The door's unlocked

Congratulations, Palestine! Good work, Afghanistan! Way to pull through, Ukraine! By the looks of it, democracy is taking over the world. \nWe have heard stories of enthusiastic young people camping out for days in the streets of Kiev. We have heard of Afghans waiting for hours to vote for their first government since the Taliban. \nWe have heard of Palestinians allowed to vote at the nearest polling place because of delays at Israeli checkpoints. These accounts of heroic citizenship around the world would warm the blood of the founding fathers. Regions of the world that once were and still seem locked to the outside have begun to be accessible.\nUkraine's story of "new" overcoming "old" and west overcoming east echoed Georgia's struggle for democracy more than a year ago. Quite literally, the western part of Ukraine, where Kiev is located, protested the outcome of the election for almost two weeks because it was designed to keep the former ruler in power. In a much fairer election, Ukrainians elected a forward-thinking leader, Victor Yuschenko, Dec. 26. \nAnother part of the former Soviet Union has taken charge of its future, and the United States and other democratic nations can help ensure that this freedom lasts.\nJust as Americans in the 1770s changed the world fundamentally, something critical is changing in Palestine, Afghanistan and Ukraine, and now is the moment to take advantage of an unlocked door. That opportunity does not mean that mature democratic states, like the United States and the states of Western Europe, should force entry into the hearts and minds of people struggling to forge a fairer future. What the moment does mean is that the United States must play a major part as a role model.\nWith economic economy, open government and human rights, Ukraine and other nations are joining the global community. The door to this country and the doors to others have been unlocked, but nations with mature democratic systems should knock on the door, so that we can have a role in the future of Ukraine, Palestine and other countries with fledgling democracies. For these countries, we can be happy for their progress, and say "Isn't that nice?" but those warm, fuzzy democratic feelings do not end the story happily ever after. \nWhen the United States offers respect to nations making an effort to join the free world, every single person in the United States will be more secure in their future because our government will be dealing with nations of voters rather than nations of subjects.\nIn the afterglow of elections, the democratic world cannot become complacent and should not be satisfied with one or 10 successful elections.\nDemocratic states require constant reform, as we know, and people around the world will need encouragement and an example. Right now, as our country focuses on bolstering national security, we should recognize the immense benefit to America's security when more nations become democratic.