ABC New Report

A new story aired on ABC news recently.

The Sex Trade of Cambodian Children

Proverbs 31:8-9

Apple Admits Child Labor & Sweatshop Use

It is time. It is time to start screaming at the top of our lungs that it is not acceptable to use slaves - children or adults - to make our products, harvest our food, sew or clothes. It's NOT ok. Everyone. EVERY ONE should have the right to work in a decent environment for honest pay and children should be able to go to school. Slavery is not ok. Ever.

Is Apple doing enough?

Apple Admits Child Labor & Sweatshops Used to Build iPhones

Are we doing enough? Holding companies accountable enough?

We need to do more.

Proverbs 31:8-9

Who Do You Think You Are?

I try to avoid writing opinion pieces on this blog. This is supposed to be presenting the facts and only the facts. Tonight, though, I found my Friday evening plans cancelled and myself at home in front of the TV. What I saw compels me to write.

NBC's new show "Who Do You Think You Are" follows certain American "celebrities" around as they trace their family history.

Tonight's first episode featured Emmitt Smith, retired Dallas Cowboys running back (one of the best ever in the NFL) and winner of the coveted mirror ball trophy with partner Cheryl Burke on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2006.

His search through time for his ancestors brought him face to face with the slave trade in America and how much was lost because of greed, selfishness, heartlessness...ugliness... pure evil. He traveled from Texas to Alabama to Virginia and then to Benin, Africa. There he was put toe to toe with children who have been rescued from today's slave trade.

So much was said in that brief segment regarding modern day slavery but so much was left out, too. For instance: it was shared that many of today's trafficking victims are children. What was left out? There are more "modern day" slaves - more people enslaved right this moment - than were enslaved during the entire 400 years of the African slave trade.

While I will not, do not and under no circumstances am I to be construed as having - downplay the horrificness of the African slave trade of the 17-1800's I do want to point out that today not all slaves come from Africa. Slaves come from every country in the world, they are trafficked into every country in the world. They are every color, every ethnicity and of every background. The poor are most especially vulnerable but the middle class and even the rich fall prey to modern day traffickers.

I enjoyed tonight's show. It was wonderful to see the eyes of yet another person opened to the horror of slavery - both old and new. It was very hard to watch, though, as slavery became "personal" to someone else. It is just such an ugly, ugly, ugly part of humanity and it should never happen - and it should have never happened. Now, however, I hope this challenged Mr. Smith to step into the fray that is trafficking. Battle it. Fight to eradicate it. Fight to free those caught up in it.

Do it in the name of Mariah. From what I saw last night, she fought slavery with every weapon she had available to her.

Proverbs 31:8-9

She is 15. He brought her to Seattle from Portland.

He trafficked her.

Charge: Runaway pimped for jewelry, rims for Cadillac

I pray they add trafficking charges to his current charge. I understand he's been charged with a felony, I just hope they give it added teeth.

Proverbs 31:8-9