Slate on Iran

Something that doesn't get nearly enough respect? Slate. They are a small shop of very bright people (who, it is said, spend all available off hours applying for better jobs at the New York Times). I find they have a knack for asking the question "Wait a second. How did we get here?" and then telling me. Here they are doing it again on Iran. You'll notice that they don't lay the credit at the Altar of the God of Tweets. Rather:

"the truth is that the high turnout was the result of many years of organizational work carried out by small groups of civil rights activists and, above all, women's groups, working largely unnoticed and without much outside help."

This isn't a post about how great Slate is though. It's a post to bring attention to the Slate story that gives credit where it is due. No issue is more important than the totalitarian nightmare still lived by women in oppressive regimes all over the world. The bravery of these groups in Iran needs recognition and support. That isn't to say CNN is oblivious to the role played by women in this struggle. They report on it here. What's useful in the Slate article is that it explains that this isn't spontaneous. It's the product of years of work. Work that is eroding the power of theocracy and, in time, could be a turning point in the global struggle for women's rights.