*FREER* elections

A very short article from Reuters this morning that I've taken the liberty of shortening even further. It gives one pause to ponder.

Voting begins at Iraq's prisons, hospitals
Dec 12, 4:47 AM (ET)

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Special voting began in Iraq's hospitals and prisons on Monday, with security forces, detainees and the ill kicking off the country's first elections for a full-term parliament since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

A throng of people, including detainees, swarmed around a polling booth in a police headquarters building in Kirkuk.

One is given to muse over Iraqi elections where people in jail are allowed to cast ballots. What a wonderful testament to an emerging democracy apparently freer than that of its "liberators" back in the USA.

Recall Florida's habit of purging convicted felons from the voting rolls back in the 2000 election. Even those who had served their time and returned to society. Also recall Florida's habit of purging those from the voting rolls not convicted of felonies. Their crimes were having the same or similar name, race or apparent party affiliation of that of a convicted felon.

Yeh, yeh, I know that's old news. That we're all busy procuring the accoutrements of the holiday season. Just more psychic numbness. Who cares? And I would agree.

But it is an interesting little point of contrast of Iraqi democracy with the contemporary archetypal model of "democracy" so enjoyed by we Americans.