We have a lot of work left to do.
Category Archives: Society
Life in Kabul: Portraits by a Photojournalist | PRI’s The World
I heard this on the way home last night and only got to view one of the stories on the project site. I hope to make the time to see the rest soon. Interesting stuff.
What Does It Mean To Be ‘All-American’? : NPR
Some insights into the modern day immigrant experience and what that means to our nation.
BBC News – Arab Spring: ‘It was the first time I felt I belonged’
An interesting snapshot of a few of the many millions involved in the Arab Spring this year.
BBC News – Bethlehem shepherds giving up watching flocks
Who would have thought that the job of a Bethlehem shepherd would be a dying art?
Granted, there are probably more reasons than the article gives, but still another sign of our modernizing times.
The plight of the Roma – CNN Photos – CNN.com Blogs
Check out the photos here.
The plight of the Roma
Fashion photographer Zoe Zimmer traveled to eastern Slovakia earlier this year to document the lives of the Roma people.
Commonly referred to as Gypsies, an estimated 10 million Roma are scattered across Europe. They have been persecuted throughout history, and as a result they often live in poverty and have trouble integrating into society.
“They’ve been downtrodden for so long that it’s extremely difficult for them to live normally and preserve their own culture at the same time,” Zimmer said.
While visiting Roma settlements, she saw children who attend segregated schools and musicians who struggle to afford their instruments. But she said she was struck by how optimistic many of the people were despite their hardships.
“Before I went, I thought about painted caravans and all sorts of romantic ideas of what a Gypsy is,” Zimmer said. “I hope my photographs are a more realistic portrayal of how they’re actually living and the problems they face.”
She was in Slovakia with her father, Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, as part of a fact-finding delegation put together by his philanthropic Remote Control Foundation and the National Democratic Institute.
As a fashion photographer, Zimmer said she’s used to having complete control over everything – from the lighting to how her subjects are standing. This was her first experience with documentary photography.
“It was really great for me to learn how to work under those conditions,” she said. “It was a great change of pace.”
An exhibit of the resulting work titled “Deserve Dignity” opens in West Hollywood on Saturday, coinciding with Human Rights Day.
– Brett Roegiers, CNN
A Long, Turbulent Journey For Afghan Female Pilot : NPR
Everyone acts like we spent the past decade getting Afghanistan to come our of the Dark Ages and join the 21st century.
That is a simple – and wrong – explanation. Between religion, culture, and decades of war, yes, the place is a tad behind the times. Some of that, however, is by choice.
I mean, we’ve got so-called Christians who are too afraid to leave their homes because they are afraid of gay people. So bigotry, hatred, and sexual hatred isn’t anything new.
That said, this story about how an Afghan pilot has to take her daughter on her chopper during potential combat missions is just damn unsettling.
I get why she does it. You just wish someone would pull their head out of their ass and create conditions where she doesn’t have to make the decision in the first place.
You can give folks weapons. You can train their to use them. You can slap names on buildings that make it the Ministry of Whatsit. But you can’t make a nation out of guns and name plaques. You’ve got to get them to want to do it.
Japanese Seniors: Send Us To Damaged Nuclear Plant : NPR
Sometimes a tragedy just spawns other forms of tragedy.
In Japan, many elderly citizens are volunteering to clean up the nuclear plant at Fukujima, sparing the lives of younger workers with small children.
This is beyond admirable. It is humbling that folks would do such a thing.
This is not the tragedy, though it is pretty much a volunteer death sentence to those folks.
The tragedy is that their nation’s leaders are not taking them seriously.
The other tragedy is that the only motivation we get from the elderly here in the US is a bunch of racist morons who complain about the government and travel to Tea Bagger rallies using their Social Security checks and buying pills in faraway WalMarts with their Medicare money.
Just makes ya sick some days.
The Science of Why We Don’t Believe Science
There is a scientific reason behind why we doubt things that have been proven with hard evidence.
Granted, we’re all skeptics. Well, I’m more of a cynic, but you get the idea.
Sadly, the folks that doubt science the most these days – anti-vaccine folks, creationists, climate change deniers – won’t be listening to this argument either. And the racists posing as birthers, afterbirthers, whatever wont see the correlation to their lunacy either.
Oh well, at least there’s a reason why they are embracing their particular madness. Not to mention the crazy stuff you and I believe – or don’t.
What Will Happen If Gay Marriage Is Legalized?
