9486 in the collection
For One Teacher, a Turning Point
Ohanian Comment: So what will it take for US teachers to realize they've been "left behind?" Not to mention degraded and demeaned by the corporate politicos?
Note that this little piece was in The Wall Street Journal of all places.
By Summer Said
CAIRO—Ramadan Mahmoud watched popular protests oust the longtime strongman in nearby Tunisia in January, but says he never thought he would see the same kind of outpouring of anger at home.
Last week, when he heard on television that a massive rally was planned in Cairo, he hopped on a train from Minya, in southern Egypt, to the capital.
Mr. Mahmoud has worked as a teacher since just a few years after President Hosni Mubarak took power in 1981.
"All of those years, things were just getting worse and worse," he said. "I was one of the 80 million people who knew there is nothing we can do about that, the regime would never listen."
For days, tens of thousands of Egyptians have swarmed city streets across the nation, threatening Mr. Mubarak's hold on power. Rampant poverty, high unemployment and few opportunities for quality education and advancement among Egypt's youth have resulted in years of simmering resentment. That frustration finally exploded last week, triggered by Tunisia's revolt.
"I have only a one-bedroom flat, and my horizon and dreams were as limited and small as my own house," said Mr. Mahmoud, who makes 900 Egyptian pounds—about $150—a month. That is "much higher than what millions are making in this country," he said.
After watching the demonstrations in Tunisia and hearing about the planned protests in the Egyptian capital, "I knew that if I didn't take a train to Cairo I would either kill myself or go mad. There was no room any more for just prayers. It was the time for actions," he said.
"I'm planning to stay here until they announce that Mubarak is gone," said Mr. Mahmoud. "Look at the tens of thousands of people standing here today. We all want exactly the same and we will not compromise. Our tyrant has to go."
— Summer Said
Wall Street Journal
2011-02-01
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254304576116331036246232.html?mod=djemITP_h
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
Pages: 380
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