Is that a matter of national security?

As a group, we were slow moving this morning. A busy and fun-filled day in Baltimore yesterday left most of us exhausted, but that didn’t trump the excitement for our visit to Face the Nation. However as ready as we were to arrive at CBS News, the Metro gods seemed not to be on board. After some confusion on one Metro platform, three of us ended up on a Metro car while the other two left in a taxi. Eventually, our final three arrived at CBS excited to see Bob Schieffer for the second time this week and to meet author Greg Mortenson.

Mortenson is the author of two books. His first, Three Cups of Tea, details the time he spent in Pakistan and Afghanistan helping the local tribes to build schools to educate their children, namely female children. After being saved by a group of tribal people while hiking in the area more than a decade ago, Mortensen begged to repay them in any way he could. Schools were their request. Mortensen said more than 8 million children are now in school in those countries, as opposed to the 800,000 when he started. His ability to interact successfully with the people of the area caused his book to become required reading for many military officials. Though he was visibly nervous about his television appearance, it was easy to see how passionate Mr. Mortenson was for his cause. His story was a true testament to the fact that one person can make a difference.

He described the story of a girl who was ridiculed during her time in school. But through it all she was able to graduate and after receiving medical training, she became the only person in her village to offer medical care to expectant mothers. During the time she treated the villagers, the woman decreased the number of childbirth deaths, which was anywhere from 8-20 every year, to zero. Mortenson said there are so many examples of stories like this that the people of those countries are beginning to see that educated women are really helping people.

I wish I could have asked Mr. Mortenson to go into more detail about the level of acceptance amongst the village people for women becoming educated. I would also like to know more about how he was able to raise the money necessary to build the nearly 150 schools he’s built so far. Mr. Mortenson’s passion was extremely inspiring so after having my copy of Three Cups of Tea signed, I’m excited to delve into the adventure of his life.

A story Bob Schieffer told us today made me think about the role the media plays in political communication. He described an incident this week where people in the White House tried to change his show’s two guests (both generals) so they wouldn’t “step on each other’s toes”. I found this disturbing. It’s clear that what’s said on Face the Nation influences political communication in Washington. That being said, it’s time for the White House to take a step back and allow the truth to flow freely.