Afghan Women: What Does Their Future Look Like Now?
Posted by Michelle Moquin on January 21st, 2012
Good morning!
Fear for the Women of Afghanistan
As the United States begins to tidy up its affairs in Afghanistan, I have a bad feeling about the women we’ll leave behind.
We’re already confronted with reports — and horrific images — of attacks on women and girls: noses and ears sliced off, acid-ravaged faces, beatings, whippings, honor killings. Just this month comes the story of 15-year-old Sahar Gul, tortured in a basement for months by her new husband and in-laws, apparently because she refused to become a prostitute.
Injuries and mutilations that shocked even the battle-hardened military surgeons are punishments for any number of affronts to patriarchal sensibilities — from fleeing an abusive husband to refusing a forced marriage to pursuing an education.
If these outrages continue to happen while we’re there, what happens when we’re not?
The brutalities that rivet world attention for a news cycle or two are extreme examples of a wide and ongoing problem. The rights organization Oxfam International reports that 87 percent of Afghan women have experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence, as well as forced marriage, which Amnesty International says account for 80 percent of all marriages. According to the UK-based charity, Womankind, more than half of all girls married are not yet 16.
The threat-level for females is elevated by a government that is pursuing a policy of reconciliation by courting of the same Taliban that waged a campaign of gender apartheid. President Hamid Karzai now calls them “our upset brothers.”
There are early indications that the government — even without the Taliban under roof — is uprooting the tendrils of progress of the past ten years.
The new constitution may guarantee the rights of women. But it also says nothing can contradict the principles of Islamic law — which is undefined and open to interpretation by whoever happens to be in power.
Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal, leader of the ideologically conservative Hizb-i-Islami faction, believes that women and men should not attend the same universities, and that women should not leave the home unless in the company of a male relative. A Time Magazine article quotes his feelings: “What we want in Afghanistan is Islamic rights, not Western rights.” He also happens to be the Minister of the Economy.
Recently passed by a Parliament we hoped would enforce constitutional protections is a law that allows husbands to withhold money and food from wives who refuse sex, limits female inheritance, curtails female custody in divorce, and denies women freedom of movement unless sanctioned by their families. The mandated 25 percent of Parliament seats held by women could do nothing to stop it — in part because many of the 68 women vote with the men who put them in power.
There are those who say that none of this means the days of wanton Taliban brutality and repression will return. The world is now watching.
As we toss the keys to a government duct taped together out of parts of convenience and already limiting female freedoms — suppose the all-out cultural attack on women resumes. What exactly could the world do other than watch? Perhaps a strongly worded statement.
Women could be beaten in the streets on live TV, and their suffering would never give cause to a return to the $300 million America spends every day in Afghanistan not to mention the prospect of losing more American lives.
Recent history is a lesson in the relativity of women’s rights. Russia’s occupation was ugly. But life for women under the Communist government was a modern high point. Reforms provided real political roles, economic opportunity and social freedoms greater than women have today.
All of that was swept away by the Taliban in the five short years between 1996 and 2001. Then it was restored piecemeal by Western occupation and investment over the past ten.
The clear lesson is that the safety and dignity of the country’s women are hostage to the beliefs of the men who carry the guns. We saw in Vietnam and, possibly in Iraq, the convenient futility of propping up a government and its military just long enough to get out of town. As we pack up our guns and go, who and what will pick up the ones we leave behind?
It’s possible that guarantees for women in the Afghan constitution will withstand the power vacuum in the wake of our departure. It’s possible that the Taliban as part of the government will think differently than the one that brutally repressed human rights, and was perfectly happy to sacrifice health, economy and modernity in the name of purity. It’s possible that the new government will be strong enough — and the army loyal enough — to allow the Taliban to join the government without consuming it.
For the sake of the long-suffering Afghan woman, let’s hope that all comes to pass — because there is little we can do but watch in horror if it doesn’t.
*******
Readers: We can’t forget about these women and girls. I am certainly not going to. And if I can support and help effect change, I certainly will do my best. I HOPE you will too.
Howie: Nicely stated.
Uma & Anonymous: I read this recently in a magazine: “When a woman steals your husband, there is no better revenge than to let her keep him.”
