Getting emotional... and hopeful

Some people here, in France, the country that headed the anti-American, pro-Saddam peace camp, have been wondering whether democracy could be established in a country such as Iraq - by the way, did anyone ever wonder if democracy could be established in such a country 60 years ago? I even heard some people question the fact that Iraqis could or even deserved to be free. "Some people need an iron fist to control them", added a couple of others.

Well today, I am seriously wondering whether these people in France are worthy of a free, democratic country. Hopefully, this piece of news will make us all think again:

An Iraqi votes and dies in front of the ballot box

An Iraqi died of a heart attack after he cast his vote on Sunday, we learnt from an NGO in charge of monitoring the ballot.

"A middle-aged man, very excited at the thought of being able to vote, cast his vote in a Baghdad polling station before he collapsed in front of the ballot box," declared to the press an official of the Ein organization that heads some 10,000 independent observers.

"He died of a heart attack", added Ali al-Dabbagh without identifying the deceased voter.

On Sunday, Iraqis have participated in the first elections [offering the choice between] several parties, in half a century.

This press wire was classified in the "unusual/uncommon" section of the AOL France News webpage. Indeed, some people here might have forgotten what it means to vote in free, democratic elections.

Iraq is on its way to democracy. It may not be perfect and the road may still be long, but whether the so-called peace camp likes it or not, Iraq is moving in the right direction, a direction and a choice the "peace camp" opposed and tried to deny the Iraqi people. But it failed.

This man has lived long enough to be able to voice what he wanted for his country. Something he had not been able to do, probably most of his life. God bless his soul.