RE: Pray. Hope. Prepare. By Thomas L. Friedmanhttp://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/13/opinion/13friedman.html?ref=global
Dear Sir,
Thomas L. Friedman wisely and succinctly points out "The primary ingredient of a democracy — real pluralism where people feel a common destiny, act as citizens and don’t believe their minority has to be in power to be safe or to thrive...."
The first most obvious place to "Pray. Hope. Prepare." should be to do all we can to help end the Israel/Palestine conflict by advocating a just and lasting peace based on the rule of fair and just laws- and full respect for basic human rights, including but not limited to the Palestinian refugees inalienable right to return to original homes and lands.
Real pluralism respects property rights as well as every refugees' right to return- and every citizen's right to live in peace. Real pluralism rejects institutionalized bigotry- and religious tyranny: A fully secular two state solution to end the Israel/Palestine mess would go a long way towards empowering real democracy and pluralism, real peace and actual progress through out the entire region.
Sincerely,
Anne Selden Annab
The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
"Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm, or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." Eleanor Roosevelt
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