Ken: Thanks for the heads up on this. I use their service as well. But thankfully I am not a Zappos user. For those that are, I HOPE they heed the advice and protect their identities.
Guys: With respect to Obama’s singing…c’mon guys…loved hearing from the girls but where was your lovin’? Obama’s serenade of “Lets Stay Together” was to his supporters…all of his supporters, not just the girls. Speaking of…
…Social Butterfly: I apologize that I didn’t see your comment until after I posted yesterday. If I had I would’ve either given you a nod, or thanked you for the inspiration to the blog topic if I hadn’t found the topic myself.
Blog Biz: Please note that when I get up in the morning, from around 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM, I try to read all of the comments that I see posted (if I’m lucky), and I begin to blog by responding to comments that I want to address in my daily blog write. After that period I am either busy researching my topic for the day or writing it. I try to post around 9:00 AM which I have to admit I have not been doing as of late.
Therefore, if you post a comment from around 8:30 AM till when I actually post, It is highly likely that I did not read your comment. In fact if I am a day or so behind in reading the comments, I may not even read the comments from the most current day. And I rarely switch back and forth between writing/research and reading to keep up with any comments that come in after 8:30 AM. I may see that a slew of them have come in, and make a comment like “Hey, I see lots more comments came in this morning”, but I don’t always read them. So please do not take it personally if I don’t see you comment to give you a nod and acknowledge you. It is not something I did intentionally.
Holly: It is mind boggling but people still will. When you have no problem lying to your wife who you supposedly love, just what will you lie about to people who you really don’t care about?
Erica: Their actions are sickening. Would love to send Maddie their way, but it would be too easy, would resolve nothing. If the people don’t see that they are Lying Sacks of Shit and do something, to prevent the election of the great white hope, then they deserve to get what they want. Because if Obama isn’t elected in 2012, it will not be a pretty picture for anyone.
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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January 21st, 2012 at 9:47 am
Gingrich benefited from debates, says former S.C. GOP Chairman
COLUMBIA, S.C. — If Newt Gingrich wins the South Carolina primary Saturday, it will be because, for the first time in the history of the primary and the contest for the Republican presidential nomination, there were many televised debates that resonated with likely primary voters.
That was the opinion of one of the most seasoned Republicans in South Carolina, and one who insists he is neutral in the Jan. 21 primary contest.
Henry D. McMaster, who served as Republican chairman of the Palmetto State for four two-year terms (the longest tenure of any GOP chairman in the state) and is a former two-term state attorney general.
January 21st, 2012 at 11:17 am
I love watching bigots tell us that Santorum is the “average american.”
Yes, if the average american is an idiot and a misogynist.
White men are all over the channels telling us what and who the average american is.
They could save us all the bullshit and simply say when they say “average” they men white.
Janice.
January 21st, 2012 at 11:29 am
Happiness Is Your Problem
Laurie Gerber, president of Handel Group Life Coaching (www.HandelGroup.com), used to be a chronic complainer.
When her husband finally said, “Stop!” she made him a promise that went far beyond not complaining. Her promise, which has influenced her personally and professionally, was to be happy with her life.
“Growing up means making your happiness your problem to solve,” Gerber observes. Instead of expecting others to please her or playing the victim so that she could control or blame other people, she realized that she had to work at pleasing herself.
How Gerber did it—and what anyone can do…
You are not allowed to be grumpy, bored or otherwise displeased. “It’s not about subjugating your feelings,” Gerber says. “It’s about moving from feeling to doing.”
You can mutter all day about how tired you feel—or you can go for a walk, stop using the computer at night (so you’ll sleep better) or have your diet evaluated to see what may give you more energy.
Figure out what you would need to do to avoid being displeased. What different choices would you make? Socialize more on the weekend?
Set aside time to listen to music or explore the outdoors? Meditate daily? Be more honest with people? What would you ask for from your spouse, children or people at work?
Among the needs that Gerber identified for herself—more eye contact from her husband… end-of-day reports from her staff… getting seven hours of sleep a night.
Important: Make clear requests rather than expecting others to figure out what you want. Don’t chicken out of politely telling people what you wish they had done differently.
Give yourself negative consequences when you become displeased. This is a classic Handel Group technique that we’ve written about before in our publications.
