A LETTER OF CONCERN FOR AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

December 28, 2011

By Jason Edelstein

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expressed some concerns about Israeli democracy in a closed-door session at the Saban Forum, reportedly criticizing proposed Knesset legislation aimed at curbing foreign funding of Israeli NGOs and gender-segregated bus lines serving haredi Orthodox areas.

A couple of weeks later, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman penned an Op-Ed saying that he is "deeply worried about where Israel is going today."

Maybe Clinton and Friedman first should take a hard look at the state of democracy at home.

In the spirit of Friedman’s letter-style columns, I offer my own only half-facetious letter on American democracy:

Dear Tom Friedman and Hillary Clinton,