Democracy in Egypt

Once, while sitting on the deck of a Nile River cruise ship with an Egyptian couple back in the late 1970s, my understanding of America’s place in the world as the premier Western democracy was turned on its head. As we sipped tall icy drinks and toasted the stunning beauty of the setting sun, suddenly, our hostess turned to me with her most winsome smile, declaring, “Egypt is the FREEEST country in the world!”


I was a young adult, still enamored with the idea that America was de facto, the most free country in the world. But my friend sweetly shared the cultural basis of her very different belief: “Egypt is the FREEEST country in the world!  Listen, In other Arab countries, you must wear the veil. Here, we choose." 

She persuaded me then and there that Egypt was the "freeest" Middle Eastern democracy, but I still clung to my faith in the world supremacy of American democracy.

My friend persisted:  "You have been a democracy for two hundred years, and you still have no equality for women! Here in Egypt, women have had constitutional equality for two hundred years! ”

Ouch! I was still stinging from the failed national campaign to add the Equal Rights Amendment to our U.S. Constitution back in the 70s, but my friend had not yet persuaded me that her motherland, Egypt, provided her a better democratic experience than my homeland provided me.

“Your businesses are coming here,” she continued, “Because it is easier to run a business here than in America. You have religious freedom, but we have it too! Here in Egypt, we have religious freedom! I am Christian. My daughter married an Israeli. My sister married a Muslim..."  This point was difficult to refute.  On the one hand, we had constituional religious freedom, but back in the 1970s Jewish and Catholic couples were still coming to Unitarian churches because their own synagogues, churches and families would not tolerate interfaith marriages.

My friend exuberantly persisted: "We speak five languages. We can be traditional, or we can be modern: scientists, physicians, politicians. Here in Egypt, you can do anything you set your mind to do. Anything!  Egypt is the FREEEST country in the world!”  In other words, women made their own choices. 

There was nothing to debate here, so I accepted her feelings and asked for another iced drink.

I can still remember that day, more than 30 years ago, when I could celebrate my new friend’s joy that her country was providing human beings with some of the fruits of democracy: freedom of speech, the right to vote, to participate fully in the work force and in the process of governance.

I reveled with her that Egyptian businesses had the uncommon sense to adjust their work pace to the extreme climate and weather conditions of their hot summers. American businesses have yet to learn to adapt to the demands of climate and weather.

I still recall with joy, the moments in my home and in hers, when we celebrated new friendships between Israeli and Egyptian airline industry workers - all because Prime Minister Anwar El Sadat and Prime Minister Menachem Begin had the uncommon decency to choose the path of peace to strengthen their nations' identities as modern democracies.

Thirty years ago, democracy had the comforting feel of a tall, iced cooler, something you could continue to sip and savor long after the glistening sun disappeared each night.  But over time, the freedom, the rights of the people were abused.  Now that the Egyptian people are standing up for their rights, we don't think of democracy as the perfectly frosty drink for a blazing hot day.  Our leaders too often call the democracy movement "destablizing."  That is unfortunate, and I pray our leaders will rethink this matter.

After all these years, I admit I have not been paying attention to thousands of small indignities that have sparked Egyptian citizens to rise up and stand for full restoration of their constitutional freedoms. The current crisis caught me completely by surprise, but it has set me to reflecting and remembering and hoping that the Egyptian people will win the day.

I pray for all those who are participating in the pro-democracy demonstrations in Cairo and other parts of Egypt, that, as quickly and as peacefully as possible, they take back their government and restore their nation as a Middle Eastern model of tolerance, equality, and equal rights for all.

Out of the Mouths of Babes...

Fifth Grade Mamou High Green Demon Band Members Hailey and Chloe created this poster to share their beliefs about human relations.  They asked me if they could carry their poster in Mamou's Martin Luther King Day parade. Classmate Hannah joined them as we walked the parade route on Saturday.  We were blessed with warm weather and wonderful plates of red beans, hot spicy sausage, and rice when we finished!

