Barbarism

It's rare when something occurs in the news that you can definitively point to as an event that will certainly change the course of history.

The assassination this morning of Benazir Bhutto of Pakistan is certainly such news.

Pakistan is a nuclear power with a large population and dangerous borders. The murder of a powerful political leader there has the potential to influence historical outcomes both in that region and across the globe.

The murder of a political figure in the midst of coming elections in any country is a blow to democracy everywhere. And, it's a reminder of how blessed we are here in the United States that we really do work out our issues at the ballot box -- and not by the brand of barbarism the world witnessed today.