Bhutto Assassinated

I’m stunned at the news that former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated after a rally today. I haven’t even formed a coherent thought about this tragic news, except I feel that a blog post on the latest American political follies would be banal, maybe even a little tacky.

I am reminded that the world is a dangerous place, and that our greatest allies in the “War On Terror” are leaders of dangerous, unstable countries.

I am grateful to live in a country where we do not need to assassinate our opposition leaders, but instead let the rule of law and democratic process guide our transfers of power. And yet, this country is no stranger to political assassinations: both Kennedies and Martin Luther King Jr. come to mind. Love of power, greed and violence are universal human failings.

I am reminded that there are those who will inevitably try to capitalize on tragedy to further their own agenda. The State Department’s premature statement that “this has all the earmarks of Muslim extremists, possibly Al Qaeda” was one such instance.

I am reminded that there is no end to truly stupid punditry. Joe Scarborough’s remark that "Rudy Giuliani will no doubt be helped by this horrible situation," is such an example.

Mostly I just want to know: whatever happened to peace on earth?