ink proves she did.
Hear their other voices, as recorded in the media and on the Web Sunday:
To prevent fraud, voters dipped their forefingers in indelible purple ink; the ink-stained finger became the most powerful symbol of the day.
Resistance to fascists, old-style and new-style; resistance to tyrants, religious and secular. Resistance to fear and to the dismissive attitude of so much of the Western world that should know better. Resistance to the people who look at a map of Iraq and only see the face of George W. Bush. See these faces instead:
On Saturday, some administration critics in America ridiculed the ink-stained finger as a stupid invitation to retaliation that would discourage voting. On Sunday, millions of Iraqis turned a functional splash of ink into a proud new symbol of the love of democracy.
Today, remember the more than 1,300 U.S. soldiers and Marines who gave their lives to allow this day to happen, and the thousands more who have suffered grievous injury. Don't forget them. Many Iraqis haven't.
Meet the real Iraqi "resistance."
"And then, hearing those explosions, it occurred to me – the insurgents are weak; they are afraid of democracy; they are losing. So I got my husband, and I got my parents and we all came out and voted together."
Not a coward with a masked face and a bared gun. A 22-year-old Baghdad woman holding up an ink-purpled finger, advertising her vote to the world – and to those who vowed to kill her for doing what that ink proves she did.
Hear their other voices, as recorded in the media and on the Web Sunday:
"We have freedom now, we have human rights, we have democracy. We will invite the insurgents to take part in our system. If they do, we will welcome them. If they don't, we will kill them."
To prevent fraud, voters dipped their forefingers in indelible purple ink; the ink-stained finger became the most powerful symbol of the day.
"I walked forward to my station, cast my vote and then headed to the box, where I wanted to stand as long as I could, then I moved to mark my finger with ink, I dipped it deep as if I was poking the eyes of all the world's tyrants."
Resistance to fascists, old-style and new-style; resistance to tyrants, religious and secular. Resistance to fear and to the dismissive attitude of so much of the Western world that should know better. Resistance to the people who look at a map of Iraq and only see the face of George W. Bush. See these faces instead:
"For the first time, we have an opportunity to give our opinion in all justice and equality and without pressures."
On Saturday, some administration critics in America ridiculed the ink-stained finger as a stupid invitation to retaliation that would discourage voting. On Sunday, millions of Iraqis turned a functional splash of ink into a proud new symbol of the love of democracy.
"The election was to say big NO to the terrorists and bigger YES for freedom and democracy but even bigger YES for peace and tolerance. We got bad electrical power, poor water supplies, deteriorating sewage system, and all other services are rotting but we never felt as powerful and strong as now with the democracy and freedom."
Today, remember the more than 1,300 U.S. soldiers and Marines who gave their lives to allow this day to happen, and the thousands more who have suffered grievous injury. Don't forget them. Many Iraqis haven't.
"Thanks again for your care and may God bless you all and give you a hundred times what you have gave Iraq. I know it seems impossible when it comes to those who lost their beloved ones but I hope they know that their sacrifices were not in vain and that they gave humanity the most precious thing a man has, his life."
