FWIW, Cameroon has softened its response to gay people (taking it down a notch from “publish their name in the newspaper and put them in prison”) in what I am almost certain is a direct response to U.S. pressure on Uganda. Just a little bit of political pressure can do a lot to make them a less attractive political scapegoat.
Many parts of Africa are at a crossroad right now on gay rights, and gay rights movements across the continent are on the verge of making some real wins, but it’s fragile. It’s a bit of a critical moment that will determine a lot about the future, and kudos to our president for going out of his way to fight for a better world.
The fact that 1 in 3 black people wind up behind bars doesn’t mean that every black person is equally likely to have this happen. It’s mostly the poorest black people that have a much higher rate.
It’s like how an age 30 life expectancy does not mean that most people only live to be 30, but meant there was a large infant mortality rates. Average rates can be deceiving.
When I started reading the OP, this is what I thought he was talking about, and I was prepared to be outraged that Obama had apparently appeased African leaders by supporting their intolerance. I was very relieved to click on the link and see that exactly the opposite had happened.
Speaking out forcefully against discrimination is the best possible use of the bully pulpit.
Maybe they’d respond by saying there is insufficient class-based data, and if you compare each ethnicity on exactly the same basis you can read something of value into it.
The OP reads like a mix of 9th grade idealism, Angry Young Man self-righteousness, and Atlas Shrugged naivete. Up_the_junction should have a blog…I’m sure it would be fascinating.
Outstanding! I will definitely steal it.