Bravely. Faithfully. Successfully. is an apt motto for Malala. The school in Edgbaston looks very nice. I hope Malala is happy there. I found Birmingham to be a very leafy city. Video footage backs that up. Thanks to Maureen for the links.
Malala is courageous, no doubt, remarkably, amazingly, exceptionally courageous, but I think lots of young girls have some measure of courage. As they grow up it’s leached out of them by social pressures and expectations, by being told in 40 million ways that they’re not all kinds of things that boys are, one of which is courageous. We need to work to keep the girls who are as fearless as boys at age 8 from losing that by the end of puberty.
But at least in ‘western’ society going to school doesn’t usually require physical bravery. Presumably for Malala it still does — surely she’s still a target. We’ve got a fair few religious zealots in this country. I watched her walking with her father and wondered whether there were guards nearby, hoping there were, wondered whether she’ll ever walk to school by herself, hoping nobody tries to hurt her.
Andrew B. says
Jesus, what a little badass. You go, girl!
Ulysses says
Good for her!
Jackie, Ms. Paper if ya nasty says
She’s truly courageous.
Marie-Thérèse O'Loughlin says
Bravely. Faithfully. Successfully. is an apt motto for Malala. The school in Edgbaston looks very nice. I hope Malala is happy there. I found Birmingham to be a very leafy city. Video footage backs that up. Thanks to Maureen for the links.
تعارف بلاك بيري says
thanx for this (:
MEFoley says
I’m such a sap — the video had me in tears.
Malala is courageous, no doubt, remarkably, amazingly, exceptionally courageous, but I think lots of young girls have some measure of courage. As they grow up it’s leached out of them by social pressures and expectations, by being told in 40 million ways that they’re not all kinds of things that boys are, one of which is courageous. We need to work to keep the girls who are as fearless as boys at age 8 from losing that by the end of puberty.
But at least in ‘western’ society going to school doesn’t usually require physical bravery. Presumably for Malala it still does — surely she’s still a target. We’ve got a fair few religious zealots in this country. I watched her walking with her father and wondered whether there were guards nearby, hoping there were, wondered whether she’ll ever walk to school by herself, hoping nobody tries to hurt her.
What a world.