Of Courage and Optimism

This article in today's New York Times made my head spin: Filling Classes With Learning, Not Fears. It is about the girls and young women in Afghanistan, who assert their right to an education. And this is an amazing story. Yet, the sub-header struck me, in it's pollyannaish optimism: Attacks on Schools Plummet to About Eight a Month, Afghan Officials Say. Sure, they "plummeted", since a year or two ago, attacks on girls' schools happen with more than twice the frequency. But the situation for girls in Afghanistan is still bleak, and far from even remotely reaching the range of what we would call "normality". Still, it is a powerful testimony to the courage and determination of Afghanistan's girls and young women, who face these threats every day on their way to school.