Benazir Bhutto's Voice For Freedom Silenced

Today's assassination of Pakistan's former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, casts a dark cloud over Pakistan's journey toward a free, democratic society. At age 35, the Western-educated Bhutto was the youngest person and first female ever elected Prime Minister of a Muslim state. She was also one of eight powerful speakers at an event I attended several years ago in Atlanta, called The Power of Women. She was an inspiring speaker who had a great belief in freedom and opportunity for all people. In a 1989 speech she gave at Harvard University, she is quoted,

"Democracy needs support and the best support for democracy comes from other democracies. Democratic nations should ... come together in an association designed to help each other and promote what is a universal value — democracy."

In 1998, she had gone into a self-imposed exile from Pakistan to Dubai, however, she had recently come out of exile and returned to Pakistan, where she was once again running for election.

Comments

[gayle]

It seems as though whenever there is someone working hard to help bring peace to their little corner of the world, someone else who feels threatened comes along and chooses to use violence to silence them.

It makes me sad for all humanity. What a different world it would be if people would choose to talk through their differences rather than resort to bullets and bombs.

If everyone works selflessly to improve their small corner of the planet, Earth would be a much more hopeful place to live.

Please smile at someone today; start a ripple.

[Monica Ricci]

Well said, Gayle. Thanks for your comment. :)
~Monica

[Megan @ Disorder2Order]

I have to say Monica... I really am glad you wrote this post. I have a lot of admiration for someone like Benazir Bhutto. How exciting that you actually saw her speak.

Thank you for sharing...

[Monica Ricci]

Megan, thanks so much for your kind comment. She really did some great things in her life and ultimately she paid the price for speaking her mind and fighting for liberty. This serves as another reminder that freedom is not free, nor is it something to be taken lightly or for granted. I believe Americans often have a cavalier attitude toward it because we've never known any other way of life.
~Monica