Hold your breath.
If the events of the last few days are a prelude to what is coming, Sunday's election in Iraq could be violent and disastrous.
Just days before Iraqis are set to cast their ballots and voice their opinions, the U.S. military suffered one of its most staggering losses since the war began, when 37 Americans were killed in Iraq on Wednesday - 31 in a helicopter crash. The U.S. death toll now exceeds 1,400.
At this point, opinions on the conflict have to be put aside, and our hearts need to be with the troops and Iraqis who are out there trying to push this event forward. They embark on a grave endeavor, with insurgent car bombs and attacks on polling stations barring the way.
President Bush appeared upbeat on television before America, urging people to defy terrorists, assuring us that what will come to pass will be a "grand moment" in Iraq's history.
Despite his assured composure, our president is leaving us with a grim message. The word defy suggests battling back against oppression, but this isn't a battle - it's an election.
Although ballots are not bullets, they do still fight a battle to support change. Change, democratic or not, is certainly what Iraq needs at this point. Perhaps the only assurance is that, whatever the losses, these efforts will not be in vain. Already, the U.S. State Department has airlifted 60 million ballot sheets and 90,000 ballot boxes on 130 cargo flights into Iraq. Estimates as to how many will participate in the election, however, range from 40 to 80 percent of registered voters.
The irony of this war is that both sides of this conflict are seeking the same end. Iraqis want for nothing more than to end U.S. occupation, and we want our troops to come home.
It's a shame things are pitted in such a bullheaded circumstance. We've made this mess in the name of democracy, and now it's our responsibility to clean it up. However, insurgents - a politically correct term for people who oppose the U.S. occupation - contend that they can take care of it themselves.
It is going to cost us much but, hopefully, the election will be the first step to resolution. Maybe, when the Iraqi people are given an orderly opportunity in which to express themselves, both sides will obtain a clearer picture of what needs to change.
Regardless, it will be a long road before we reach the end, and the conclusion may be nothing like what we expect. In Bush's words, it will be when freedom and liberty have spread throughout Iraq. But the liberty they seek might be from the United States, and the freedom might be the release of our troops from the hellish conditions that they endure on a daily basis.
On Sunday, pay attention to the news. Spend time with the people you love, light a candle or just give a spare thought. In many ways, this event means more than the election of our president. It could be a time to celebrate progress, mourn loss or both. Just don't let the gravity of what's going on escape you.