Choose consequences that annoy you enough to push you in the right direction. If Gerber is rude to a colleague because she is in a hurry, she writes him/her a poem (an annoyance because it takes time and thought).
At home, her consequence is emptying the dishwasher—something that other family members usually do because she hates it so much.
When Gerber succeeds at being pleased, no artificial rewards are necessary. The benefits from better relationships, more confidence and more peace of mind are a natural outcome and rewarding enough.
Laurie Gerber, president of Handel Group Life Coaching. (www.HandelGroup.com)
January 21st, 2012 at 12:36 pm
I believe that most republican women believe that Newt put the media in its place.
His marriage is not an issue. His ability to lead this country and bring it by to Americans is all that counts.
So we will support him all the way.
Beverly
January 21st, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Tell me again what it is exactly the white boy worships. Their SCOTUS ruled that MONEY is speech and you can spend as much of it as you want.
Then two years ago that same court ruled that corporations are PEOPLE. And can spend as much as they want.
This just sucks.
January 21st, 2012 at 1:34 pm
Beverly,
It is for that belief that Newt will put women in their place. That exchange on CNN was one of the most thought out and contrived question/answer between any politician before. They worked on that all morning. It was a great opener to the racist, sexist, bigoted people of South Carolina. It was done with complete trust in that the lowest state ranked in education would feed on that hook, line and sinker.
So, if I understand things correctly, Newt is having his children from his first wife convince the sheople that his second wife is lying about his third wife. He began his relationship with his first wife when he was 16 and she was a geometry teacher. He divorced her while she was battling cancer and refused to pay child support(for the two children now coming to his side) and alimony in order to blackmail her and speed up the divorce negotiation process. He left his first wife
for his second wife. He then began a lengthy affair with his third wife during his second marriage. After his second divorce he married his third wife only months later.
He was the spearhead for the impeachment of Clinton due to the Clinton’s tryst and is the ONLY speaker of the house to be sanctioned for ethics violations. Throughout his political career much of his platform has been based on the moral degradation of the United States. Probably because he is such an expert at that topic.
He prides himself on the fact that there are people in this country who are either idiots, forgetful, racist, bigoted, sexist or simply fully morally corrupt. His popularity simply exemplifies the sad truth that he is right.
He is a brilliant idiot.
January 21st, 2012 at 3:04 pm
MM, it was just another example of great minds thinking alike :)
/SB
January 21st, 2012 at 6:41 pm
Mike #5: I agree with you 100%. This does just suck. Who ever suggested that Supreme Court Justices hold their seat for life? Is there even one of them who is not owned by the corporate entities who had them put in those chairs?
A little house cleaning in the judicial branch wouldn’t hurt, considering the treasonist rulings the’ve been comming up with.
This does suck!
Al
January 21st, 2012 at 7:53 pm
I cannot think of even one human who has the intuition to be appointed into a position of power for the remainder of their lives.
That is exactly why a Presidential term lasts only 4 years and 8 if re-elected. It discourages Dictatorship since there is a limit set.
Things happen so fast in this crazy world we live in. Technologies have become mainstream so fast that an older person may be perplexed by the new technologies we depend on daily now. These technologies did not exist 20 or 30 years ago so an older Supreme Court Judge may not be familiar with the good and bad points of these technologies.
Many of these gadgets can turn into a way to lose more and more of our rights to privacy. Data about everyone is bought and sold among marketing companies so corporations can more easily target a specific group without breaking any privacy laws.
George Orwell was more than a Science Fiction Writer — he was a prophet. Big Brother sees all, hears all, and knows all about each and every one of us. This makes it easier to control the Masses (the Sheeple).
There is no place left to just enjoy a little privacy when one’s phone calls can be recorded, ones Internet Browsing is recorded and one can be located anywhere if one has OnStar or Lo-Jack on their car.
Even ones home is not private If one does not remove the battery of their Cell Phone they may be broadcasting every word spoken to Big Brother (If they choose to listen). It used to take a warrant and justifiable cause for a government agency to listen to tap into someone’s telephone conversations . . . Not any more. One can be labeled an activist for signing a petition or attending a demonstration and carry that Red flag with them for the rest of their life. One can disappear and wind up at Guantanamo Bay with no legal representation and no reason for being taken-in except that one has made it to a list of possible insurgents.
