Saturday, September 12, 2009

Schools, missing persons and strip-searches

Iraqi parents who're fed up with corrupt teachers and neglected public schools are sending their kids to a place that Saddam Hussein banned: private school.
Six years ago, before the U.S.-led invasion ousted Saddam's dictatorship, the country didn't have a single private school. Over the past two years, the number has more than doubled, from 66 to 175.
That trend says as much about diminishing respect for Iraq's public education system as it does about Iraqis' growing enthusiasm for the new schools, which usually open in rented homes.
Parents see corruption on a small scale, such as when teachers nudge families to send their children to after-school classes, for a price.

The above is from Sahar Issa's "Another legacy of war: Iraqis losing faith in public schools" (McClatchy Newspapers) and, as McClatchy has previously reported, the corruption includes government officials demanding their children receive passing grades -- demanding and issuing threats. There are allegations that the Education Ministry isn't exercising appropriate controls over the finances and the country has an school shortage (estimated to be 4,500 schools short of what's needed). Meanwhile McClatchy's Adam Ashton reports on Shadia Abdulbaki who apparently survived the August 19th Foreign Ministry bombing and has now vanished after being led to a police checkpoint immediately after the bombing. Considering what's been reported regarding checkpoints in Iraq, probably taking a dazed woman there wasn't the smartest thing to do. Probably taking her there and leaving her there wasn't a smart thing to do. Or has everyone missed the violence at the checkpoints manned by Iraqis? It's not just the border checkpoints that have led to reports of sexual assaults. First place to start looking would be with the police officer who says he took her to a police chekpoint. Second place would be the homes of those working that checkpoint. A woman or man 'dazed' by a bombing before them needs medical attention. They don't need to be dropped off at a police checkpoint.

And sexual assault is not limited to Iraq by any means. It runs rampant in the US. Jeremy Pawloski (McClatchy's The Olympian) reports, "Three women who were arrested during anti-Iraq War protests at the Port of Olympia in November 2007 have sued the city of Olympia, alleging they were told to disrobe to their underwear during searches at the city jail, exposing their breasts to men."


From Cindy Sheehan's website, this is the Preamble to the International People's Declaration of Peace:

We the undersigned, as responsible citizens of this planet, hereby recognize the immediate universal need for sustained “security through peace” for present and future generations of the human family.

In order that we all may live and prosper in dignity, we recognize the need for a genuine worldwide grassroots commitment by all humans to break the dehumanizing chains of the inherent savagery of militarism, of economic exploitation, of slaveries, of torture, of killing, and of all aspects of the culture of war and brutality that threatens survival of civilization on this planet.

We recognize that the present geo-political paradigm is systemically incapable of delivering us from the merchants of war and exploitation; and void of offering positive, alternative solutions. Thus we come together, as responsible citizens of this planet, to declare peace and work together as brothers and sisters for our collective freedom now.

May this Declaration of Peace be the spark for this manifest of commitment as initially discussed amongst citizens of this planet upon the sailing vessel, the Mass Transit, in Martha's Vineyard, on August 27th, 2009.

Cindy Sheehan's upcoming actions and appearances include the following:

DALLAS, TEXAS

SEPTEMBER 19TH

10 AM: ACTION IN FRONT OF GEORGE BUSH'S DALLAS HOME

(More info TBA)

RATIONAL RADIO FORUM (WITH THOM HARTMANN)

2PM AT LAKEWOOD THEATER

CONTACT RICH HANCOCK FOR MORE INFO

RICH@RATIONALRADIO.ORG

PITTSBURGH

SEPTEMBER 22-26

G20 PROTESTS.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO:

WWW.BAILOUTPEOPLE.ORG

ST. LOUIS

October 2nd

more info TBA


WASHINGTON DC

OCTOBER 4-6

MORE INFO TBA

The following community sites updated since yesterday morning:



Cedric's Big Mix
Scream! Pretty Barry wants to scare you to death!
2 hours ago

The Daily Jot
THIS JUST IN! HE'S A SCREAM QUEEN!
2 hours ago

Ann's Mega Dub
Next up, the Double Date
15 hours ago

Mikey Likes It!
But, but Joe Wilson was wrong, right?
16 hours ago

Oh Boy It Never Ends
WTF????????????
16 hours ago

Thomas Friedman is a Great Man
David Corn, crazy ass David Corn?
17 hours ago

SICKOFITRADLZ
ACORN falls far from the tree
17 hours ago

Ruth's Report
Sam Ritchie and marrigae equality
17 hours ago

Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)
McGovern scores, Levy whores
17 hours ago

Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude
school problems
17 hours ago

Trina's Kitchen
Salsa in the Kitchen
17 hours ago

Like Maria Said Paz
Music
17 hours ago

The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.













thomas friedman is a great man





oh boy it never ends
Posted by at