Tunisians find a productive alternative to violence - it's education

[IronLionZion]

From Georgia Anne Geyer

TUNIS, Tunisia -- In the riots across France during these last two weeks, with Arab and Near Eastern young men involved in the violence, there have been no reports of Tunisians involved.

In fact, Tunisians, a serious and prudent people, sniff at the very suggestion. Tunisians are, even in their saddest historical periods, at best seventh-class rioters. They have been compared by writers to gardeners who like to tend to a growing garden. There are some 900,000 Tunisian-born residents of France living and working on the continent today; but few start out by going to Europe, and many are returning to their small and beautiful country on the northernmost tip of Africa.

The truth is that Tunisians today are so well-educated, thanks to huge percentages of the budget put into education since independence in 1957, that they eschew Europe and instead go to Canada or to the wealthy Persian Gulf states, where they can do serious work and make real money.

Of course, there was that "other" Tunisian living in Germany who, after 9/11, tried to blow up the historic, 2,500-year-old Ghriba synagogue on the isle of Djerba. But what was telling about that singular tragic event (a number of German tourists and Tunisians were killed) was how horrified the Tunisians, who are proud of their small, ancient and respected Jewish community, were.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucgg/20051114/cm_ucgg/tunisiafindsaproductivealternativetoviolence;_ylt=Asc96JWwVFIvkKNUjrER5gz9wxIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Tiny version: http://tinyurl.com/c2ob8

Education deters violence because the people are just too intelligent and prosperous and busy to burn cars or even feel oppressed. Imagine that. The more sensible and stable Middle Eastern nations tend to invest heavily in education and teach practical stuff instead of just religion.

[DBoon]

1. Maybe if Americans valued education in this way

we wouldn't be killing tens of thousands of Iraqis right now.

[IronLionZion]

4. Education is good for a lot of things

peace, prosperity, jobs, health care, etc. It's important.

[400Years]

2. I guess the cops won't beat up and harass you if you are educated?

:eyes:

[IronLionZion]

3. I've never been harassed by racist cops

:shrug: And i'm a brown person of Indian heritage.

Maybe France is more racist. But still you are less likely to have problems with the cops if you are not violent. Educated people tend to be less violent. Perhaps educated cops tend to be less racist.

[400Years]

5. and perhaps you don't understand what is going on

[IronLionZion]

6. Then what is going on?

Please straighten it out for us all.

Education is a good thing.