All due to TECHNOLOGY and its misuse.
What happened to the “Land of the Free?”
HOWIE
January 21st, 2012 at 7:57 pm
kudos to you Howie
January 21st, 2012 at 11:28 pm
Wow, yes, you go, Howie!
January 22nd, 2012 at 8:06 am
Hi Misch, just wanted to share this TED talk about SOPA/PIPA just in case anyone wants to do the ‘easy thing’ this man points out.
http://www.ted.com/talks/defend_our_freedom_to_share_or_why_sopa_is_a_bad_idea.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2012-01-20&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email
Hope the link works, if not, ted.com and look for ‘why sopa is a bad idea
Luv, Zen Lill
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:09 am
Here is another example of why this country is the greatest country on earth, and at the same time why it could have been even greater and why it is not living up to its potential to be even greater today.
A seventeen year old chinese american girl, Angela read a science article when she was 13 and decided she like the articles because they had puzzle potential even though at the time the biochemical nano science was foreign to her.
———————–
Angela’s idea was to mix cancer medicine in a polymer that would attach to nanoparticles — nanoparticles that would then attach to cancer cells and show up on an MRI. so doctors could see exactly where the tumors are. Then she thought shat if you aimed an infrared light at the tumors to melt the polymer and release the medicine, thus killing the cancer cells while leaving healthy cells completely unharmed.
———————
The point I am making is this is another story that could only happen in America. Why because we are the country that accepts everyone. American has no race it is the home of every race.
The negative is that the white boy attempts to limit the advantages of being an american to the OTW. In the past limiting the Arts, Sciences, and Math education to the white boy limited what was accomplished.
Think of where America could be now if all those great OTW minds had been given an opportunity to contribute politically, scientifically and philosophically in the past.
America could be greater if the white boy made an effort to extend the educational and financial opportunities to the OTW to the same degree they have.
The resulting discoveries and financial opportunities the OTWs would add to the economy would explode the job opportunities for everyone and return America to the number one producer of jobs and opportunities for those seeking the dream of success or self reliance.
Today we have a faction that are striving to take their country back meaning returning America to a time when the white boy was America’s SOLE Affirmative Action Beneficiaries.
Robert
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:38 am
Nice post Howie.
My beef this morning is with all the news shows telling us how miraculous is the rise from obscurity Gingrich’s win in South Carolina is.
Thank you Main Dude for explaining it for all to understand. Too bad none of the news media took the time to read your post.
Or is it that the white boy can admit that the rise was no miracle simply an appeal to the racists and bigots in a State composed of predominately racist and bigots.
The proper statement is it would have taken a miracle for him to lose after appealing to their racists tendencies.
Alycedale
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:40 am
I agree great post Main Dude.
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:49 am
My beef is with the media using the phrase “race related question” as a substitute for “playing the race card” as a deterrent for questioning whites about their racist or bigoted conduct.
The media is attempting to prevent OTWs from challenging whites by claiming they are using a “race related question.”
One can’t challenge a white boy for his bigotry or possibly racist conduct because it would be a race related question. What the fuck is that?
If I rape you sister you can’t ask about it because its a gender related question? Fuck white america for attempting to aid and abet the racists and bigots by setting that criteria as acceptable.
It is a known that one-third of white america are out right rabid racists, so they have a pass here.
It is that third that looks the other way that has set this ridiculous hurdle for OTWs to prevent them from challenging their racist one-third and to prevent that uncomfortable feeling they get when reminded of the sickness of a third of their race.
Remi
January 22nd, 2012 at 9:56 am
I applaud when men take the time to recognize a woman’s input, sacrifice or existence. I too am a resident from Chalan Pago so this one made me especially proud.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Dear Joey and Arlene and Lani: American Association of University Women … and what the hell was I doing there for lunch (recently)?
Your dad and I were the only men there! But (I’m) so happy I went!
Your mom invited me to attend the January meeting of the AAUW Guam Chapter. It was a lunch buffet meeting at the Fiesta Resort Guam.
Great food! Small, cordial crowd, and Atilana Rambayon was going to be the featured speaker, talking about Habitat for Humanity and Gawad Kalinga.
