the dog ate my homework

Max's puppy is just over two months old and as I was sitting at the computer this morning searching for a topic for yet another blog posting, the puppy devoured Monday's issue of the New York Times. I got up to clean up the mess and noticed she left a page open for me with a large drawing of a covered woman reading a book. The title was Afghan Women March, America Turns
Away. How fortuitous that Sofi left me the page devoted to women's issues in Afghanistan!
Democracy is hard to come by in some of the Middle East and the article addresses America's involvement, deploring our 'lack of attention' to the matter of their democracy. The author states that almost 65% of Afghans are under the age of 25 and came of age not under the traditional tribal culture that many Americans associate with Afghanistan. The article addresses the issue of America's economic difficulties, stating that perhaps helping Afghanistan democratize is a luxury American taxpayers cannot afford or a charitable cause they can delay, and asserts that without the help fro the United States, they may not achieve their goal. The radical regime takes the lack of aid as a weakness in their governmental structure and the Taliban remains strong. To prove the strength of Afghan determination to over rule the current circumstances, the article begins with an event that ended with several young women attacked for attending school. Even though they were severely burned and some disfigured, they returned to school as soon as they were able. The girl's determination seems to fit the typical opinion of Afghans as "'fierce independent fighters' who mercilessly defy external influence" since I'm not sure I'd be bold enough to return to school if I had acid poured on me just for attending; that's an external influence I'm glad I don't have to worry about.