Comments | marcus_sez

marcus_sez_vote

Slavery

Jan 04, 2009 19:00

I've probably posted about this before, but these kinds of articles make my heart ache and get me so very angry. The author Kristoff writes on his NYtimes blog about the op-ed pieces mentioning sanctions, cracking down on trafficking via the State department, etc. Frankly I think this kind of trafficking is going to be nigh impossible to fully ( Read more... )

Comments 8

goldfishsara January 5 2009, 01:28:45 UTC

What really makes me ill is all the people who wrote in telling the author of the articles that he was overreacting, that the problem isn't that bad, that these are isolated incidents.

Even in this country, women (and to a certain extent, children) are treated as second-class citizens. Women are objectified everywhere you look, and at younger and younger ages. And we're supposed to be all progressive. I personally feel that the women's rights movement petered out too soon - that it was satisfied with having the name of equality without actually having the real thing. I'd love to see it reignite, and be worldwide, with people of both sexes standing up and saying No, We Will Not Tolerate This Abuse. It would mean rewriting cultural attitudes, here and abroad, just like you say. Just because something is tradition doesn't mean it's right.

jetshade January 5 2009, 03:24:17 UTC

My god, those stories are brutal. That people would criticize the author and tell him it couldn't be that bad? How can we, as a society, want to bury our heads in the sand and ignore things like this while screaming and making violent political battles over things that hardly matter? This is the real evil in the world.

But this sort of thing will go on so long as it is ok and justifiable to make ANY person inferior to ANY other person based on AMY form of discrimination. How many places and cultures have differing rules and priviledges for people based on their gender, or colour, or race, or creed, or orientation? Its all based out of the concepts of discrimination and the beliefs that one person has more value then another - until we learn to fight THAT disease, we'll never eliminate all the symptoms.

marcus_sez_vote January 5 2009, 13:10:53 UTC

In my mind people who are willing to abuse underage children or put them in situations like this are acting in an inferior fashion and should have a stigma attached to them that will make it more difficult for them to operate and will bring heavy attention from law enforcement. I realize that sometimes pressures force parents to make desperate choices, but I'm more talking about the brokers, traffickers, slavers, pimps, etc.

Now it may be that this is not the best strategy for mitigating these circumstances, as then these groups/people will be driven even further into the margins of society. As the writer mentions though, there needs to be an incentive for the people willing to engage in this activity to pursue other criminal pursuits that causes less harm. A car jacking ring is far better in my mind than human trafficking.

Be well.

funwithrage January 5 2009, 05:01:38 UTC

There is often opposition to labeling one culture superior to one another or eradicating traditions that other cultures cherish. I however believe that around the world the idea of underage marriages/forced prostitution/trafficking needs to be eliminated. Yep ( ... )

Hrm... tragic_culture January 5 2009, 05:10:48 UTC

Why is it even worth the time to get angry over something so inconsequential, that you have no ability to impact?

Re: Hrm... marcus_sez_vote January 5 2009, 13:05:09 UTC

Is it better if I do not react? What does that say about me and my upbringing then? What does it say about my culture or country? I can try and have an impact either via donations or volunteering or something. Anyone can have an ability to make a difference. It is a question of whether or not I am willing to choose to do so. Also, the more people who are aware of situations like this, and there are many situations that ought to be publicized in some fashion or another, the more likely there will be someone (or many) who will react and choose to take action. With more people aware and involved hopefully positive change can come about.

Be well.

Re: Hrm... tragic_culture January 5 2009, 14:44:53 UTC

I guess this is something I've struggled with finding an answer to a lot since college days...there are so many horriblethings(tm) that happen out there it numbs the senses; how does one hand pick and choose which to "get involved" with and which not to?

And, more directly, how much does one give of themselves in donating/voulenteering/something to any one particular "cause" or problem? With so much to possibly be outraged or enraged by, how do you pick?

Re: Hrm... marcus_sez_vote January 5 2009, 15:19:33 UTC

This is something I wrestle with often with teaching. Illustrating the plight/motivations of immigrants becomes easier when you have personal narratives you can reference. Similarly it becomes easier to illustrate the opposition when you actually have examples of people who have been negatively impacted (migrant workers taking jobs, underpaid workers, outsourcing, etc.).

When we talk about catastrophes and human suffering often we are desensitized when we throw out large abstract numbers. It is more often when we have personal stories about a situation that we are moved to act/react. For instance recently I saw a commercial on T. V. asking for donations for bomb disposal experts who served in Iraq and Afghanistan because of the extreme amount of medical care required to help them out when they suffer massive injuries. In part I was moved to do so because of testimonials from those people as well as images. The same is somewhat true here ( ... )