Keep an open mind

Just forget what you think you know for a moment, and keep an open mind while you read this article. Seriously, just forget your biases, forget the idea that "everyone knows" men are more aggressive and physically stronger than women, and are always the abusers. Now, read the article, think about it for a while, and then post. Read first, think for a while, post much later (if you so desire). Shooting from the hip just will not work here, okay?

In other news, it appears the Taliban is coming back strong, and we might be losing the war in Afghanistan. Of course, some people might argue that we've been losing the war in that theater of operations since we let ourselves distracted by the invasion of Iraq, but the news of mass casualties of this scale from suicide bombings in Afghanistan, the forgotten war, is frankly disturbing.

On a lighter note, if you haven't seen Persepolis yet, you should go out and see it. It's based on a series of graphic novels by an Iranian-born Frenchwoman named Marjane Satrapi. No Spill.com rating yet, but I'll say it's definitely full price. It helps if you understand French; although there are subtitles, you really miss some of the subtleties that having a decent command of the language affords one. For instance, you can tell which adults are being condescending to Marji by both the tone of voice and the fact that they use the "tu" form instead of the "vous" form to address her. Except for the parents, who know her best, the only people who should be using the "tu" form are really, really close friends. Even her grandmother uses the "vous" form, although she does it out of respect, and because she likes to talk to Marji as an equal. Just thought you should know.

It also helps if you understand Iranian history as well. Not the propaganda that "everyone" here in the U.S. supposedly knows, but the deeper history, the stuff that explains the deeper causes of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Stuff that's actually closer to the truth. Anyway, you really should see this movie; even if your knowledge of French and Iranian history is somewhat lacking, you will still see a heartfelt, heartbreaking, uplifting story of a young girl who grows up to be a young woman during a time of upheaval in a part of the Middle East most Westerners don't know as much about as they should.