RoR: Forum

I agree with you. This is indeed a great day and an enormous opportunity.
Let's celebrate good times, and hope that the Iraqis can built upon this, before there is more blood-shed and a sort of "changing their minds".

(Though I don't agree with the last few paragraphs, because I live in Germany :P And seeing that you are on the liberty-scale even lower than we are, at least our government cannot hold us without trial as yours can :) )

It could well end like this:

http://www.hnn.us/blogs/entries/9955.html

Post 1

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 5:09am

Barbara said: When I see what a people, most of whom have never experienced freedom, will dare for the chance to be free, I know that one must never give up on the human race. And one must never give up on America, as so many of its citizens have done.

That was wonderful, a beautiful sentiment that I agree with whole-heartedly.

George

Post 2

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 1:17pm

With the one proviso that I regard very few opponents of the liberation as men of good will, and the vast majority as despicable Saddamites, I salute this article and its majestic author. I am not using the word "majestic" lightly, in the way I often refer to Barbara as "Majesty"—this article is seriously majestic in the way it combines soaring elegance of prose with nobleness of content.

Linz

Post 3

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 1:27pm

Barbara, your articles are always eagerly awaited, I just wish there were more.

Post 4

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 3:03pm

Barbara,

Thank you for this poignant, passionate, very well written, and heartfelt article. It's vitally important to capture, express, and document concretes, great moments before they pass out of consciousness.

I clipped a photo out of the paper of people in an unlikely place, muslims - elderly, frail men - women shrouded walking in black chadors and leading their very young children by the hand, people with strange, grim faces, walking toward a polling place. It was like people taking the first steps to walk uphill out of the Dark Ages into the sunlight, a journey of generations.

Post 5

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 4:27pm

Wonderfully put, Barbara.

And Phil, this image...

"It was like people taking the first steps to walk uphill out of the Dark Ages into the sunlight, a journey of generations."

...is simply magnificent. Thank you.

(Edited by Robert Bidinotto on 2/01, 4:32pm)

Post 6

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 6:18pm

And so, my friends, join me in saluting the newborn Iraqi baby whom its happy parents have named “Election

Amen

And may she live long and prosper

Post 7

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 7:27pm

It is actually amazing to me that it only took 8 millions common Iraqi people to risk their lives and go to the polls in order for the world to know what do they really want! Before this day, nobody, well, at least almost no reports here in US came from their angles. It was the despicable terrorists, the beheaders and suicide bombers, who got all the media attentions. Indeed, which side have we been on?! I am ashamed. Because I also had thought that may be Iraqis were really different from us, and didn't want freedom! Oh, how wrong I was!

Post 8

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 7:45pm

If you had been following the Iraqi blogs instead of the MSM (main stream media), you might have expected the kind of turn-out that occurred. You might also read about a lot of the positive outcomes that the MSM don't report.

Post 9

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 8:24pm

Christopher Hitchens wrote that Afghanistan is "the first country in history to be bombed out of the stone age."

It appears now that Iraq is the second.

Thank you for the wonderful tribute.

Garin

Post 10

Tuesday, February 1, 2005 - 11:44pm

Thank you all very much indeed for your kind words.

Barbara

Post 11

Wednesday, February 2, 2005 - 11:06am

"And so, my friends, join me in saluting the newborn Iraqi baby whom its happy parents have named “Election.”

I will be sure and salute the desire for freedom wherever I can find it.

Salutations to Barbara and the Baby!!!

Post 12

Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 12:23am

This is very beautiful. (Barbara and I can never talk to each other during events like this because we are always crying.)

Post 13

Thursday, February 3, 2005 - 11:52pm

Well, you still haven't removed me from this board per my request, so I can't resist one last dig.

Miss Branden, Mr. Perigo, and all you supporters of the Iraq War: I feel sorry for you people. You are all so far removed from reality that I can just pity you at this point. SOLO style objectivism has become a weird cult of death, self-sacrifice, imperialism, statism and warmongering. Of course, not a one of you is bothering to get within 5000 miles of Iraq, despite your constant ranting about what a great and noble cause it is. As per usual, the political and intellectual classes chatter in comfort while underpaid 20 year old boys die or are mutilated for life. Good bye, and my sincere wishes that SOLO goes to hell in a handbasket. You are all becoming a very bad joke. Ha ha!

Post 14

Friday, February 4, 2005 - 12:32am

"Of course, not a one of you is bothering to get within 5000 miles of Iraq, despite your constant ranting about what a great and noble cause it is. As per usual, the political and intellectual classes chatter in comfort while underpaid 20 year old boys die or are mutilated for life."

Mr. Fulwiler,

You are correct that I, for one have not bothered to go to Iraq to fight the war myself. As a 38-year-old out-of-shape mother of 5, I think I can accomplish much more here, taking care of my children, than I would in Iraq. Besides, I have a strong suspicion that the military would refuse my services if I offered.

However, you are very wrong to imply that none of us is at risk as a result of this war. My 24-year-old brother is in Baghdad. He volunteered to be among those who patrolled the streets during the elections--to ensure the safe delivery of this newborn babe Ms. Brandon so beautifully spoke of. And he is proud to do it, even though it means that he has been away from his own newborn baby for 6 months, and is well-aware that he risks his life every moment. It is true that even if I were a lily-livered, hit-me-again-I-deserve-it cowardly Saddamite, I could not have stopped him from going.

As I write this tears are coming to my eyes--partly from the overwhelming pride I feel for my brother and what he is willing to risk, and partly in frustration that you, and the cowards like you, continue to deny the importance and the RIGHTNESS of what he and his fellow soldiers are doing.

"SOLO style objectivism has become a weird cult of death, self-sacrifice, imperialism, statism and warmongering."

Clearly, sir, you have not been paying attention and it's not likely that you'll start now.

Don't let the door hit you in the ass.

Post 15

Friday, February 4, 2005 - 12:51am

Tenya - I don't know you at all, but I know you have a noble soul. And your brother, the likes of whom the disgusting Saddamite above you betrays, sure as hell has a noble soul also. I salute you both.

Linz

Post 16

Friday, February 4, 2005 - 1:41am

Mr. Fulwiler, even among vehement antiwar people, some are decent and benevolent enough to rejoice in an event such as I wrote about. So you see, your malice and pettiness are simply your own.

Much as I admire Tenya McCampbell's attitude, I must disagree with her on one point. Mr. Fulwiler, DO let the door hit you in the ass.

Barbara Branden

Post 17

Friday, February 4, 2005 - 1:47am

As per its request, the maggot has now been removed.

Linz

Post 18

Friday, February 4, 2005 - 7:25am

Dammit, Linz, I just took a shot at The Maggot on another thread here, and now he's not around to take the hit. We gain no pleasure from the presence of Saddamites on this planet, so please don't deprive me of my future sadistic satisfactions.

Post 19

Friday, February 4, 2005 - 11:57am