Putting Politics into Perspective

Can you hear him? My politically astute pal Bob English in Saratoga Spa is beyond pissed. He's at the window now yelling “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” And who can blame him?

The McCain-Feingold Act is no more. Progressive radio Air America is no more. Health care reform is no more. And the sadness prevails in Haiti. But the worst news this week, brace yourself, is of a 13-year Saudi girl sentenced to 90 lashes and 2 months of detention for bringing a cell phone to school. Yes, a cell phone.

Saudi Arabia has been on the Human Rights watch list for hundreds of cases of human rights violations that include flogging, amputation, torture and beheadings.

In 2006, a Saudi teenager was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison after she was the victim of a gang rape.

In March, 2002, at least fourteen schoolgirls died at a school in Saudi Arabia after religious police stopped them from fleeing a fire. The religious police maintained that they could not leave the building because they were not wearing correct Islamic dress.

And, in February, 2008 religious police arrested a Saudi psychology academic for having coffee with a female student. He faced 180 lashes for the act.

The moral of this story is when things in the United States seem out of control they aren't anywhere near as bad as in Saudi Arabia... yet.