While watching the war coverage during Wednesday I couldn’t help but be overjoyed. The screen was filled with thousands of jubilant Iraqis destroying symbols of Saddam’s tyranny and shouting praises for President Bush and America. The same was true for the largest Arab-American community in the United States.

In Dearborn, Mich. a group of people celebrated while waving American and Iraqi flags side by side. All of this as the Iraqi ambassador to the United Nations declared that the conflict was over.

I find it hard to believe that every American would not feel the same joy that I did while viewing those celebrations. Unfortunately, political divisions in this country have become so great that adversaries even have a hard time acknowledging the triumphs of their opposition.

I understand that the crisis is far from over, but a great step has indeed been taken. Now the process of rebuilding Iraq and distributing humanitarian aid must begin. This is, however, not the first time the United States has been involved in such an effort. We have two quality historical models to learn from. After carpet-bombing Germany and Japan back into the Stone Age in World War II, we successfully rebuilt those countries in the years following the war. They are now free democratic societies, and two of the most influential economic powers in the world.

There are some that will continue to insist that this war was an unjust one. People will stand fast with the argument that this war was driven by oil. The fact of the matter is that we may never know the entire story. What we do know, however, is that Saddam and his regime have lost control of the country, and the Iraqi people are in the process of liberation.

My question to you is, who are we to say that the Iraqi people should not have the privilege of living in a free society? Without this war there would not have been a liberated Iraq, period. I congratulate the military and the administration on a job well done.

I could not be prouder to be an American.

Garrett Pedersen

Senior

Community and Regional Planning