Sunday, January 30, 2005
The Heroic Purple Finger
By the symbol of dipping their forefingers into small vials of purple ink, the People of Iraq today betrothed themselves to democracy and the rule of law.
With the web equivalent of a four-inch high headline, the online edition on The New York Times said it all: Iraqi Voters Turn Out in High Numbers Despite Attacks Intended to Deter Them.
Even amidst the Dodge City-like atmosphere of places like Baghdad and Faluja, heroic men and women, Suni and Shia, turned out in large numbers, risking their lives to vote, to exercize their new right to have a say in the future of their country.
Of course, there is much that still needs to be done - months and years of travail and frustration no doubt lie between today and the dream of an Iraqi goverment of, by, and for the people.
But today was an amazing start, and The Purple Finger will go down in history as another symbol of humanity's struggle for freedom.
Some articles that I think worth reading about the Iraqi election:
We Won! by Steven Schwartz
The Blue-Finger Revolution by Ryan Sager
With the web equivalent of a four-inch high headline, the online edition on The New York Times said it all: Iraqi Voters Turn Out in High Numbers Despite Attacks Intended to Deter Them.
Even amidst the Dodge City-like atmosphere of places like Baghdad and Faluja, heroic men and women, Suni and Shia, turned out in large numbers, risking their lives to vote, to exercize their new right to have a say in the future of their country.
Of course, there is much that still needs to be done - months and years of travail and frustration no doubt lie between today and the dream of an Iraqi goverment of, by, and for the people.
But today was an amazing start, and The Purple Finger will go down in history as another symbol of humanity's struggle for freedom.
Suggested Reading
Some articles that I think worth reading about the Iraqi election:
We Won! by Steven Schwartz
The Blue-Finger Revolution by Ryan Sager
