PURPLE BADGE OF COURAGE

New York Post ^ | 1/31/05 | DEBORAH ORIN

[kattracks]

IT was the blue badge of courage — Iraqis defied evil and danced through the Valley of the Shadow of Death to cast their ballots and then wave the purple ink-stained fingers that proved they'd voted.

The sheer joy recalled the fall of the Berlin Wall, some said, but the Germans dancing around that wall didn't have to face down evil because communism had already fallen, while Iraqis knew they risked death — and more than 30 were killed. "The people have won . . . Take a look today to meet the model of courage and human desire to achieve freedom, people walking across the fire to cast their votes," proudly wrote the Iraqi bloggers Mohammed and Omar.

[snip]

No wonder President Bush could hardly contain his smile yesterday when he said: "Today the people of Iraq have spoken to the world, and the world is hearing the voice of freedom from the center of the Middle East."

The fact that Iraq's election triumph came as a surprise to so many Americans shows how badly they have been served by most press and TV coverage, which told mostly of deaths and trouble and ignored the first glimmerings of new hope.

[snip]

Iraq's blue badge of courage also poses a challenge to America's Democratic Party — do Democrats really want to become the party of Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Howard Dean, who paint Iraq as a disaster?

[snip]

All the Iraqis dancing with their flags yesterday were a reason for Americans to be proud of the war that toppled Saddam Hussein and opened the door to freedom — suddenly Bush's second inaugural speech just 10 days before sounded prophetic.

[rvoitier]

kat,

Thought you might get a chuckle out of this.

Thanks for all of your good postings.

[Mo1]

Iraq's blue badge of courage also poses a challenge to America's Democratic Party — do Democrats really want to become the party of Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Howard Dean, who paint Iraq as a disaster?

The Party does

The voters are a different matter