Some thoughts about the assassination of Benazir Bhutto:
For many in our world, freedom and democracy is a life and death struggle. It was for the US over 200 years ago and continues to be so today for far too many. We often take for granted the freedom we have in this country. Every 4 to 8 years we experience a "peaceful revolution" as one President steps down and a new one takes over. It's an amazing, remarkable process that we hardly notice anymore. But when someone like Bhutto, who represents freedom, is mercilessly killed, her death reminds us of how blessed we are.
Freedom and democracy are profoundly deep and important issues. We often forget that, too. Especially in our heated, polarized climate. Candidates sniping at each other with minutia and insignificant sound-bytes that have no relevance whatsoever to the humbling and immense task of leading one of the most powerful countries in the world. And far too many of us buy into it, tune out, or don't participate at all. People give their lives every day for the right to vote but we've become nonchalant about the whole issue, or have turned the democratic process into trite mudslinging.
What the world needs is grace and graciousness. And the US should set the tone. Candidates should debate each other, but the issues, not nonsensical quirks or innuendos. We need to debate with integrity and honor. We voters should recognize the great privilege we have to vote, and learn all we can about what the real issues are--issues like poverty, injustice, health care, immigration, terrorism, the environment, education, to name a few--again, not just the trite sound-bytes, but the real, deep, profound pieces that form these issues.
We are indeed blessed to be free. The tragic death of Benazir Bhutto stands as a powerful reminder of what freedom really means, what it costs, and the commitment it calls for.
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My heart breaks when I think of what Bhutto's death will mean to the people of Pakistan. The strides that they have made over the past few years are at a huge risk of being lost as terrorist groups stand in the wings, waiting to swoop in in the midst of this growing turbulence and unrest.
It saddens me to hear that our media's response to Bhutto's death is "what does this mean for the USA?" This is a time when we should take our eyes off ourselves and focus on what this will mean to that entire area of the world.
We are praying for the Pakistani people, for what this means to them and their future. We are praying for the children of Pakistan, who are now threatened with a growing sense of helplessness and hopelessness.
We, who have been so blessed, need to fervently explore ways to be a blessing to those who struggle with such oppression and pain. May God take what was meant for evil and turn it miraculously into something that can be incredibly good.
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