October 2005 Iraqi Elections

So, the Sunnis have finally decided that the elections weren't puppet elections after all, and have decided to give their yea/nay to the democratic process in Iraq.
An amazing thing to see, indeed.
Yet it seems that some of the headlines in the news are things like this:

Polling Stations Attacked as Iraqis Cast Ballots

A roadside bomb killed three Iraqi soldiers in Iraq, and seven people were wounded during attacks by insurgents near five of Baghdad's polling stations, police said.

This headline screams out about what a bloody election this is (and remember, if it bleeds, it leads), and how bad things in Iraq STILL are because that stupid Chimpy McBushitler decided to go over there and kill Iraqis for Oil or Halliburto....oh, wait, sorry...I started to channel a moonbat there somehow.
Compare this headline to Publius Pundit's compilation of information that he collected:

Terrorism was minimal, with only three relatively unsuccessful attacks wounding two police officers and one civilian — which, out of 6,000 polling stations, is a highly ineffective 0.05% success rate.

This headline is similar to what the more serious news agencies are publishing. Even Al Jazeera mentions this, although they say that the vote is expected to pull Iraq into three pieces (Kurdistan, Shi'iteistan, and Sunnistan, I suppose, although it is unclear what their rather pessimistic prediction is based on other than the standard anti-American viewpoint, that anything America is involved in must be bad and will fail.)
Anyway, yes, there are still some insurgents trying to derail the process--or is that what they are trying to do at all? If they were truly trying to affect the government, wouldn't voting be a better way to do it? If they were truly insurgents, why would they be targeting SUNNI muslims, who have been the ones most decrying the opposition? Could it be that these people might be terrorists?
Well, whatever they are, it is clear that the resounding media silence regarding the many,many instances of voting without death (ho hum, boring, won't sell news to jaded Americans, it's still a quagmire, dontchaknow?) seems to indicate what kind of news they prefer to tell/sell.
If you just read the headline and never bothered to go out and PULL news to you (instead of waiting for it to be PUSHED to you via MSM channels), you'd get a pretty skewed picture.
You want a good picture of voting in Iraq?
For starters, tryIraq the Model. Omar is decided pro-American, and doesn't hide it, but he has some pictures. Quiet and peaceful...but surely that's a lie, just like Michael Moore's infamous Farenheit 9/11 scenes of children playing in Saddam's Iraq? Then look at Sooni's blogspot, with some more pictures. Sooni seems to be a Sunni Muslim, who seems to be tolerating the American presence because of its effects on his country. But his pictures show nary a body--lots of voters--Iraqi military and police exerting security control.
For a very good overview and collection of articles and opinions on what the Iraqi on the street (Sunnis, mostly, since they are the key in this election), peruse The Adventures of Chester and his live-blogging and links. Then go back and read the Publius Pundit link posted earlier.

Good luck, people of Iraq. May your voices be heard, and may they peacefully organize and govern your country to become a safe place you can be proud of.