Allan Saxe 
Wow, what a country!
International students who come to these shores, especially those from less-than-democratic countries, ought to delight in and marvel at what they see and hear, especially during presidential election season.
Some students are very defensive about their own countries and take any criticism or examination as hypocritical or even racist. A few international students have told me they believe it is all a facade, a screen that masks a sinister neo-colonial power.
But many, perhaps a majority, really do understand the freedom they have found here and embrace it. The opportunity to engage in almost any business enterprise can be a magnet to them. The freedom to get a college education in some of the world's best institutions is a major attraction. And the freedom to criticize and examine the country that has welcomed them is not lost.
The presidential contest here is amazing. It is the very best of our political tradition. It is viewed the world over through television and Internet. Imagine an election campaign of this sort in places run by theocrats and other dictators.
Our primaries pull the candidates into living rooms in Iowa and send them knocking on doors in New Hampshire, all the while wading through waist-deep snow. And then it's on to Nevada, where some caucuses have been held along the famous Las Vegas Strip with attendees dressed in their work outfits -- some in cooking hats and some in white gowns. And then to sunny Florida beaches, speaking to the elderly about Social Security.
The physical and mental stamina required is really of epic proportions. The candidates get little rest or sleep and cannot lose their temper with voters.
They go from one place to another on Super Tuesday, fishing for votes and delegates. It is an amazing feature of democracy demanding that would-be leaders hear our complaints and answer our questions with authority and good argument.
Amid all this campaigning, they must search for money, seeking contributions from sources they hardly know and some who could embarrass them later. The candidates are examined from head to toe by adversaries who search for anything from their past that can be used to embarrass them or compromise their political platform.
Very often, some international students, new residents of this country, do not know what to make of all this campaigning. Their backgrounds do not prepare them for such a spectacle.
I emphasize that we truly do have free speech here, especially when it comes to politics. I direct their attention to the conservative talk-show radio programs on which Rush Limbaugh and others hold sway. These shows mostly extol American virtues and economic robustness, and I revel in their words. But there is no government programmer urging them on! And then it's on to MSNBC, where Keith Olberman rants and raves about how the Bush administration has pushed us toward a fascist dictatorship.
(The fact that Olberman can literally scream at the current president on an almost nightly basis is testimony against that proposition.)
Freedom does literally ring from every radio and television microphone.
I have mentioned to some international students critical of this country that if they wish, they may demonstrate against the government that welcomes them here.
What a country where those here both legally and illegally can criticize this country, and where immigration is debated among our presidential aspirants in front of millions.
This presidential season is but an expression, although a mighty one, that our freedoms are as vibrant as ever. Our international guests may take some of this home if they return. Or if they stay, they can embrace our wonders.
