The Best News of the Year

These headlines fill me with hope:

Iraqis Defy Blasts in Strong Turnout for Pivotal Election

Iraqis vote despite violence

Iraqis vote despite explosions

Iraqi Voters Defy Violence

Only the brave can be free. Courage is not enough, but it is essential. People easily cowed by terrorists, or by a government that pumps them full of fear, cannot govern themselves. The Iraqis have shown that they have the courage. Now it remains to be seen if they have the other necessary qualities, such as the willingness to compromise and the willingness to abide by a vote that goes against them.