Bond Street Theatre - Beyond The Mirror

I usually don't promote anything, but I was lucky to meet these brave artist when I was in Afghanistan. If you'd like to help them with their cause, please contact: Joanna Sherman or Anna Zastrow at: 212-254-4614 or anna@bondst.org

Six Afghan theatre troupes, including three all female groups, brought news about voting rights to villages in six provinces in Afghanistan over the last nine months to promote the April 5th elections. Performing for thousands of citizens in a wide range of locations, even in homes, the groups presented entertaining plays that demonstrated the value of every vote.

Many citizens were unaware of voting rights and procedures, especially in rural areas and among young voters and women. The plays provided information about who has the right to vote, how to register, signs of fraud and where to report it, in an engaging format.

Since women are limited in their ability to travel, the three all female troupes played in centers for women, girls's schools, shuras, shelters and women's prisons. They even gathered neighborhood women in private homes to present their play. Women stand to gain or lose the most with the new leadership.

Afghanistan 2014 Will we pull out?

White House Press Briefing

25 February 2014

Following are excerpts of the White House press briefing related to U.S. foreign policy and international engagement. The full transcript of the press briefing is available on the White House website.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
Washington, D.C.
February 25, 2014

PRESS BRIEFING
BY PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 
1:11 P.M. EST

Q And I just want to get back to the President’s call to President Karzai. It is a fact that if this bilateral security agreement is not signed that there will be no troops?

MR. CARNEY: Yes, correct.

Q By December 31st, they’ll all be gone?

MR. CARNEY: Absolutely.

Q No wavering on that?

MR. CARNEY: Absent a BSA, there will not be any U.S. troops on the ground beyond the end of the year.

Read more: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2014/02/20140226294117.html?CP.rss=true#ixzz2uTLD9iXL

However...it appears that there is no deadline for Karzai to sign the BSA.

Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders "Call Me Maybe" vs U.S. Troops "Call Me Maybe"

Another year and another Christmas our soldiers are still in Afghanistan. I'm glad to see that some of the soldiers can embrace the moment and have a little fun.

Please don't forget them. Let's make an effort to make sure our government knows we want them home! We want our soldiers out of Afghanistan!

Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders "Call Me Maybe" vs U.S. Troops "Call Me Maybe"

Another year and another Christmas our soldiers are still in Afghanistan. I'm glad to see that some of the soldiers can embrace the moment and have a little fun.

Please don't forget them. Let's make an effort to make sure our government knows we want them home! We want our soldiers out of Afghanistan!

The right of the US Military to Vote

We are still in Afghanistan. I've hesitated to write this post as it saddens my heart, all the soldiers lost forever physically and mentally.

The latest US casualty is:

11-03-2013 Forest W. Roberston, US, Sergeant 1st Class age 35 small arms hostile fire in Logar Province. He will be remembered by all who knew him, his family, friends and brothers and sisters in arms. He has become a statistic in a war that continues indefinitely whether we the United States are a part of it or not because our President elected to go to war.

Ironically, Veteran's Day falls one week after, Election Day, our national day to vote. Did you know that unless a service member files for an absentee ballot he or she isn't allowed to vote for the President of the United States who makes the decision to go or not to go to war. Isn't this crazy! Our military representative, who oftentimes is deployed overseas and cannot vote or whose vote isn't counted because it's absentee ballot.

I believe all active members of the military should be allowed to vote anywhere in the United States using their current Military I.D. and if they're deployed they should have a separate Military Ballot that is counted.

I mean…it's only fair.