You surely know what those two organizations strive to achieve: affordable housing for economically challenged.
And why do I cherish my attending the occasion? Well, in a single word: pride.
I’ve never been more proud to be a friend of your mom’s than I was with the ladies of the AAUW.
She spoke with such ease. She spoke with such humility.
Ease, because she was talking about something that is inexorably close to her heart and part and parcel of her life.
Humility, because she spoke with not one bit of focus on herself but instead her focus was on the people of the “village” named after the fallen astronaut, Willie McCool, her son-in-law.
She thought nothing of the land she gave for the village. She thought nothing of how she uses her money and organizational skills merging them into a life opportunity for others.
You have always heard that no one person makes anything good happen. It always will require a concerted effort of many to make any good project succeed.
But you have also always heard that “one person can make a difference.”
Well in this case, regardless of who or how many people make Willie’s Village work, it occured to me yesterday that without your mom, there wouldn’t even be a village with over 20 houses built for indigent families.
Your mom was asked by one of the women, how large were the houses? She gestured to our small dining room, with room for two tables seating maybe 15 and said, “Just about the size of the room we are using for our lunch.”
Then another woman asked about the average size of the families living in those one-room houses. I think she said seven or nine.
I saw the look on these women’s faces and imagined the thoughts of dismay they must have felt.
But then I remembered hearing of an interview with a young Gawad Kalinga boy who was living in one of those one-room homes (not merely a house but a home), and he said he was so happy because now his house didn’t move.
Not like when he lived in his house before that was made of cardboard.
And as I sat there listening to your mom, who claims to be so nervous speaking to groups like this, the thought crystalized in my mind: Her stature may be small, but her dedication is dangerous.
Poverty and life challenges beware!
And yet, you know very well that yesterday was just a slice of this remarkable lady’s constant effort in life — just a small slice!
Art Mergist is a resident of Chalan Pago.
======================
Kudos to you Art. We are so proud to have you in our Village.
Anna
January 22nd, 2012 at 10:00 am
Very well spoken Doug, TMD. And Howie I didn’t know you had this side in you. I’m impressed.
Claire
January 22nd, 2012 at 10:02 am
Zen Lill:
Thank’s for he link on SOPA. It was a great help.
January 22nd, 2012 at 10:12 am
When I can get to read your blog Michelle and I see the regulars have written in I feel lucky because I know my time will not be wasted. And it wasn’t.
AL, Zen Lill, Howie, Social Butterfly(I hope you don’t mind I have copied your title in my country of Uganda. When I post I use Kijamii Kipepeo, swahili for Social Butterfly), Doug,TMD, Robert,RT and one of my very favorites Alycedale.
Africa loves you all
Babirye
January 22nd, 2012 at 10:30 am
THE SNORING TREATMENT THAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT MENTION
If you’ve ever had to poke your spouse in the ribs in the middle of the night to get him/her to stop snoring, then you know how maddening this noisy habit can be —
and how cumbersome many of the common treatments are (such as mouthpieces and special pillows).
So I was delighted to learn about an easy (and fun!) solution — sing your snoring away.
My father actually stumbled across an anti-snoring singing program online and said it worked wonders for him.
So I called the woman behind it — Alise Ojay, a singing instructor and choir director at the University of Exeter in the UK — to find out more about how busting out a tune might reduce (or even eliminate) snoring.
WARBLE YOUR WAY TO A QUIET NIGHT
First, Ojay reminded me why snoring makes the noise that it does — it occurs when airflow through your respiratory structures is partially blocked either by solid structures such as large tonsils or by any loose tissues, such as the walls of the throat and the soft palate (where the back of your throat meets the roof of your mouth).
Any restriction makes your breath more turbulent, so if the soft palate has flopped back across the airway it can vibrate like a flag in the wind.
The vibrations are what produce the loud, buzz sawlike sounds.
Then Ojay told me a story. Some years ago, a friend of hers who was in his 40s complained to her about his snoring problem, which was making it hard for him to develop a long-term relationship.
He demonstrated the snoring noise that he made, and it struck Ojay that it sounded like his soft palate was lax.
Good muscle control over the soft palate is vital for singers so they can choose to make either a bright clear sound (when the soft palate is raised) or a duller nasal sound (when the soft palate is dropped) and any sound quality in between.
