According to this news report, a woman pled not guilty yesterday in a Sudanese Court to the crime of immodest dress-- wearing slacks in public. Had she pled guilty, as it is noted that many women do in the same situation, she would have been punished with 10 lashes and a fine. For her courageous stand in fighting this law in court, she faces 40 lashes and an unlimited fine.  

So face this: We live in a world where a woman can be whipped in public for wearing slacks. There is so much wrong in the world:  injustice and violence, poverty and hunger, war and rape. All of that, and so much more. And somehow emblemic of all of this, dress codes are in effect for women all over the world.  Dress Codes. Telling women what we can and cannot wear on our bodies. Telling women that we do not own our bodies. Dress codes were in effect when I went to high school, I was sent home many times for wearing pants to school. Now I wear what I please, but this liberty is not the lot of most of the world's woman. 

 I have no analysis to share. I just can't stand this. It makes me feel sick. Like there is no hope for humanity. For tolerance. For change and progress. Think about it. Think about history. Then. And now.  I fear that there has been no progress along the course of human history except for technology. And it seems, in this moment, that humans will never learn to accept one another, embrace our common humaness. 

Except for this: Today, Lubna Hussein is fighting for her sister in Sudan.