Human Trafficking Crisis

If you have been watching the news at all, surely you've heard about this crisis in Nigeria.  One man and his small army has kidnapped nearly 300 girls as they were going to school, and has made a public video saying he is going to sell them as slaves, which probably means in the sex trade.

My question is this: why is this a bag deal?

Don't get me wrong.  This is a big freaking deal.  But why did it take nearly 300 girls kidnapped before it mattered?  Shouldn't ONE girl be unacceptable?  Should this be a big freaking deal everyday? 

And believe me, this is an every single day issue.  It happens all over the world.  It happens right here in the United States.  According to Unicef, it has been reported in all 50 states.  Many of them are foster children.

Human trafficking can be forced labor (like migrant workers).  Most often it is the sex trade.  It happens like this: a fifteen year old girl goes to a typical high school party.  After being roofied and raped, she is photographed and blackmailed.  One girl's story, she told that she refused to go back, then her little dog disappeared.  She got a call where she could hear the dog barking in the background, until she heard a gunshot.  Then the caller said, "Your little brother's next."  She went to a hotel room where twenty men took turns, and left her bleeding and broken in the hotel shower.  When the maid came to clean, she called 911.  They took her home, where her parents chastised her for running away from home. 

This girl was picked up again the next night, and taken from Virginia to California, where she lived as a prostitute, locked in a fleabag motel, where she was raped daily until a police raid, when she was finally returned home.

I wept as I listened to her tell this story.  What if this was your mom?  You sister?  Your daughter?  Your niece?  Your friend?

The question isn't why the case in Nigeria is a big deal.  The question is why aren't the rest of them?

If you would like to help, I have recommended and will continue to recommend International Justice Mission.  www.twitter.com/IJM, or www.ijm.org. 

I told you so

Yesterday, I wrote about how Dems have a racist streak in them as a general party principle.

Today, I write because they decided to back me up.

Sec. of State John Kerry, (who according to IQ test is the dumbest presidential candidate of my lifetime) went out and made anti-Semitic comments.  He compared being at war against Muslim extremists to apartheid.  South Africa was a completely different situation.  In South Africa, white oppressed blacks.  In Israel, it is the terrorists doing the oppression of both Palestinian and Israeli.  They are seeking to exterminate everyone from the face of the earth, like Americans, white people, Israelis, even other Muslims.  Israel can and should defend themselves from terrorists.  We should support our allies, not our enemies.  But that would be a novel concept in this White House. 

A federal judge struck down Wisconsin's voter ID laws, again believe minorities incapable of getting a photo ID.  Again, leftists believe minorities are too stupid to get a drivers license or other form of ID.  Told you so!

Then Representative Bennie Thomas of Mississippi went further.  He went with the pat "Republicans are racist" calling conservative Clarence Thomas an "Uncle Tom."  Thomas, and many of his party, believe that Justice Thomas, Col. Allen West, and others are "traitors to their race" (similar language used by Hitler to motivate white supremacist) for stepping out of party lines.  Free thought is outlawed in favor of the willing enslavement to those who historically fought against their rights. 

He also said that no president has ever been treated as badly as Obama.  Really?  W. Bush was regularly burned in effigy.  Clinton was impeached.  Regan, Kennedy, and Lincoln were shot!  Recent polling says that 8% of Americans "believe that ObamaCare is working."  EIGHT PERCENT!  Opposing ObamaCare doesn't make you racist.  It makes you right!

LA Racist

So, I'm sure you've heard on the news by now about the owner of the LA Clippers telling his former mistress that she's not allowed to bring black people to his games.  He doesn't want "them" at his games.

In the illegally recorded conversation, the ex-mistress asked Mr. Sterling about his black players.  He said, "I provide food and clothes and jobs and games for them.

Does that sound familiar?  It should.  He basically looked at his players and said, "You didn't build that."

That's right!  Sterling is a DEMOCRAT!  Despite the fact that the Dems always point to conservatives and cry "Racist!  Racist!" they have people over and over again with racist issues in their own party.  Like when they claimed that voter ID laws discriminate against African Americans because "they're too stupid to pass the driver's test."  That was an interview with CNN.

Sterling also has received not one, but TWO NAACP lifetime achievement awards.  He donated to them and to the Obama campaign.  Why would a racist do this?

It's the secret democratic belief that non-whites are inferior, therefore they need a boost up from the white guys.  That's the reason behind the things that they do.  They cry out "racist" to anyone who doesn't do that, because they can't conceive of a white person not being like them.  They use cash and legislation to mask what they actually believe.  They can't even imagine the words of the constitution saying "All men are created equal."

Sterling, Reid, Biden, and many others in the democrat party believe this.  So do Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.  They quote Dr. King and spit on his memory.  This isn't an isolated incident, but par for the course for the Democrat party.  Again, remember it was Democrats who opposed Abolition and it was Democrats who beat Dr. King and others.

I can't stand racism.  And I hate the fact that they are getting away with it.

What? Who's racist? A history lesson

So, several Democrats made statements about racism.  Congressman Israel said that he believed "a significant portion of the Republican base" is racists. 

