Name them

It's interesting that the Times' Elaine Sciolino seems to think it's normal in her article about riots touched off by the deaths of two young French teens of African descent--As Violence Ebbs, Sarkozy Calls Riots Unacceptable--to not quote or even mention any French people of African descent.

She doesn't even give us the names of the boys who were killed, Moushin, 15, and Larami, 16.

We do get lots of quotes from, and mentions of, Sarkozy in his various guises (“Scum”, “Kärcher”, Boss, Sarko); lots of quotes from elderly non-African Frenchies who like him--but nothing from the population most affected by the deaths, and now the riots.

I think as long as French people of African and Arabic descent are literally unheard even when they take to the streets, they will keep taking to the streets.

And as long as reporters like Sciolino feel they can report a story like this without actually stepping foot in the non-white French world, Americans will have a hard time understanding anything beyond what Sarko thinks.