"But I guess that's ok among some political circles." You got that one dead right.

The current crop of cheerleaders for abandoning this war won't discuss the consequences to Aghans if we leave and they won't discuss the threat to our country that would also be created.

What these women are doing is an awesome display of principle and courage.

I have long since been disgusted at the doublespeak of our political Left on these issues. You can't support gender equality but see nothing wrong with how women are treated in these countries.

Do you support...

a) Egalitarianism, or

b) Cultural relativism

Pick one. You can't have both.

Since option B is without question the biggest crock of sh*t to roll out of the Left within living memory, the choice is easy. Lucky you. :)

Feed and clothe women , open a bank that only women can use with debit cards. Support women run grocery stores--- where only women can shop and then arm the hell out of all the women---- machine guns for every woman over the age of 14 along with fire arm classes. Women ( in general) won't run out on their children. They will fight to the bitter end to feed, keep safe and clothe their children; even against the Taliban. It has been proven by third world country micro loans that 98% of women pay back their loans compared to very low numbers of men. I love men, our men are (mostly) a wonderful, smart, honorable part of our country --but when they start acting like herds of animals brutally raping and murdering women, we need to make sure that women can defend themselves.

Kallie- instead- why not stun-guns.They cannot be stoned or killed for murder, they will be remembered, and perhaps left alone with stun-gun

Bernie, according to the article, the women are not given weapons. I'm not sure how your vision would work if even pistols are not standard equipment for the ladies. I totally agree with your idea of equal rights though.

Because the mid-east has criminals with AK's, I believe the women should be given and taught how to use them. And to add insult to injury, they should fight them using the Krav Maga fighting form. I know its Jewish, but that's what makes this idea so great. heehee!

What guns? Only five of the women have them. What a shame.

What is truly revolting is that anyone would support a Dark Age interpretation of the supposed will of <insert god here>, instead of supporting the things that make civilized life possible (equality, liberty, rationality, etc.).

Oh well. I guess some of us have functioning moral compasses, and some of us just... don't.

What a pity. :P

Anyone can be "brave" for certain amount of money and forget about God.After all,it's NATO that has the billions of dollars to throw around.

These are widows with children to support and a desire to fight evil. Did you read the article at all?

Here's another right-wing propaganda ploy to justify this obnoxious war and our occupation of Afghanistan.Even the Russians didn't go to this length.

I noticed the comment that said,"thank God for Susan B. Anthony," that we U.S. women are not treated badly by men. We may not have the conditions as the Afghan women do, but our country is far from treating women decently and fairly in our society. If it did, there would not be 100's of untested rape kits in parts of the country. And, also our government would automatically do DNA tests to find fathers who will not financially support their own children and make them do so. While, we women in the U.S. are not killed for going outside without a male accompanying the United States still has a far way to go to ensure freedom and safety for women.

...the United States still has a far way to go to ensure freedom and safety for women.

In this country, women are ensured the same freedom & safety as everyone else, to think different is sexist. Additionally, deb was speaking about how SB Anthony began championing women's right at the turn of the last century - not what you implied "we U.S. women are not treated badly by men"

Please cite where you found the fact on "100s of untested kits"

As for DNA to find worthless sperm donors who don't 'man up' to care for their spawn, I'm all for it.

If you want to post more 'man bashing' tirates, I'm sure Rosie O'Donnell has a website where you will probably asked for a date.

"In this country, women are ensured the same freedom & safety as everyone else, to think different is sexist."-The very reason you think that is, sorry to say, because you are a man. Us Americans have done a fantastic job of perpetuating the illusion that every one is this country is equal and we have the same rights. It's true we are far more egalitarian than we were one hundred years ago but our society is still in the whole sense a patriarchy. We still carry over the same negative social stigmas, stereotypes, and double standards (most geared towards women) we had hundreds of years ago. And it's not just discrimination between the sexes; race and class fall under that category too.

The only group that has faced the least discrimination is the group that has always held the power: rich, white, male. The ball has always been in their court so it's no surprise they're the ones who believe that discrimination doesn't exist on the larger scale. This is a quote taken from an article I read last week: "Those who are left out of the club, notice there's a problem. Those who are already in the club, don't see what the problem is." In other words, those who don't really encounter negative discrimination (there's positive discrimination too), naturally don't believe it really exists.

