Dominoes are falling in the Middle East, and nothing will set them up again.

From Iran to Libya, government buildings and palaces are shaking as the footsteps of change grow closer and closer. The message of the people is loud. The message is universal to the region. Dictators must go and take their oppressive regimes with them. Liberty in the Middle East is inevitable.

While the Middle East burns, the United States has a decision to make. The administration will either stand behind the people, or they will do what is convenient and align themselves with the oppressors. There is a complicated but clear answer. The U.S. must show their support for the people and pressure the current despots to step down.

Egypt and Tunisia are large indications that the people will win. People can only be pushed so far before they push back. Pushing will eventually lead to bloodshed if the U.S. and other free countries do nothing. The people want freedom and they are reaching out for it, but treaties and alliances are keeping the aid of the United States just out of their grasp.

The government’s reticence to take a stand is understandable. In a region like the Middle East there is a constant worry about what would take the place of the regimes the people oust. The words extremist and anti- American are the common vocabulary of this discussion. But the issue is freedom—freedom from oppressive governments, oppressive religious leaders, and oppressive social constraints. Should the United States take a stand with the people, the protesters and those fighting the tyrants will always view America as a friend.

The U.S. has a rare opportunity. The young people of the region are no longer willing to accept the boots on their necks and the gun barrels in their faces. Fear has lost its hold on the people. The administration has a chance to make critical allies in the region. Imagine it: allied with the people themselves and not with the few who hold the power.

The president recently called for Gadhafi to step down. The United Nations froze Libya’s assets, placed an arms embargo, and set up other sanctions against the regime. The actions are late, but they are a good start. The crisis in the Middle East, however, is far from over. Rebels are still taking to the streets, begging for liberty, and they need the world to listen.

The way will not be easy. People will die. Innocent people always die in the fight for liberty. But with the support of America and other players on the world stage, no amount of King Khalifa’s bullets or Colonel Gadhafi’s goons can stop the flood that is coming.

Joe Richardson is junior English and journalism double major. He can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].