nola.com: Blogger detained in Saudi (HT, Karen)
A clarification: The nation is named Saudi Arabia, whereas someone from there is a Saudi.
With that little bit of cultural edification out of the way, this kind of religious oligarchic crap is exactly why I yearned to leave the Middle East and haven’t looked back since 1990. It’s no place for individuals, those who think for themselves and look down on the medieval ethos of their surroundings.
During Bart’s blogger forum a few months back, I was asked why I began blogging. A part of my answer was that blogging is a tool that helps me explore my Americanhood. That we can do this is in itself a great thing – never take it for granted. If some good comes out of it, even better. Freedom of speech, even that of the bigots on the nola.com forums, is a triumph and I choose to defend and celebrate it, which includes ignoring (mostly) and rebutting (sometimes).
Let’s see America help democracy in Arabia now. Where’s the War On Terror when you really need it?
