Every 9-11 anniversary is filled with heartfelt salutes to the soldiers, but there are real gestures open to you that would actually make an immediate difference in the lives of desperate people who might turn to terrorism as the only means of supporting one's family.
On Tuesday (9-09-08), I had the rare privilege of meeting Sakena Yacoobi, an Afghan woman and doctor who has founded half-a-dozen programs to empower the poor, especially women, in Afghanistan. Since 2002, she's raised $125,000 through mom&pop philanthrophists -like you- and has put 350,000 girls into schools with that money, among other things. I know these girls are getting a good education like in America (not the African copy notes on a black board and have your students regurgitate facts way), because I asked her about her teaching methods. I know Sakena's projects are trustworthy and efficient with their money, because our GlobalGiving people spend hours pouring over the books of all our partners (I'm now an analyst at GlobalGiving, by the way).
In our meeting, Sakena brought up Al Qaeda and the Taliban: "The Taliban are not Muslims. There is nothing in the Koran to justify their rules," she said. As a devout Muslim (fasting for Ramadan this month), Sakena was the first I'd heard say this but I suspect many other Muslims share her opinion. She didn't hold her tongue about America either. "If you want democracy for us," she said, "then you should want education. But you don't want to spend money for it." She's right. She is putting an Afghan girl in school with less than a dollar per year in donations, while our government can barely maintain order in Afghanistan spending $2.3 billion a month. (that $2,300,000,000 a month!) But she is not alone on 9-11. The families of several 9-11 victims have banded together and donated their government-reparations money into a fund, the "Safer More Compassionate World Fund." They were at the Pentagon's 9-11 memorial today trying to show America a bigger picture. Our pennies add up to opportunities, which create alternatives, which mean fewer people turning to Al Qaeda to support their families. Terrorists are not irrational homicidal maniacs. They are real people who find themselves in the worst places on earth, choosing between several bad options. Sakena herself said, "I see the people in the villages. To buy one bag of flour now costs them more than a month's salary, and that only lasts two-weeks for a family of five. Then the Taliban comes in one day and flashes $100 or $200 dollars in front of them. Where do these people get this money?"
I think you know where that money comes from. It passes through many hands, but at least some of those hands sit on mountains of oil. That means we're doubly in control of our future. We need to stop terrorism both by spreading prosperity to the dark holes of the Earth and by keeping more black blood in the Earth. If you, like me, want to commemorate 9-11 in a meaningful, forward-looking way, you can read about the 10 projects that the Safer, More Compassionate World Fund is promoting on the http://www.globalgiving.com/saferworld.html website and give them money. Sakena started 2 of these. Consider donating AGAIN after Oct 1st, when this fund will begin to match all donations up to $10,000 per person.
[2-19-08]
From Mark Halparin of Time:
“So far, Obama campaign officials have smoothly explained away Michelle Obama’s statement Monday when she told a Wisconsin audience, “For the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country.” The campaign has clarified her comment thusly: Of course she is proud of America and loves her country, but she recognizes its political system has not always been perfect. Like her husband, Michelle Obama has garnered extraordinarily positive press coverage, and, despite some cautiously critical commentary during the last 12 hours, the dominant Old Media has not yet pounced on her remark.”
The reason Obama gets my vote and many others is that this statement resonates with more people. I haven’t been proud of my country for seven and a half years. Since September 12, 2001 we have done a 180 degree turn around from the rough road (and only right path) towards a better world. George W. Bush (Jr) left the world worse-off than he found it.
McCain’s wife Cindy was quick to counter, saying, “I am proud of my country. I don’t know about you. If you heard those words earlier, I am very proud of my country.” To me, hollow words. Most of the people who trip over each other to shout their pride from the roof tops and on the news never lived anywhere else. The others that have left and still cling to patriotism like a blanket to throw over everything else that they say probably were holding a gun or a briefcase at the time. The world looks looks very different when you’re not holding a gun or walking around with all the cash and power. I should know – I was a Peace Corps Volunteer and I later went back to the world’s poorest countries to study how the Internet was changing African culture.
The world also looks at you very differently when you travel with outward signs of money and power. People will usually treat a rich-looking American with respect and not say what they really think. Add our disdain for foreign tongues and a childhood of consuming our own culture (Children in every other country grow up on American movies) and most of the 25% of Americans that ever travel abroad are hearing a filtered meanings in conversation and seeing everything from a distinctly one-culture point of view. (I lived 4 years in Paris as a child so maybe I’m more aware of it) Nevertheless, those who take off the suit or uniform and spend a little time outside of “toubabidou” as Africans called it (collectively America, Europe, Japan, Australia) suddenly get shocked into seeing humanity as something that rises above petty patriotism.
Which brings me back to the beginning. If you’re not proud of this country, no true leader should be ashamed to speak of it honestly. People all over the world can and do separate love for their own culture from love of their government. More than half of us – but a vast majority of us who have left toubabidou – seem to share your feelings, Michelle Obama. And this is what change looks like at the beginning: telling the truth, even when others don’t want to hear it.
From Wikipedia:
"Current Constitutional limitations The Constitution also prohibits electors from voting for both a presidential and vice presidential candidate from the same state as themselves. In theory, this might deny a vice presidential candidate with the most electoral votes the absolute majority required to secure election, even if the presidential candidate is elected, and place the vice presidential election in the hands of the Senate. In practice, this requirement is easily circumvented by having the candidate for vice president change the state of residency as was done by Dick Cheney, who changed his legal residency from Texas to Wyoming, his original home state, in order to run for election as vice president alongside George W. Bush, who was then the governor of Texas."
Letter to Obama sent on 2-16-08:
Title: Credit Card ConservativesA pithy word that hasn't been used by Obama yet: "Credit card conservatives." I saw this in a youtube comment and I think it sums up the type of Republican that Independents like me despise more than any other. If Washington is to change "business as usual," then we have to name the culprits by their deeds.It is the credit card conservatives that like to talk about balancing the budget but borrow more and leave my generation with more debt at every juncture.Democrats may have been complicit in the past, but balancing budgets must be a priority for any American president now. Obama has the best chance to achieve this because he already understands that we cannot AFFORD to rule the world through military spending. We need to stand down our forces and focus on strengthening America through its economy - not its military. On weapons, we already spend more than the whole world combined. And what has it got us? The least bang for our buck of any military in the world! If we tightened our belts, we might someday be the great power for good that previous generations believed us to be.Our addiction to the collosal military-industrial-complex has sapped our economy of strength, denied our country's people better schools and healthcare, and made us the world's bully, not its visionary. And for this we have the credit card conservatives to thank.Regards,Marc MaxsonNew Orleans (freelance political speechwriter for hire)
