Failed Coup in Soviet Union

With tearful pleasure and great relief I heard the radio reports that the military had withdrawn from Moscow and the coup leaders had abandoned their nefarious plot.

Kudos to Boris Yeltsin. Far from the buffoon I have thought him to be, he was a shining example of courage. Congratulations to the Soviet people who put their lives at risk by opposing the junta’s grab for power. And thanks to the national leaders here and around the world who refused to accept the leaders of the coup as the government.

I hope this short-lived but dramatic expression of the resistance faced by Gorbachev will enable us to acknowledge the obstacles he has faced these last six years. Certainly we should continue to encourage change in the Soviet Union; but let’s do so with an honest desire to help and a supportive understanding of the difficulties entailed in this endeavor.

BRIAN SHEPPARD

Reseda