I’m as guilty as anyone. I shamelessly follow the petty
fights of the housewives. I concern
myself with the state of Khloe’s marriage and I’m more in tune with TMZ than
CNN.
One brave little girl named Malala Yousafzai, however, should
be headlining in all of our minds.
Malala embodies everything that we so painfully take for granted in this
country. Education for girls,
freedom, our right to speak out against oppression.
In case you don’t Malala’s story, here’s a brief summary.
She was born and raised in Northern Pakistan. In 2009 when she was 12, a militant warlord seized control
of the region and began closing girls’ schools. Malala appeared in two short documentaries about the
closures and soon became a high profile advocate for girls’ education, even
writing a blog for the BBC. Last
October, Taliban gunmen boarded her school bus and shot her in the head and
neck. Miraculously, Malala
survived without any brain damage and continues to fight for the right of girls
to get an education. The Taliban vows
to go after her again. When Malala
woke up after surgery, she asked for her books.
I’m not saying young girls should forsake Taylor and Selena,
but let’s make room for Malala’s voice as well. Make a shirt that says “I am Malala” and celebrate her
birthday, July 12, as Malala day.
Route for her to win the Nobel Peace Prize. And, please, never again say
that you’re bored and hate school.