Another problem is that we've had these inequalities and discriminations for so long that we've normalized them and think them to be natural. In reality, most of our behaviors and beliefs are merely products of cultural attitudes and religion that has been ingrained in us since we were born, not biological fact. We see this clearly in the attitudes and treatment toward women in Muslim countries.

Power to the Afghan women!

charliewig

As you bat your eyes, pat your trigger. stay alert and know that your men (no matter what they profess) are truly impressed.

No matter where they are there is something awesome about a girl with a gun.

Dr Noo- they are fighting for their lives, as well as their children.Don't think they will see dignity in their lifetimes, but perhaps their grandchildren will.

No. Hopefully the extreme elements in each which seek to enslave the world to the "will" of Allah or Jesus will cancel each other out.

It seems that more people than I realized need a history lesson. Islam and Christianity have the very same roots. The only differences are the interpretations. In the west you worship Christ as the prophet/god, on the other side it's Mohamed as prophet/god. It started in the fertile crescent before the Hebrews. It's the extremists that we all have to fight. The Taliban is the KKK of the Muslim world, and neither has validity. Both Jesus and Mohamed worshiped TOGETHER, at the same point in time. Why the hell can't people use that as an example to follow? Islam is, as Christianity is, in it's un-polluted original form, a belief based in love and acceptance. If people MUST believe in a non-existent entity, at least don't corrupt what should be an ideal.

Kitty

Lest you forget, Islam and Christianity have been involved in a blood bath for a thousand years. Even moderate Islam will not tolerate Christian thought. The Koran tells Muslims to avoid friendship with Christians. You're dreaming.

"..it would be a contradiction of muslim faith for a male non-family member to touch or arrest a woman."

Really? In many Muslim countries (Iran, for example) non-family members beat and arrest women for not wearing prescribed clothing, or for involvement in political protests.

The family are usually the ones doing the arrseting and beating....maybe you should research

They seem to think that beating them is ok, but touching them in a non-violent manner isn't. Go fig. :P

Deb,you really don't get it.These women are not "heroes",like Susan B.Anthony or Joan of Arc.In fact,Joan of Arc foght against foreign rule in France,whereas these women are fighting for it in Afghanistan and that's the difference.

Any one who may be ostracized for behavior outside of the "norm" that is making a change is a pioneer...I never called them heroes. Some women are well-known and others never made the front page...my mom was my "hero". She drove our maid and several other black women to work during the Selma bus strikes. Yes, I get it...do you know what could have happened to her? It seems a small thing, but one leads to another and another. Your logic eludes me...first they aren't heroes because they aren't in France? WOW....guess I don't get your logic

Hey Daniel, too bad you're so nut-less. Afraid of strong women huh? These ladies are defending what "men" like you are too wimpy to protect, home and family. They ARE heroes, knowing you're facing possible torture and death, and still going into the fight. That's the very definition of heroism. Not sitting behind a keyboard and deriding those with the balls you don't have.

And you sound like someone who has no understanding of anything. The historical context of male-female relations in the west:

1. In past centuries in the west, wives were essentially owned by the their husbands, having to be obedient and submissive to them in accordance with Scripture.

2. In America, wife beating was made illegal at the time of the Revolution, but all through the 19th century, state institutions often looked the other way, because a right to "privacy" was extended to families, and the "integrity" of the family unit had to be maintained for the good of all.

3. Arranged marriages were common in the west. Women as property again, or as pawns in displays of social status seeking or the "betterment" of society.

4. Until recent times, it was perfectly acceptable in the west in some quarters for men to slap their girlfriends around. In "polite society", this was done behind closed doors.

5. When did women get the vote? When did women get the social "ok" to not marry and pursue careers? When did women get the right to enter formerly all male bastions like the military, politics, and the corporate world? Historically speaking, it IS only in "recent times" that women in the west began to get respect. Unless you consider keeping them on pedestals as paragons of domestic virtue while denying them any real control over their own lives to be "respectful".

Wow you are whacked in the head man get a grip on reality go back to beating your wife.

Well said Hans. What you say is true.

Ron, you are the one who is wacked in the head. Wake-up man and smell the coffee.

It is not the past that defines us or the future that shapes us, it is the present. Hopefully we learn from the past and grow to the future by living now as if now is all there is.