Mrrzy, Owlkat and Gypsy...

You all have very good points. But consider for a moment the original posters comment: "In the wake of the supposed "liberation" of Afghanistan, and all the talk of the importance of women's rights there, I thought some here might find this article of interest".

Our unnamed Guest, the originator of this thread, drew the comparison him/herself. My intent was to point out that it is an unfair comparison. Yes, you are absolutely correct, there is injustice here, and in any and all Western nations. But compare the 2 for a moment.

The women of Afghanistan and other repressive Islamic fundamentalist nations have been forced from jobs, some having been Professors at Colleges, some Doctors, and still they were made to go sit in houses where windows are painted black so that no one can see in (and conversly, they cannot see out). Not some of the women...all of them. They are stripped of all ability to make *any* decisions for themselves, and forced into what I believe to be nothing less than slavery, prized for nothing more than their ability to produce sons. They are killed *with impunity* in the streets for no more reason than that their Burqas are blown by the wind and flesh exposed. And the suicide rate since the Taliban enforced these *laws* upon fully half of their populace has skyrocketed amongst that half.

You are correct, our system is not perfect. However, if given the choice, I'll take the US over any such repressive culture. In the US, the injustices are not a built in *part* of the legal system. They occur when "justice" slips through the cracks. If I like, here, I could become a lawyer, and work to change the things that need changing. There, if I so much as mention a word against the Governmental system, I will likely be killed. The comparison that the original poster made is not a fair one.