Let's do a little history lesson here.  Abraham Lincoln, signer of the Emancipation Proclamation, was a Republican.  Those that went against him?  Democrats.

When Dr. King was going around, Republican officials stood with them.  The people turning fire hoses on the crowds and arresting them?  Democrat governors.

Republicans believe that all men were created equal.  Democrats believe things like "Voter ID laws are discriminatory.  Minorities are incapable of passing the exam to get a driver's license, so they will be excluded."  They also believe that minorities are incapable of achieving greatness in our country without a boost from the white man.

The only time I ever threatened a man with violence was when a friend of mine used the "n" word.  I told him I'd kill him if he ever said it again.  I guess that makes me racist too.

Democrats are always the first to point out race.  "He's a black president."  "He's a black quarter back."  "She's a Latina musician."  Most of us don't see race.  We just see people.

Democrats are the ones who look at Col. Allen West and Dr. Benjamin Carson and say "You're traitors to your race" for stepping out of line and being conservative.  Why don't you tell them to move to the back of the bus while you're at it?

Democrats say immigration issues are race based.  For me, I'm not thinking of race.  I just am tired of all those Canadians coming down here to use our health care and steal our jobs.

There is a saying that I think applies to all these democrats: "Me thinks (s)he doth protest too much."  I think the reason they jump on everyone is because they assume everyone else is as racist as they are.

Think about that next time you watch Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, or so many others race bating.

Cleveland hostages

On the news this morning I heard about three women that were kidnapped by a psycho, locked in his basement, and used as his own personal sex slaves. We are horrified, but this happens EVERYDAY. Ten year old girls are taken from their homes and sold as sex slaves everyday. Many are even smuggled into this country as cargo. For more information and how to help, talk a look at www.ijm.org

Sick and Tired

Ok, so I just wrote a post on how I'm sick of racist crap after that skin head shot up the Sikh temple last week, you know?  Well, this morning, I turn on the news to see another racists comment.  From who?  Vice President Joe Biden.  (I still think the worst thing about the President is he seems to surround himself with idiots to make himself look smarter.)

Speaking to a group of African Americans, the Vice President said about Republicans, "They're gonna put y'all back in chains."

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?

Did Biden just say that Republicans want to make slaves again.  Last time I checked, Abraham Lincoln was A REPUBLICAN.  It was Southern Democrats (known as Dixie-crats) who were pro-slavery.  They started the War of Succession (known as the Civil War) over their desire to keep slaves. 

And now, democrats try to make race a divisive issue.  Just look at the way they treat Col. Allen West, calling him a traitor to his race for being a Republican.  I'm sorry, which party is the one saying "You!  You're black.  Get in line and do what we tell you."  THAT sounds more like slavery to me. 

So for the record, let me say it again.  I hate racism.  And I hate this racist fear-mongering from pigs like Biden.  But I guess what really upsets me is that this isn't coming from some nameless, faceless journalist or blogger (from either party).  This is coming from someone that we should be able to respect.

So, with all due respect Mr. Vice President. shut your mouth.  And please, Mr. President, PLEASE, find a running mate that isn't a complete moron.

The A21 Campaign - Natalia's Story

If this doesn't get to you, nothing will.



We have to do something about this. This us unacceptable. And this isn't a third world problem. This isn't an Asia problem. This isn't a Europe problem. This is our problem too. This happens daily in the US. Many of those disappearances off the news, or those "Have you seen me?" mailers, or the lost pictures in WalMart, and boys and girls who were kidnapped from their homes and transported around the country were they are sold as slaves and used as prostitutes. We have to so something.

Humanity on the line

While preparing to teach on justice, I watched a video which began with a man named Rob Bell. Now you may or may not have heard of him. You may or may not like him. You may or may not agree with him. But this story should touch you.

A few years ago, he went to Africa, because he wanted to see. He had a guide to show him. They hailed a cab from the airport. The guide said, "Take us to the most dangerous part of the city." Now this particular city is one of the most dangerous in the world. The cabbie kept saying "This is not a good idea." Finally, they pulled down a street and stopped. The guide said, "Get out." The cabbie said, "This is not a good idea." Rob Bell exited the cab, along with the guide, and the cab pulled ahead about a block.

As they walked down the street, girls came out of the shadows, whispering things. These girls were 12-16 years old. Rob asked, "What are they whispering?" "A dollar amount," the guide explained. "They have worked all day in the fields. They are AIDS orphans who have siblings that they are raising, but they do not make enough to feed thier brothers and sisters. In American dollars, they are offering themselves for the night for 25 cents."

The US State Department believes that 17000 slaves are smuggled into this country every year. They work in sweat shops. They work as under-age prostitutes (Half work in "commercial prostitution" in massage parlors, etc that disguise brothels. 27% work in homes, as maids, etc. in places like Virginia. 10% in the construction industry, with another 10% made up in agriculture.) There are hundreds of girls kidnapped from happy, "safe," middle-class suburban homes and used as prostitutes. Many are force fed a diet of drugs and alcohol to keep them passive and from running home. They are so psychologically abused by their pimps (which is a nice way of saying "owner") that even when arrested for prostitution, they take the fall rather than turn on them. And we see just another "crack whore" and despise these girls.

