I was inspired when I read about eight year old Ellie Pattie of Burntisland in Fife (Scotland). Ellie has been faced with something many people of all ages have to deal with – watching where they walk because some dog owners fail to clean up after themselves. Ellie had been faced with this every morning on her way to school and her mother’s response to her complaints was to suggest she do something pro-active, rather than just complain.

I can’t decide which I love more – the fact that this mother gave her daughter the message that she had a right to speak up and speak out to local councillors, or the fact that Ellie took the suggestion on board and did just that.

When an eight year old girl is taking a political stance about her environment and being encouraged by parents and the response of the council, the future looks a little brighter, and perhaps a little cleaner!

Article: Ellie calls foul on anti-social dog owners

http://www.grandmamaryrocks.com/videos.html

Uma Singh was cremated on Tuesday in Janakpur, Southern Nepal. Thousands of people turned out to mourn the 26 year old who was hacked to death on Sunday night by a group of fifteen men.

Uma Singh, 26, worked as a journalist in a region beset by violence as dozens of groups fight for regional autonomy. She had spoken out in the past about the death threats meted out to journalists by various factions if their stories were not given top priority. Her writings were often critical of gender and caste discrimination, especially the dowry system.

One witness, who heard the commotion form her apartment on Sunday night, quotes one of the killers as saying “This is for writing so much.”

Much has been written about the Battle of Culloden ~ the Jacobite Uprising against government troops and the last battle to take place in Great Britain (the battle actually took place in 1746 but is known as the ‘45). Many of the tales talk of men – Bonnie Prince Charlie, warriors and troops… but there are tales to be told of the women of the ‘45 too.

One such woman is Isabel Haldane, wife of Charles Stewart of Ardsheal. Like many Scotswomen of the time, Isabel Haldane was a committed Jacobite and supported Bonnie Prince Charlie when he raised his standard at Glenfinnan. When Isabel realised that her husband was reluctant to lead the Stewarts of Appin to the battlefield for fear of the consequences, she took off her apron and handed it to him.

“Charles, if you are not willing to be commander of the Appin men, stay at home and take care of the house, and I will go and command them myself.”

Catherine Vogt, daughter of a conservative father and a liberal mother, attends Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School school in Oak Parks – a suburb described as a predominantly liberal area. Recently the fourteen year old has been at the centre of some media attention due to an experiment she conducted within school hours.

Catherine observed during the run up to the US presidential election that most of her fellow pupils were supporting Obama for president. Catherine also observed that Obama’s campaign was built on words like tolerance, inclusiveness, peace and unity and she enlisted the help of her history teacher to conduct an experiment to test whether the rhetoric being spoken matched the behaviour of those championing it.

Just before the election, Catherine appeared in school one day wearing a t-shirt bearing a hand-painted slogan in red – “McCain Girl”.

“I was just really curious how they’d react to something that different, because a lot of people at my school wore Obama shirts and they are big Obama supporters,” Catherine told us. “I just really wanted to see what their reaction would be.”

The reaction was somewhat challenging and included comments that she should “go die”, or that she should be killed, or that she was “stupid”. It was even suggested that by wearing the shirt she supported a plot to murder Obama. Catherine recorded all the reactions in a notebook, including commentary from teachers that were unsupportive of her t-shirt choice.

The next day Catherine wore a different t-shirt. This time the hand-painted slogan was blue and read “Obama Girl” and the reaction was totally different. Catherine was no longer stupid, no longer sentenced by her peers to be burned wearing her shirt and no longer the subject of bullying. The Obama supporting liberal school children and teachers were now almost all able to accept her political views – although she was still subjected to charges of flip-flopping and playing both sides. She was informed she was now wearing the “right” shirt.

When the experiment was revealed to the school community it prompted discussion about the disparity between Obama’s campaign based on inclusiveness, and the reality of the behaviour of his supporters within the school. Catherine’s subsequent report on her experiences earned her a credit from her history teacher.

John Kass of the Chicago Tribune, reporting on the story, commented “That’s when you know America is truly supportive of diversity of opinion, when children must whisper for fear of being ostracized, heckled and crucifixed.”

I applaud Catherine Vogt for having the courage to stand out and be different and for challenging the status quo. I am inspired that a 14 year old girl decided to test whether the talk was really being walked and I’m posting her story as an example of wildishness in the face of opposition and abuse.