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• Friday, November 28, 2008 08:13 AM

  @MacGupta: Indira Ghandi was assasinated by her Sikh bodyguard

  and Indians subsequently elected a Sikh Prime Minister, who leads today.

  However, for several years after the assassination, Sikhs in India were persecuted, and left in droves for greener pastures in Canada, Australia, UK, South America, etc.; pretty much anywhere diasporic people landed up - although recently Sikhs have been much less welcome in the US due to their turbans. I've listened to a retired US Army major rant about "Arabs at the airport" - because he saw a few Sikh families checking in. He was trying to make people at a party afraid of this "threat" to justify the invasion of Iraq. Really.

  To Glenn's excellent point - the knee-jerk reaction to punish any and all members of an identifiable group for the bad actions of a few is human and natural. But true leadership transcends, and helps people transcend the ape-world emotional response with respect for the LAW. And unlike the crew of crooks in charge of the US Government, and apparently the US Military as well, true leadership requires honesty. Not more self-serving lies.

  The worst part of it is this retired major is spreading hatred and lies and destruction on my fucking nickel. This is hard to forgive. But not as hard to forgive (only if repented of) as it was for Indian Hindus to elect a Sikh.

  —divadab Read divadab's other letters
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