Lara LoganDetermined, Focused And On The Mend
CBS, like all networks around the world, had many of its correspondents in the thick of the Egyptian crisis these past weeks. One of those reporters, Lara Logan, chief foreign correspondent for the network, had been reporting on what she thought would be one of the last broadcasts from Tahrir Square, situated in the heart of the Egyptian unrest.
She was, like everyone else, paying close attention to the events that were unfolding moment by moment. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had only minutes before announced his resignation. It should have been a time for celebration for those in the area; after all, it was the Egyptian leaders refusal to step down that had resulted in the uncertainty that gripped the country for weeks. Now, it appeared as though the crisis was beginning to recede. For Logan, however, it symbolized the start of an entirely new hell on earth; one she continues to recover from.
Logan surely felt as though she were safe; after all, she was surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands of people happy people; folks who were celebrating and with renewed hope. She and her producers were looking for people to interview for an upcoming 60 Minutesbroadcast.
For a few brief moments, she was separated from her team. And in that brief window of time, Logan was kidnapped and as CBS reports, dragged away. She was stripped and then brutally beaten for more than thirty minutes by several men. She endured punches, slaps, pinches, kicks and groping. Once her team found her, they too were attacked and at least one security guard suffered a broken hand in the melee.
Logan escaped, ironically, only after a group of Egyptian women came to her rescue. These fearless women jumped on the attackers and distracted them long enough for Logan to flee. While shes recovering in her Washington DC home, she knows her journey is not over. From a psychological stance, those wounds not visible will surely be the ones that haunt her the longest.
Controversy soon began as many people from around the world contributed their thoughts. One journalist went so far as to say that Logan should have been better prepared for the Egyptian cultural norms. The anti-American sentiment is undeniable; though for anyone who does not travel outside the U.S; it may be difficult to comprehend.
Women are not safe. They are not safe in their world and sadly, as one look at FBI statistics reveal, they are not safe in their American homes. So was Logan expecting too much? Did her false sense of security, courtesy of the former presidents announcement along with the hundreds of folks she was surrounded by, play a role?
The truth is Logan took all the precautions. As one whos traveled in some of the most savage places for women, she knows all too well how quickly danger can arrive. She knows that there are areas in the world where women are still treated as property. She has reported on womens rights in the past from some of the most dangerous places for any woman to be. Still, and chalk it up to human nature, there are few women who would not have let their guard down, even just slightly, with the dynamics in place that fateful day.
She was with her team, even if the team was out of her line of vision for a split second. As the photos reveal, she was not isolated; people were surrounding her and at no time there was not a group of people less than two inches from her. It was a celebratory tone, cheering and laughing Egyptians all around. It should have been a safe moment for her. Instead, that brief moment betrayed her in a savage way.
For now, Logan, known for her independent spirit and willingness to ask tough questions, insists she will continue in her career. Her husband, understandably, has his concerns. He knows that Logan is a powerhouse who refuses to be held back. Shes focused and healing and those two sentiments will certainly lend to a more powerful woman and journalist once she comes through the other side.
http://www.newscollective.com/blog/?p=3729
She was, like everyone else, paying close attention to the events that were unfolding moment by moment. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had only minutes before announced his resignation. It should have been a time for celebration for those in the area; after all, it was the Egyptian leaders refusal to step down that had resulted in the uncertainty that gripped the country for weeks. Now, it appeared as though the crisis was beginning to recede. For Logan, however, it symbolized the start of an entirely new hell on earth; one she continues to recover from.
Logan surely felt as though she were safe; after all, she was surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands of people happy people; folks who were celebrating and with renewed hope. She and her producers were looking for people to interview for an upcoming 60 Minutesbroadcast.
For a few brief moments, she was separated from her team. And in that brief window of time, Logan was kidnapped and as CBS reports, dragged away. She was stripped and then brutally beaten for more than thirty minutes by several men. She endured punches, slaps, pinches, kicks and groping. Once her team found her, they too were attacked and at least one security guard suffered a broken hand in the melee.
Logan escaped, ironically, only after a group of Egyptian women came to her rescue. These fearless women jumped on the attackers and distracted them long enough for Logan to flee. While shes recovering in her Washington DC home, she knows her journey is not over. From a psychological stance, those wounds not visible will surely be the ones that haunt her the longest.
Controversy soon began as many people from around the world contributed their thoughts. One journalist went so far as to say that Logan should have been better prepared for the Egyptian cultural norms. The anti-American sentiment is undeniable; though for anyone who does not travel outside the U.S; it may be difficult to comprehend.
Women are not safe. They are not safe in their world and sadly, as one look at FBI statistics reveal, they are not safe in their American homes. So was Logan expecting too much? Did her false sense of security, courtesy of the former presidents announcement along with the hundreds of folks she was surrounded by, play a role?
The truth is Logan took all the precautions. As one whos traveled in some of the most savage places for women, she knows all too well how quickly danger can arrive. She knows that there are areas in the world where women are still treated as property. She has reported on womens rights in the past from some of the most dangerous places for any woman to be. Still, and chalk it up to human nature, there are few women who would not have let their guard down, even just slightly, with the dynamics in place that fateful day.
She was with her team, even if the team was out of her line of vision for a split second. As the photos reveal, she was not isolated; people were surrounding her and at no time there was not a group of people less than two inches from her. It was a celebratory tone, cheering and laughing Egyptians all around. It should have been a safe moment for her. Instead, that brief moment betrayed her in a savage way.
For now, Logan, known for her independent spirit and willingness to ask tough questions, insists she will continue in her career. Her husband, understandably, has his concerns. He knows that Logan is a powerhouse who refuses to be held back. Shes focused and healing and those two sentiments will certainly lend to a more powerful woman and journalist once she comes through the other side.
http://www.newscollective.com/blog/?p=3729