Day 7 - Slavery in Vogue

January 12, 2015
Day 7

A number of years ago we went to a house concert. It was my first house concert and it sounded like a good time to me. The musician's name was PW Gopal (tough name to correctly say). He sang ballads with a rich, deep voice weaving stories with his tunes. However, he did a fair amount of talking. As he was talking, specifically about his Young Life experience,  I knew we had people in common but that was a nagging distraction to what PW Gopal was sharing that night. He spoke of slavery, human trafficking, children trapped, killed and replaced by others with no families, no communities to protect them.

At the end PW Gopal asked if there were any questions. His words were banging obnoxiously on my mind's doors. What is he talking about? So, I blurted out with force, 'YES, I have questions! What the heck are you talking about?!"

That was the beginning. The beginning of attending worthwhile documentaries helping me to understand what the heck human trafficking is. The beginning of learning the insidiousness of it. The beginning of understanding that due to its extreme ugliness and its ever present presence in our very own communities we have a hard time talking about it.

Here is a list of randomness involving this subject that over the last couple of years I have culled:
~"slavery is a social phenomenon existing on the far end of a continuum of oppression, where human beings completely dominate and exploit other human beings and this domination results in physical, psychological, and interpersonal trauma; financial and social instability and inequities; and dilution of the fundamental principles of democracy."http://endslaverynow.org/blog/language-matters-defining-human-trafficking-and-slavery
~Sunday was Human Trafficking Awareness Day
~Writing about prostitution calls for appropriate words-

http://endslaverynow.org/blog/language-matters-defining-human-trafficking-and-slavery

~choice is a bad word

~A "john" is a name given to a pathetic individual-why such a nice name?
~Yet a whore is the name given to the woman- oh, the mental image
~Prostitution is really a slavery issue rather than a poor woman's choice to make money
~Young girls between the ages of 13 and 14 enter into this lifestyle desperate for acceptance often from a "daddy", a lover
~The "daddy" has found them on the streets, he has been looking for them
~These girls now have a "daddy" who tells them he loves them and takes care of them
~However, it's a steep price for this "daddy acceptance"-It costs them everything
~These girls fall in love with their abusive "daddy" and find it hard to get out of these sick relationships
~These girls, if given a chance at getting out, are hard to rehabilitate
~Violence is used to keep prostitutes in check, hence human slavery
~Boys are not exempt from being used
~There is no partiality with this business, everyone is free game
~To many sad, desperate and sick individuals, humans are seen as a commodity, livestock, material to be used for their advantage
~Suburbans all over the country harbor perpetrators-it's true
~A loving community is a powerful weapon against human trafficking
~A neighborhood watch, keen on spotting trafficking, is in order-but do we have the guts?
~Going to stores and giving the manager a hot line phone number to put on their storefront windows  is a start-and yes, even in your community
~advertising helps to keep human trafficking alive-the Victoria Secret magazines are the worse
~it is a billion dollar industry by far rivaling the sport's industry
~Super Bowl Sunday, the big day for football is a big day for human trafficking as well- the difference being...there are only losers

http://www.mccaininstitute.org/applications/Super_Bowl_2014_Sex_Trafficking_Research_Full_Report_ASU_MI-1BW_%281%29.PDF

~there is money in human trafficking, lots and lots of money, hence the lure
~porn is a gateway
~PW Gopal has a vision of an underground railroad-

"He is the founder of the Hundred Movement-a US movement to rebuild the underground railroad, partnering communities with government and local NGO's/non profits to bring young women and children out of the bondage of human trafficking. He continues to share his passion for human life and dignity from the stage and works diligently to educate the public through forum and seminars on issues of poverty and the modern slave trade. Please email PW at booking@pwgopal.com to schedule a seminar series for your church."

~Sunday was Human Trafficking Awareness Day-My husband told me, thank you for reminding me Lynn

http://lynnburkholder.blogspot.com/2015/01/this-is-really-happening.html?spref=fb

~I love my husband
~how as christians do we view women?
~do you treat women as Christ treated all women, take note- he had a few prostitute friends
~long article but a good one, you probably should take the time to read it:

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2011/05/sex-trafficking-201105#

~Lynn saw this article and often the prostitutes who are arrested are in slavery. This is close to home. Are these women trapped, was this their choice? Only God knows

http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-lehighvalley/six-women-arrested-for-prostitution-at-aries-spa/30618914

~God sees all, knows all, redeems all and this is not what he intended, simply not, and anyone trying to prove this with their tightly knit theological treaties does not understand, in the depths of their heart, the fathomless love of the Father and His intent in the Garden of Eden