The American Taliban--We are ALL Malalas

I am sure most of you have heard what the heinous Taliban have done to the most virtuous of young girls named Malala. They shot her in the head for the crime of simply wanting an education. This is a barbaric act that knows no boundaries of inhumanity. It springs from religious orthodoxy that understands little and wants only to secure power from the powerless by keeping their subjects ignorant. Malala, fighting for her life, was NOT ignorant. She is brilliant and wise beyond her teenage years.

I hold a special place in my heart for Malala. Her fate transcends ideology or religion. It reinforces our common humanity and our greatest gift that nature or God has bestowed upon us and that is our compassion, understanding and most of all our ability to learn.

It is that gift -- learning -- which civilizes man. It is clear those who gain power through the ignorance of those they wish to control that there is nothing they will not do; no barbarity they will not inflict to achieve their cause and inject the poison of ignorance into even an innocent teenage girl who merely wanted the hope that education can bestow.

Education is dangerous because it liberates man instead of relegating his/her intellect to a barbed wire prison of ignorance stuck in a 7th century mindset in a 21st century world. It is hard to fathom.

The Taliban, though, are a metaphor for the toxicity of uncompromising and extreme fundamentalist belief everywhere. Our own nation should not sit smugly secure thinking that we are so much more advanced than they. WE ARE NOT. Our own American Taliban have seized power through an unrecognizable Republican Party which shows NO mercy, has NO compassion and whose minds are so closed they want to return our heretofore advanced country to an 18th century anti-science world even our Founders would find abhorrent.

Those of us who care about human advancement through academic excellence should consider all of ourselves Malalas hoping and praying, if praying is your choice, that this profound example of heroism, heal and return to speak another day for her cause.


YET ANOTHER REASON FOR THE RE-ELECTION OF OUR PRESIDENT. NOW IT APPEARS THE ELECTION IS CLOSE IF THAT DOES NOT MOTIVATE YOU I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL. WORK YOUR HEART OUT FOR THE RE-ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT, REGISTER TO VOTE AND VOTE AT ALL COSTS FOR HIM AND IF YOU ARE IN MASSACHUSETTS ELECT THE GREAT ELIZABETH WARREN TO THE US SENATE! 

THE HOUR GROWS LATE AND THERE IS TOO MUCH AT STAKE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A LIFE AND DEATH ELECTION. AS WAS TRUE ABOUT GEORGE BUSH THOUSANDS OF LIVES WERE UNNECESSARILY TAKEN -- DO NOT -- DO NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE AGAIN. THIS TIME THE DROP OF A BOMB ON IRAN ROMNEY IS JUST ITCHING TO DO COULD MEAN NUCLEAR WAR AND I AM NOT KIDDING.  IT COULD MEAN A MUSHROOM CLOUD COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU! A MITT ROMNEY UNETHICAL AND EXTREME IS THAT DANGEROUS!