Why can't more Democrats in Congress be as brave as Malalai Joya?

[derby378]

ginbarn and I just saw Wide Angle on PBS tonight, where they were talking about the 2005 candidacy of outspoken Afghan community leader Malalai Joya, who wanted to represent one of the poorest districts in Afghanistan. She was (and still is) a spitfire, laboring heavily for women's rights and even running an "illegal" school for women during the Taliban years.

Now she's a member of Parliament, but she's been barred from attending the assemblies because she has publicly compared Parliament to a "stable of animals" because of the continued presence of former Taliban and Northern Alliance warlords and armed thugs in Parliament. Malalai will be allowed back into session if she'll just apologize for the remark. She doesn't feel like apologizing yet.

I realize that I've probably pissed off some of my fellow DUers over the past few days for some of my remarks on what it means to continue funding the occupation in Iraq. But when I saw Malalai standing up to all these jackals, even while enduring a constant stream of death threats, it just made me so proud of her - and wistful for the days when Democrats on the Hill actually stood up to Republicans when it actually mattered to the American people.

Our media is truly screwed up. Millions of media reports on Britney Spears and that anemic "comeback" of hers in Vegas this past weekend, and how many journalists even bothered to type a few words in passing for Malalai Joya, a woman with real courage?

[rodeodance]

1. I watched the show----She is one grand gal.

[derby378]

2. She's got supporters in America, too - they set up a website for her

Here it is:

http://www.malalaijoya.com

I managed to get her mailing address in Afghanistan, too. I realize I can just donate via PayPal to her American associates, but she could use a few more personal words of encouragement.

[AndyTiedye]

3. We Used to Have One

[derby378]

4. We still have Russ Feingold and Dennis Kucinich

But they can't do the job by themselves.