North Salem High was at one time Salem's only high school. Now there are a bunch of them, the latest being in West Salem High. North Salem's Choirs and String Ensemble performed at the capitol today. I was profoundly impressed. It's obvious that the two directors love young people, love music and love working together. Kids who attend North Salem don't come from the exclusive part of the city. They attend Sprague. (We'll enjoy their music department tomorrow.) The String Ensemble has about 20 violinists, together with the other assorted string instruments. They were superb. Their rendition of Ralph Vaughn Williams "For All the Saints" brought tears to my eyes. The Choirs were also top notch. Together they could and did handle the Hallelujah Chorus.
Most of those 20 violinists were female, not the most advantaged young women in Salem, but very blessed in many ways.
I'm in the process of reading Jeffery Sachs "The End of Poverty." Among other things it's obvious that poverty will end in this world only when women are treated better. It's hard even to think of the starving little ones in Africa who have no hope of owning their own dresses, let alone a violin. Of course, they need so much more, --food, medicine, parents, schooling. Malaria and AIDS have robbed so many of moms and dads.
But it isn't just Africa. My cousin's daughter and husband have welcomed a little Chinese girl into their family who otherwise would be living in an orphanage or worse.
When you read the United Nations Millennium Goals you see the same thing. The rights of women are deeply involved in making progress toward eradicating hunger and poverty.
So this Christmas, do what you can to move your world and our world in the right direction.
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