She thought to herself, “You can use singing to tone the soft palate so it will be more taut and less likely to vibrate in sleep.
” Thus her do-it-yourself CD program, Singing for Snorers, was born.
She sells the program on her Web site — three CDs and a 48-page instruction booklet — for 42 English pounds, which is roughly $70 for US customers.
TONE MUSCLES TO TONE DOWN SNORING
Singing for Snorers leads users through a vigorous workout for snoring-related respiratory structures — the soft palate, the arch at the back of the mouth, the tongue and nasal passages.
When you repeat certain sounds, Ojay explained, the exercises isolate and work different airway muscles, just like you would target certain muscle groups at the gym to increase strength and fitness.
For example, to tone the soft palate: Make the “ung-gah” sound.
As you sing “ung,” your soft palate comes down to touch the back of your tongue… as you follow with “gah,” it lifts back up.
It’s important to sing these phrases and not just say them out loud, said Ojay, because when you sing, you use more energy and strength, so your muscles work harder — in other words, the more power you can bring to these exercises, the better.
Ojay noted that you don’t have to be a good singer to get the full benefit of her program — because it doesn’t matter how good you sound while you do it but only that you work the right muscles.
If you decide to try the program, expect to sing along with the singer and instrumental background music on the CDs for 12 minutes a day for the first month and 18 minutes a day during the second and third months.
The exercises require a good amount of energy and are “enlivening,” according to Ojay — so it’s best to perform them during the day when you have plenty of energy to do them right (and so they don’t rev you up too much before bedtime).
She adds that users vary tremendously in how quickly they see results.
Most see changes by the second month, but when her own partner tried her treatment, his snoring continued to the third week of the third month… and then he suddenly stopped for good.
More than 3,000 people have bought Ojay’s CDs and she advises users to maintain their tone once the program is finished by doing a “maintenance program,” which consists of singing through at least a few exercises a few times a week.
A DOCTOR’S OPINION
To see what a doctor who deals with sleep-related problems thought of this novel type of treatment, I called William Kohler, MD, medical director of the Florida Sleep Institute in Spring Hill and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Anything that strengthens, and in turn stabilizes, the throat can help stop snoring, said Dr. Kohler. I
n fact, he told me about a study that demonstrated that playing the didgeridoo — an Australian wind instrument — strengthened airways and reduced snoring in people with sleep apnea (a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts).
So Dr. Kohler believes that singing may have a similar effect — though research needs to be done on the topic to confirm that.
If more studies confirm the positive results — and if more doctors become aware that singing may help —
Dr. Kohler thinks that more doctors may begin recommending singing as a treatment option.
At the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in England, researchers are working on just such a study.
In the past few years, they have conducted a clinical trial of Ojay’s exercises in both chronic snorers and people with mild-to-moderate sleep apnea, and she expects the results to be published next year.
In the meantime, if you snore, you might want to consider singing exercises as a more comfortable and enjoyable alternative to traditional snoring treatments.
For more information about Ojay’s program, visit http://www.SingingforSnorers.com.
Caution: If snoring is severe (disrupts your sleep or your partner’s sleep and/or leads to difficulty functioning the next day due to intense fatigue), consult a physician.
In some cases, snoring is a sign of a serious underlying sleep disorder.
You can find a sleep specialist in your area at the Web site of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (www.aasmnet.org).
Source(s):
William Kohler, MD, medical director, Florida Sleep Institute, Spring Hill. Dr. Kohler is a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (www.aasmnet.org).
Alise Ojay, singing instructor, choir director at the University of Exeter, UK, and a singer and composer. Ojay is the creator of the Singing for Snorers program (www.singingforsnorers.com).
January 22nd, 2012 at 10:41 am
South Carolina voters voice their opinions of the GOP candidates
COLUMBIA, S.C. — “It’s exciting and unpredictable. It reminds me of watching the SuperBowl!”
That’s how Peter Burian, Ambassador to the U.S. from the Slovak Republic, described his day of watching voters go to the polls in South Carolina during its internationally-watched Republican presidential primary.
Burian was one of those with HUMAN EVENTS along for the ride with Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who on Saturday took several of us for a trek to polling places throughout his five-county congressional district.