They Thought The Bullets Would Silence Us: The Heroism of Malala Yousafzai

Remember those girls that Taliban gunmen took of a bus and shot? It not only gave us yet another example of the pure evil, non-human thinking and behavior of these assholes, but it gave us a better story when this brave, young girl, Malala Yousafzai, stood up to the Taliban. This is from a news report on yahoo.com with the title, ‘Books and Pens Are Our Most Powerful Weapons’: The Heroism of Malala Yousafzai, By Bob Woodruff and Mary-Rose Abraham by way of ABC News Makers, is a must read.



On her Sweet Sixteen, Malala Yousafzai’s celebration included what most teen girls would never imagine for their birthdays.

The Pakistani girl addressed a special session of the United Nations, calling for global leaders to deliver education to all children. It was dubbed “Malala Day” in honor of the girl who was shot by a Taliban gunman on her way to school last October in the Swat Valley of Pakistan. The usual ambassadors and dignitaries cleared the assembly room, with more than 500 young people – all under 25 years old – packing the session for Malala’s address.

“The Taliban shot me on the left side of my forehead,” said Malala. “They shot my friends too. They thought the bullet would silence us, but they failed. Out of that silence came thousands of voices. The terrorists thought they would change my aim and stop my ambitions. But nothing changed in my life except this. Weakness, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born.”

Only a few adults were allowed to be present, including U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and U.N. Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown.

“I quickly understood when I met Malala that she was an amazing girl,” said Brown in an interview with ABC News’ Bob Woodruff. “She’s got such courage, but she’s also got such a strong belief. This belief that every child irrespective of gender, of race, of religion, should have the chance of education, is so at the center of everything that she does that you cannot but be impressed by her determination.”

Worldwide, 57 million boys and girls do not receive an education, with girls making up 32 million of those out of school. Part of the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals is universal access to a primary school education by the end of 2015.

“It’s an intolerable situation,” explained Brown. “It actually costs in most countries in Africa and Asia only about a $100 a year to educate a child. It’s not the finance. It’s the lack of political will to do this. It’s something we can do something about pretty quickly.”

Where political will has failed, Malala’s steadfast determination to get an education has inspired 4 million people around the world to sign a petition calling for every child’s right to an education and an end to discrimination against girls.

“There are a large number of girls now who are not prepared to take no for an answer, who are not prepared to accept the subjugation, who are not prepared to either be married off as 12-year-olds or to be trafficked or to be in child labor or to be discriminated against,” said Brown.

Brown likens this struggle to the civil rights movements in the United States and the battle to end apartheid South Africa.

“We can allow terrorists to deny girls the right to education,” said Brown. “We can be indifferent to the needs of young people who are wanting to go to school. But we will pay a heavy price if we don’t take action.”

That heavy price was paid just a few weeks ago. In southwestern Pakistan, a suicide bomber blew up a bus carrying university students and teachers, killing 14 women. Militants then attacked a hospital treating the injured, killing two dozen more. In northeastern Nigeria, militants opened fire on students taking their exams at school, killing nine of them. Just the day before, 13 students and teachers were killed when extremists attacked a boarding school.

“We have these outbreaks of violence, and we can no longer be complacent or indifferent to the attacks that have been put on girls, particularly, trying to get to school,” said Brown. “And that’s why Malala is such a symbol, because she’s not the only person who’s been subject to these intimidations and these threats and these attacks. But she has stood up and said, ‘I am not prepared to give up my right to education in the face of these terrorist threats.’”

Brown believes Malala deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. But what the young girl has told him she would most like to see is the building of schools.

“If you want to have long-term change, transformation, you need to invest in education,” said Brown. “And if you want to avoid the security problems that have been caused in Africa as well as Asia by terrorist organizations, you can’t allow them to fall prey to these extremists who are offering to educate them in madrasas, and be subject to terrorist propaganda. We’ve got to do what’s the right thing to do, and that’s to offer education to these children ourselves.”

For more information, please visit www.malalafund.org

What Have We Learned from the George Zimmerman - Trayvon Martin Trial?

All these black celebrities and politicians, from Jesse Jackson, to Al Sharpton, to actor Marlon Wayans, to actor Levar Burton, to singer Beyonce are verbal in their supporting the misbegotten idea that George Zimmerman murdered a Trayvon Martin, a young boy with a promising future.  These people in the public eye of course are exposing their ignorance and racism when they make wild claims and lie about the facts. 

