It’s been an interesting week for conversations about women in the United States.  Mitt Romney’s binders full of women quote during the debate became an instant meme.

Upon returning from a conference, a psychobiologist posted a snarky status to Facebook describing his disappointment with the large percentage of unattractive women he encountered and wondering where the supermodels were. His post quickly became public and the subject of outrage by women. The comment thread on the Drugmonkey blog that reposted the original remarks puts the state of Venus and Mars in the US in stark contrast.

How fortunate we are here in the United States to be able to have these kinds of conversations.  

In Pakistan on Tuesday (the same day as the binders quote), a 14-year-old was shot and severely wounded when the Taliban opened fire on the van in which she was riding with some schoolmates. Her crime? Blogging about her fears of the Taliban and her desire for education, something banned by the extremist group.  CNN commentator Frida Ghitis calls it “a brutally anti-woman ideology.”

In a world of constant conversation, the really important things can get drowned out.