Letter to the Editor, NY Times

Date:	Sun, 6 Feb 2005 03:59:09 -0800 (PST)
From:	"Hilding Lindquist"
Subject:	Leading Shiite Clerics Pushing Islamic Constitution in Iraq
To:	"letters nytimes"

Dear Editor:



What is so damn discouraging is our President putting the

cart of voting ahead of the horse of participatory

institutions in calling for the spread of democracy ...

and the so-called intelligensia of our nation falling all

over themselves congratulating him on his bold initiative.



No one seems to have a sense of history, of the fundamental

importance of the ground-level sense of acceptance of one's

own personal value coming out of a community where the

respect for one another's INDIVIDUAL opinion has been

CONCRETELY demonstrated for generations ... in the courts,

in the markets, in the religious communities, and, yes, in

the family.



Just look at how predictable the outcome of a poll in our

own military is where conformity also holds sway.



If a Democratic President led a military adventure which

led to the establishment of a Muslim government, he or

she would be impeached, period.



This IS Alice in wonderland ... where are the adults of

our nation? Are we all so concerned for our own share of

the pie that we are afraid to speak the truth as we see it?