No One Sleeps in Afghanistan Tonight

Right now, the country of Afghanistan is being overrun by a the military of a fundamentalist religious organization. You’ve heard of these bad guys. They are called the Taliban.

The scene in Kabul, the capital city, is terrifying. Government officials are fleeing buildings. The airport is overflowing as people rush to evacuate. In the city, people are tearing down advertisements. The reason? Images on the ads may anger the hardliners who are taking over.

Within a week, this will not be the nation it was. And those citizens are petrified. No one sleeps in Afghanistan tonight.

There’s a lot to unpack here: how America got involved in Afghanistan in the first place. Why we were there, what happened, and where we are now. And everyday citizens deserve fair and complete answers to those questions.

But right now, the situation is changing too quickly. The people of Afghanistan are fearful of what is about to happen, minute by minute. They may be rounded up or separated from their loved ones. They may be judged for supporting the democratically-elected regime. Or worse.

Because no one sleeps in Afghanistan tonight.

Tomorrow we can ask about the trillion American dollars we spent on the war, and if it was a waste. Tomorrow we can ask about the 2,312 American lives lost in the conflict, and if their sacrifice has been forsaken. Tomorrow we can discuss policies and practicalities.

But tonight is for the Afghans. For the people of Kandahar and Jalalabad. For the Pashtuns and the Tajiks and the Uzbeks. We should be thinking not of us, but of them.

Because no one sleeps in Afghanistan tonight.