Afghanistan Inspires Me

I have been awake for two hours, and spent a good majority of that time in bed reading Open Veins of Latin America (wonderful book to wake up to. I'm on the part where the conquistadors kills half of the indigenous population in Latin America). After more lazing around, fixing breakfast, getting an amazing cup of that blood orange tea, I went to morning edition to see how the election process in Afghanistan was doing.

Mostly, I can't comprehend what it must feel like to be afraid to go to the voting station. The reporter was describing how so far, in Kabul, there hasn't been a high turn out, because people are waiting to see if there will be attacks. She said a few people have come to vote, because they feel that, despite the very real risk of injury, they feel voting is more important.

In a country where we often choose not to vote because the drive is too long (not going to lie, this past presidential election, I went to vote at the rec, and there was a really long line. I debated leaving), it is inspiring to hear about people willing to risk their lives for a ballot.

What was even more inspiring was listening to a report about how people were using donkeys to bring polling booths and ballot boxes to rural areas in Afghanistan.

A NPR photographer is traveling with a group of these donkies, the Afghan National Police, and others assisting in the process. His report can be here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112051151

I can't repost them here, but I would encourage anyone who is reading this to go to the website and see them all, as they are breathtaking and encouraging to think how far the human spirit will go in the struggle for human rights.