Isn't it usually the elitist's that like to remind us that those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it? It' funny (not ha ha funny) how some people only wish to remember the failures... but can't be bothered to examine the sacrifice that usually accompanies success. Anything that even hints at success has to be down played and marginalized while any hint of hardship needs to be exaggerated into a doomsday quagmire. How narrow-minded and pessimistic must one be before marginalizing the importance of a first time free election? Do they really not know how hard freedom has always been to achieve?
(Hint: Read JW's frequent posts about Iranian students, for relevancy reference before making yet another idiotic summation.
)
In 1964, 650 members of the Student Nonviolent Co-ordinating Committee went to Mississippi to help African Americans register to vote. One student wrote to his parents explaining what happened in the county of Milestoon when they attempted to help blacks register:
We got about 14 Negroes to go to the court house with the intention of registering to vote. Sheriff Smith greeted the party with a six shooter drawn from his pocket, and said "Okay, who's first?" Most of the Negroes remained cautiously quiet. After several seconds a man who had never before been a leader stepped up to the Sheriff, smiled and said, "I'm first, Hartman Turnbow". All registration applications were permitted to be filled out and all were judged illiterate. The next week, Turnbow's house was bombed with Molotov cocktails. When the Turnbows left the burning house, they were shot at. A couple of days later, Turnbow was accused of having bombed his own house which wasn't insured. Sheriff Smith was the one witness against them. Mr. Turnbow was convicted.
Hmmmm, oppression at gunpoint, houses being bombed and a brave, brave man standing up for himself... should we assume he didn't want help? Don't his very actions of showing up at the poll indicate he does? Wasn't he no doubt hoping beyond all hope that good men would see his plight and join him in his struggle? ... (HELLO!)
(Fast forward 40years)
*************************************
Title: This Week in Washington with Congressman Jo Bonner
Location: Unknown
Date: 10/14/2004
Democratic elections in Afghanistan
October 9, 2004, was a remarkable day in the history of Afghanistan. For the first time ever in that nation, a presidential election was held which allowed for the participation of the general population.
Prior to that time, the closest the country had come to having any sort of elected government was 40 years ago, when a limited number of parliamentary elections were held during the 1960s. In fact, beginning with the invasion by the former Soviet Union in 1979, Afghanistan has experienced 25 years of almost constant violence that allowed little if any opportunity for democratic elections.
The presidential election held earlier last week marks the latest step in the birth of a new form of government in Afghanistan. Based on estimates from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), 10.5 million Afghans registered to vote before the close of the registration period in early September. Of this number, nearly 42% were women.
This process, as well as the parliamentary elections planned for April 2005, has been underway for nearly three years, dating back to a period shortly after the defeat of the Taliban by American forces and troops from allied nations around the world.
Witnessing the birth of a government
Just under two months after the October 2001 invasion of Afghanistan - and only three months after the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania - representatives of the major Afghan factions gathered in Bonn, Germany. The purpose of this conference was to develop a roadmap towards a new and stable form of representative government in Kabul.
On December 5 of that year, members of these individual factions formed a temporary 30-member council which was authorized to govern until the approval of a new national constitution and the holding of national elections. Hamid Karzai, a leader in the Pashtun faction, was chosen to serve as chairman of this interim government.
Through these actions at what became known as the "Bonn Conference," an entire nation was put on the road to a form of government that had never before been seen or attempted in Afghanistan.
Between December 13, 2003, and January 4, 2004, over 500 delegates began to debate the form and content of the proposed Afghan constitution.
In a nation like the United States, where our form of government has been in place for 219 years (since 1789's constitutional convention), it is difficult for us to comprehend just how difficult - and how rewarding - it can be to work to building a new democratic government from the ground up. (Note the span 13 year span
)
The new Afghan constitution, as approved by the delegates at the convention, contains some remarkable provisions that are a testament to the tremendous effort put forth by a people striving to live in a free society. The provisions include the following:
-The establishment of the positions of an elected president and two vice presidents. Each serves a five-year term, with a two-term limit for individuals elected president. One of the two vice presidents would succeed to the presidency upon the incumbent's death, and the national parliament has the ability to conduct impeachment proceedings.
-The creation of a parliament made up of two chambers. The first, the 249-seat House of People, is to be fully elected by Afghan voters. The upper house, called the House of Elders, is comprised of men and women selected by the president (1/3), provincial councils (1/3), and district councils (1/3).
-The creation of political parties.
One of the most remarkable accomplishments resulting from the constitutional convention is the tremendous degree of participation being granted to women in Afghanistan. As most of you are aware, Middle Eastern and Islamic governments around the world traditionally limit the role of women, and very little participation in the political process is allowed.
With the new Afghan government, however, it is required that 50 percent of those selected by the president to serve in the House of Elders be women - amounting to nearly 17 percent of the membership in that body. In the lower house, a minimum of 68 members (two from each of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan) should be women, giving them a minimum of 25 percent of membership.(That's better than it is here, folks.)
Such a strong level of participation by women in a style of government rarely seen in that part of the world is nothing short of remarkable.
The presidential elections of October 9, 2004, while not perfect, went (based on many eyewitness accounts) very well. Nearly 400 outside observers watched the heavy turnout, and the few complaints about voting irregularities that were raised by many of the 15 candidates for president are being investigated by an independent commission. The results of the election are expected to be available by the end of this month.
Regardless of the outcome, all of the candidates in the election and the delegates at the constitutional convention should be congratulated for all of the hard work they have done to this point.
Most important of all, however, the millions of Afghanis who went to the polls should be given a great deal of credit for ignoring potential threats to their safety and casting their votes for a free government and a brighter future for their country.
My staff and I work for the people of south Alabama. Let us know whenever we can be of assistance.
For release the week of Thursday, October 14, 2004. For more information please contact Matt Rhodes at (202)225-4931.
****************************************
Ah, but Bush just wants oil and money and power so none of the above matters right?
OH, that's right... Bin Ladin, killer of thousands, used to live there. So maybe there freedom does matter a little... but Saddam, killer of MILLIONS didn't kill
Americans... so the Iraqi freedom doesn't matter. So what if millions of people will vote in the first free election of there life.
It may be difficult to believe these were examples of conditions in United States less than 40 years ago. The struggle to change these conditions, and to win equal protection under the law for citizens of all races, formed the backdrop of Martin Luther King's pitifully short life. The battle for voting rights, supposedly established in 1870 with the 15th Amendment, weren't really a reality until 1971 when the 26th Amendment cut through oppressive loopholes.
Was it worth it?
After the victory, Paul became involved in the struggle to introduce and pass an Equal Rights Amendment that would take another 50 years.