Pres. George W. Bush recently used the nations of Iraq and Afghanistan in one of his political ads. This ad stated, “At this Olympics there will be two more free nations-and two fewer terrorist regimes,” according to MSNBC.
Bush is using the success of the Iraqi soccer team as a way to gain votes in what will undoubtedly be a close race.
Some members of the team are infuriated that Bush is using their success as a way to propel himself into re-election. One member’s disgust was manifested when he told a Sports Illustrated reporter: “How will (Bush) meet his God having slaughtered so many men and women? He has committed so many crimes.”
It is obvious that these people have strong feelings about being used as tools to garner support.
Bush has used the Iraqi soccer team to boost his own campaign and show how America and his own administration benefits the world.
Yet there is a greater lesson to be learned from the team’s example. The lesson is that cooperation breeds success. The Iraqi soccer team has come together to be successful despite the destruction and chaos that the country is currently experiencing. The team is composed of Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis, which are the warring factions in much if the Islamic world.
Despite the differences among the various groups that have led to centuries of unrest, these brave men have stepped forward and put aside their differences. They have put their goal of winning the gold in front of everything.
Even though they did not win the gold medal, they showed the world that teamwork and perseverance will ultimately lead to great achievements.
America, with the exception of times of war and a few other rare instances, is a land that is full of dissension. The debate rages on about homosexual marriage, taxes, abortion and many other issues.
One school of thought says that homosexuals should not be able to marry, while the opposing view says that not allowing them to marry is a violation of the First Amendment.
Some people are in favor of more taxes while others want lower taxes.
Some people believe that women have the right to choose to have a baby, while others claim that unborn babies should be counted as people. There is very little that Americans agree on.
America is the superpower of the world despite the ongoing turmoil of the political system. As citizens, we have the freedom to do whatever we want whenever we want as long as it is within the confines of the law.
To borrow a phrase from Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.” As the premier power of the world, it is up to America to be a catalyst for necessary change and a leader in human rights. America does not have a stellar human rights record, but we have made much progress.
America should use the Iraqi soccer team’s success as a model for cooperation and the benefits that come with it. If Americans can get over the small differences that divide and segregate, the nation would be even stronger than it is now.
Nyerere Tryman is a graduate student in public policy and administration. He can be reached at [email protected].