But never mind the facts,....these people are rationalizing their own truths using their race as the filter for that truth. How racist is that? And another liberal trick is to ignore other facts that don't support your position.  When is the last time you have heard of any pol or public figure talking about the violence in Chicago in which the victims are largely blacks?  Over the 4th of July weekend there were over 70 people wounded, 12 of those dying, bringing the toll to over 200 dead this calendar year so far.  Sounds like a Mexican City in which the drug cartels are battling.     

Here are some comments from people on-line concerning this trail and the verdict,...just a sampling of idiots and I assure you there are many more:

To some, it appears there is little to no value placed on the African-American child. Based on the tone since the beginning of this horrible tragedy, many agreed Zimmerman had no right to claim self-defense when he, in fact, pursued, chased and stalked Martin to his death.
— Vikki Hankins

Cowboys and Tea Parties Comment: Trayvon was 17 years old, not a child. Old enough to fight for his country. Only your fellow assholes said Zimmerman had no right to self defense - everyone has that right, even you Vikki. Oh, here's your Ass Hat.

The real question at the heart of this case is whether, by virtue of the mere color of his skin and the wearing of a hoodie, a person is dangerous. Yes, said the jury. Yes he is...... ...... segregation and racial violence was born anew......it should not be OK for an adult to follow a child home from the store in the dark, first in a car, then on foot. It should not be OK for him to shoot him dead.
— Isa-Lee Wolf

Cowboys and Tea Parties Comment: The jury did not say any such thing you idiot...or more correctly, you liberal idiot. I know you are a liberal since you lie about the facts to suit your agenda. Zimmerman did not follow Trayvon from the store. He followed Travon when Trayvon trespassed into a neigbhorhood he had no business in. Ok Isa-Lee you earned your Ass Hat.

Unfortunately, despite having a black president, racism is still very much alive in America. Being black is like wearing a target on your back, an invitation to be questioned, harassed, and in the case of a young Florida teenager, fatally shot. Driving while black has always been a game of Russian roulette for black people. With the death of Trayvon Martin, we now know walking while black is just as risky.
— Nancy Tracy

Cowboys and Tea Parties Comment: President Obama is the racist in Chief - so if racism is alive and well in America look to him for blame. You Nancy, don't need an Ass Hat, cause you are one.

Essentially, what we learn from the George Zimmerman not-guilty verdict is that the Old South and the New South have a whole bunch in common. Not only did Florida rubber-stamp the murder of a child today, but it has created a new legal standard for lynching that is much more legal and expedient than Jim Crow.
— Vickie Mansour-Hasan

Cowboys and Tea Parties Comment: A child? There goes that word again. "Children" don't post the pictures Trayvon did on the internet, acting like he was some type of Gangsta. Children don't run up to people punch them in the face then jump on top of them.......Essentially what we have is another Vickie and another Ass Hat.

Why didn't anyone help break up the fight between Zimmerman and Martin before it turned deadly? The Zimmerman case was not about race. It was about men and their stupid guns. I wish that Zimmerman could have left his gun at home that day. I've often wondered why people can't carry pepper spray to use as self-defense. I don't understand the male preoccupation with guns.
— Laura Quinn

Cowboys and Tea Parties Comment: Pepper Spray?....Really?.........You, Laura, are on the Darwin list for sure.

The verdict in this case elevates the rights of cowboys and wanna-be cops over those of law-abiding citizens. With no evidence Martin was committing any crime, Zimmerman had no justification for sticking his nose — and his gun — into Martin's business. Martin didn't owe Zimmerman any explanation for his presence in the neighborhood. Zimmerman's carrying a deadly weapon — one which did not contain Martin's DNA, suggesting he never touched it — most likely put Martin in fear for his life. Letting Zimmerman off the hook over uncertainty as to who struck first whitewashes Zimmerman's provocation and the power imbalance between the provocateur with the gun and the unarmed citizen.
— Carol Bengle Gilbert

Cowboys and Tea Parties Comment: What does Trayvon's DNA have to do with the gun Zimmerman used to shoot him? Martin was free to roam around and do what he wanted, but Zimmerman wasn't? What stupid reality is that?  Zimmerman was following him at a distance until Trayvon approached him and started the fight with a punch to the face then stradling Zimmerman and continued punching - this is what the evidence and eye witnesses showed. Did you even watch the trial? If you did, then you had your own Ass Hat pulled over your eyes.

No Third Parties,....and say no to Jeb Bush!

AlfonZo Rachel is a big fan of Sarah Palin and Mark Levin, but he is not a big fan of Jeb Bush or third parties. Hear why as Zo explains the dangers of Republicans being sucked into the liberal airplane toilet of doom.