Benazir Bhutto

I have been meaning to write this for a couple of weeks.
I have to be honest. When Benazir Bhutto was assassinated last year I didn't really know who she was and why she was so important to Pakistan. I just plain didn't even know much about Pakistan period. I picked up this book at the library a few weeks ago and just couldn't put it down. It is such coincidence that I read it at a time when Musharraf was being forced from power. She is a woman who dedicated herself and gave her life for freedom and democracy in Pakistan. I just want to share one quote. "Democracy in Pakistan is not just important for Pakistanis, it is important for the entire world. In this age of the exploitation and radical interpretation of my beloved religion, we must always remember that democratic governments do not empower, protect and harbour terrorists. A democratic Pakistan, free from the yolk of military dictatirship, would cease to be the petri dish of the pandemic of international terrorism." I finally have the answers I have been looking for. For too many years the United States has looked out for it's own interests by supporting the dictatorships of Zia and Musharraf. We are the most succesful democracy in the world, and yet we supported oppression and military rule. I think its sad. We paid dearly for this mistake on 9/11. This is what I care about in the upcoming election. I haven't yet heard enough from either candidate to decide, but I am watching and waiting to know who will make this change. Now is our chance, Bhutto's widow Zardari was elected president last week in a democratic election. After so many years under a controling military dictatorship the desire for democracy still exists. We need to have a President that understands the gravity of the situation and realizes the importance of supporting Pakistan in its efforts to achieve a democratic government.