THE HOPES OF IRAQIS

If you’re feeling blue about Iraq, check this story out in the Washington Post. Made my lunch-hour. The elections are vital. The very fact of their occurrence could help transform the situation. Remember that 80 percent of Iraqis want them to succeed. “It’s one of my wishes to die at the gate of the polling station. I want to be a martyr for the ballot box,” says one Iraqi. A martyr in the Muslim world – for democracy! That’s new. And deeply hopeful.