In his weekly EC from DC report, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo. addresses the situation in Egypt:
It has been an interesting week. The events occurring, as I type this, in one of the world’s oldest civilizations are as stunning as they are inspiring. The crowds filling the streets of Cairo are a reminder of a lesson our Founders knew so well. People around the world seek to be free. That journey takes different paths. In the long view of history, our brothers and sisters around the globe seek peace and the freedom to write their own story, in their own way. In the last 18 days, the people of Egypt have brought an oppressive regime to an end — with chants, not bullets.
As President Obama said, the days, weeks and months ahead will be difficult. I know all of you join me in praying for the very best for our friends in Egypt. All three of the world’s great religions have touched the streets and sands of Egypt. The people of this land along the Nile have written huge chapters in the history of humankind. This week they took up their pens again and have begun a new chapter that I hope will once again add to our great shared story.
They didn't "use bullets" because they didn't have that option, not out of any innate "goodness" or whatever. Whenever a population that's disarmed by their state manages this, it's entirely at the sufferance of the armed state actors (usually the military refuses to fire on the people).
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