As Rob Bell said, we strip their humanity from them. And if we see people in these situations and do nothing, we risk losing our own humanity. So what can you do? There are many things. Child sponorships though CMFi, World Vision, CICM, are good starts. Moreover, you can give directly to these issues through International Justice Mission. Jesus said he came to set the captives free (Luke 4:18). Will you?

What can we do?

This post is dedicated to my friend John. We were talking on the phone, when John said, "You know, the more I read my Bible, and the more I look at the culture, I think we cannot live in both." I agreed. "So what do we do?"

That's a tough question. The toughest, perhaps. It is asked repeatedly in Scripture. John answered with things like "If you have two cloaks, give one away to someone who has none." Peter answered with "Repent and be baptized."

It is a difficult question entirely. For starters, I wonder if the question is bad. This is a problem, because we want a list of things we have to do, mostly because we want the bare minimum of things we have to do, so that we don't have to do more. Maybe instead of doing we should be. See, because instead of trying to complete a checklist, who we are should define our actions. Guilt is a lousy motivator, as is fear. Ask yourself, "Who am I? Who do I want to be? And who does God want me to be?" Then ask "What do I have to do to become that person?"

But that's not exactly helpful is it? That is a question that must be asked daily, and should be a defining question. But I think what we need is more practical answers. We need options.

1) The first option is to do what some have done, like the Puritans, Quakers, Mennonites, and Amish. You form your own culture, completely separate from the world, and attempt to make a Utopian religious society. There are several problems with this. First, it won't be perfect as long as there are people. It can last maybe 5 days before the first greed will provoke a leader to oppress those below them. Second, it is unbiblical. I've often thought it would be better to live a monastic lifestyle, but the problem is Jesus commissions his followers from the beginning to be "fishers of men," to invite men to the freedom he offers. If you create an isolated society, you fail in the many commands to spread the good news.

2) The second option is the state of many in the American church today. That is to just go with the culture. There is a problem with this. Mostly, it requires lipservice to God. You can maybe go to church, but you certainly are not allowed to actually practice what you say you believe, because that might make you an individual which is intolerable in our culture. This makes you fake, a hypocrite (the Greek word for actor). Bottom line it, you give up everything that you were saved to in order to get back what you were saved from. That is unacceptable. I am not willing to give up my reason for living to chase the misery that follows a life spent seeking temporary things like money. As I said, this is the sad state of many who sit in church on Sunday morning, as is evidenced by the fact that statistically there is no difference between people who go to church or don't in regards to how likely they are to steal, commit adultery, use pornography, cheat on their taxes, get a divorce, use foul language, etc.

3) The third option is to be "in the world but not of it." This expression has been passed around church circles for decades, possibly centuries. The problem is no one knows what it means (which led many to option 2). We have to be counter-cultural. Our job is to be subversive, not in the traditional sense of leading some type of violent rebellion. This is about living differently. This subversion is to live an example of a better life, of freedom from the slavery of our culture. As John the Baptist said, use extremism in generosity, love, and forgiveness. Extremism in peace and respect for your fellow man. Extremism in compassion and selflessness, and justice for all.

Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce

Today is my day off, and I decided to watch the movie Amazing Grace, which is about William Wilberforce (apologies if I spelled it incorrectly). If you have not seen this, buy it today. This is a great, inspirational story of how one man took on the British Parlament and overcame.

I think this is a story that has great meaning for today. For many, it is a true story of overcoming great evil singlehandedly, an inspiration to all to be brave enough to fight for what one believes in. When all odds were against him, when he was called a traitor for speaking, he stood on faith alone to fight the evil of slavery.

Where are the Wilberforces of today? Slavery in the British Empire was focused on the production of sugar, unlike in America where we think of cotton. Brits love sugar in their tea. Today, the comparison can be made to choclate in America. Hershery, Mars, and other major chocolate makers grow chocolate in Africa by use of slavery. They claim it isn't, because they pay them LESS THAN A DOLLAR A DAY. How many of you can live on that? They pay them enough to return tomorrow for another 18 hour day of labor, but not enough to live on.

In the movie, a woman tells Wilberforce she and her friends stopped using sugar in their tea. Are we willing to stop buying chocolate? What about the children who work in sweatshops in China? What about the ten year old girls (or younger) who are kidnapped and brought to other countries INCLUDING AMERICA to be used as underage prostitutes? It makes me sick to even write about. So the question is, what are you going to do about it?

Some suggested website include International Justice Mission, Slave Free Chocolate, and many other places. Open your eyes. Search for it. Slavery is around us everyday. The question is, will you stand up like William Wilberforce and fight for basic justice for all humanity, or will you, like many others of his day, allow your own convenience and greed keep others oppressed? Because we cannot say it is not our fault or that it is not our problem. "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke.