The Stranger in My Mirror

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The Stranger in My Mirror When I was a child, my grandmother used to say, "The border is something people draw on maps. Hunger, hope, and grief don't stop to check passports." I nodded whenever she said it, but I never truly understood. Years later, I found myself standing outside a small grocery shop in Johannesburg, watching a crowd shout at a man with a Zimbabwean accent. They called him names. They told him to go home. Some threw stones. I stood there and did nothing. In my mind, I justified it. They're taking jobs. They're making life harder. They don't belong here. I was Black. I was African. Yet somehow, I believed another Black African was less deserving than I was because he had crossed a border. A week later, load shedding hit our neighborhood. The only shop still open was the same Zimbabwean man's store. I went in because I needed bread. He greeted me with a smile. "How are you, brother?" Brother. Not stranger. Not South African. Not c...
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US resumes some Bahrain arms sales for 'external defence'

Bahrain protest Feb 2011 The US says the equipment it is supplying will not be used against protesters

Bahrain Protests

The United States is resuming sales of some weapons to Bahrain, but says it will not supply the Gulf state with any crowd control equipment.
The US State Department says the shipment will help Bahrain "maintain its external defence capabilities."
Arms sales were frozen last year after the Bahraini government suppressed pro-democracy demonstrations.
Amnesty International says 60 people have been killed since the protests began in February 2011.
It is thought a frigate and other coast guard vessels will be supplied, along with upgraded engines for F-16 fighters.
The State Department says an order for Humvee all-terrain vehicles and a new type of wire-guided missile will not be included.
Bahrain is a key US ally in the Gulf, hosting the US Navy's Fifth Fleet.
Officials in Washington say the Obama administration still has concerns about human rights in Bahrain.
But human rights campaigners have condemned this move, saying it is out of step with the United States' commitment to reform in Bahrain.

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