For the first time in our town's history, part of our Mamou High School Green Demon Marching Band led Mamou's annual Martin Luther King Parade on Saturday.  I can remember the days in Louisiana when the Federal Government celebrated this holiday, but the state did not.  So, school children did not always have the opportunity to reflect on the civil rights contributions made by Dr. King and by so many families in Louisiana who supported the Civil Rights movement.

How times have changed!  Today, we do celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday as a state and federal holiday.  Our children receive comprehensive instruction in social studies, science, language arts, mathematics, and of course, the fine arts -- even in our high-poverty communities.

Our state has aligned its curriculum and invested in textbooks that are very current, reflecting all of the important civic issues up to the 2004 election.  Textbooks appeal to our diverse communities, and connect students with the story of Louisiana's great history.  Our students are state-tested on their knowledge of US and Louisiana History, beginning in the fifth grade.

With such deliberate strategies to educate all of Louisiana's children, is it any wonder that my students would have such a grasp of the most critical need of our time: to learn how to get along "as brothers" ... and sisters? 

I love teaching in public schools as part of my ministry, because I learn from my students every day.  But this day had extra special lessons for me.  To paraphrase the great Southern comic philosopher, Jeff Foxworthy, wouldn't it be nice if all the grownups in the world were as smart as, if not smarter than ... our fifth graders?

On the Tragedy Which Occurred at Congresswoman Gabbie Gifford's Public Event

I was once told a story about Joseph Kennedy, Jr., son of the late Senator Bobby Kennedy, who was assassinated the evening he won the California presidential primary in 1968. As recounted to me back in the early 1970’s, Joseph was attending a Boston-area class on community organizing, facilitated by a prominent grassroots organizer.

With great enthusiasm, the instructor explained very popular "progressive" tactical steps for arousing anger in communities that were truly in need of organizing. This teacher described the process of choosing “targets,” that is, individuals who had decision-making power for this or that issue, and went on to explain the process of channeling the community’s anger into focused campaigns for positive change.

My friend told me that the younger Kennedy brought the classroom lecture to an abrupt halt with his serious, intense stare into the instructor’s eyes.

When asked if Mr. Kennedy cared to comment on the content of the lecture, the fledgling fatherless public figure was reported to have said: “Human beings must never be targets.”

To the best of my ability, I’ve carried that lesson with me into all of my community organizing endeavors, and I have tried with all my heart to abide by this lesson since this story was told to me by my friend.

But, times have changed drastically since those days when passionate idealists knocked on doors for clean water, affordable housing, and a fair and equitable health care system.

Political discourse in this nation has been rabid, destructive, and non-productive for a very long time. All in the dubious name of “free speech,” we have allowed our public commentators and aspirants to public office to demonize those who oppose them, and we have allowed individuals and groups to whip up an angry frenzy in communities plagued with mortgage foreclosures, job loss, pension loss, and general feelings of insecurity about our future as a free nation.

Politicians and community organizers continue to “target” those with whom they philosophically disagree in dangerous ways – and their rhetoric has become unreasonably aggressive and violently suggestive.

And now, We, the People, have again paid a terrible price for our passivity in the face of this aggressive rhetoric.

Today, we mourn the loss of a nine year old girl, Christina Taylor Green, a young girl born on September 11, 2001, who believed it her destiny to work democratically to improve the life of others.

We mourn the loss of Judge John M. Roll, a man who stopped by Congresswoman Gabby Giffords public event to extend the hand of friendship and hospitality.

We mourn the loss of all the citizens who were killed because they chose to attend Congresswoman Gabbie Gifford’s public event, during which she promised civil, polite discussion of the needs of her 8th Congressional District in Tucson Arizona.

We mourn the loss of those who were injured, who are fighting for their lives, including Congresswoman Gabbie Giffords -- who passionately, but collegially and respectfully represented the interests of her constituents.

We pray for the full and speedy recovery of all those who survived this senseless violence.

Most of all, we pray for our nation, that we may find our way back to the true spirit of democracy, where men and women, and children engage in political discourse with dignity, civility, passion, and full respect for every human being’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.