DC downlow: disclaimer its lengthy
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3.3.10
I am still wading in the pool of veneration and slapping the waters of revelry from our weekend in Washington DC.
I am overwhelmed with a sense of admiration and appreciation for the opportunity to be involved in this social justice movement and walk among giants such as David Batstone.
I gained so much clarity and direction in my life that I determined I could do nothing less than dedicate my time and energies toward the advocacy of abolishing slavery in our lifetime. It hit me so hard as I was reading Batstone's book Not For Sale that I wanted to slap the issue of US weekly out of the girl's hands in the seat next to me on the plane ride home. WHERE are American's heads at? it turns me upside down.
Upon arriving in Washington DC I felt left out in my wandering traipse up and down the historical walks of power and prestige as everyone else left me in the dust of purpose and determinism. I had such a hypersensitivity to a missional vibe electrifying the pavements. I melted in the shadows of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial imagining these much talked about figures' whose faces appear on our very currency. How did they achieve? What series of events lead up them to this point of existence?
After marching about the playgrounds of eminence and esteem we collaborated with the Not For Sale national team as well as representatives from 32 states in the continental U.S. on Monday morning. I have never felt like I spent my time more wisely- mom would be proud.
We went on a rollercoaster ride of emotion from the devastating stories and real life catastrophes terrorizing our world from a secret hush hush crime syndicate happening right in front of us, to praising the efforts of Not for Sale in swiftly shifting our paradigms to action and abolition. Obviously this issue is unjust. Few people would sign the papers shipping a child's existence away to slavery, yet even those of us who would dedicate a lifetime to ridding the world of this issue may be intangibly perpetuating slavery through the coffee we drink, shirt we wear, car we drive, and chocolate we eat.
So we set to work preparing for over 200 meetings with representative congressmen and state senators to advocate the TVPR Trafficking Victims Protection Act 1631. With a group of 8 Floridian Constituents including a teacher, a contractor, students, and local church representatives, I was completely encouraged and energized. Our meetings generated an incredible response from our state rep and certainly left an impression on our senator's office.
If this is all boring you then I apologize. I know there is a lot more glitz and glam in raiding a brothel and dragging enslaved girls out to freedom fearing an enraged mafioso pimp chasing after you with Albanian death threats. Or even navigating the darkened dismal streets of Miami looking for girls that have gone missing from their Midwest fenced in neighborhoods. Regardless we all must do something. Talk about it. Cry about it. Scream about it. Trafficking had to become a dirty word in our vocabulary. A familiar concept with tell tale signs that we all are able to recognize and fight against. Because otherwise, this cancer continues to grow and fester in the shadows of our society. Corruption and apathy will continue to trap children on the street with not even the police to run to.
This issue is an enormous storm that continues to drain torrential downpours all over the entire world. Have you even ever stopped to think; Where did this shirt come from that I'm wearing? I mean beyond the hanger at the store in the mall. Could you be wearing the sweat and tears of a child? Be a smart consumer and be aware of the enslavement that you could have supported in your daily activities today.
talk about it
{stay tuned}
I am still wading in the pool of veneration and slapping the waters of revelry from our weekend in Washington DC.
I am overwhelmed with a sense of admiration and appreciation for the opportunity to be involved in this social justice movement and walk among giants such as David Batstone.
I gained so much clarity and direction in my life that I determined I could do nothing less than dedicate my time and energies toward the advocacy of abolishing slavery in our lifetime. It hit me so hard as I was reading Batstone's book Not For Sale that I wanted to slap the issue of US weekly out of the girl's hands in the seat next to me on the plane ride home. WHERE are American's heads at? it turns me upside down.
Upon arriving in Washington DC I felt left out in my wandering traipse up and down the historical walks of power and prestige as everyone else left me in the dust of purpose and determinism. I had such a hypersensitivity to a missional vibe electrifying the pavements. I melted in the shadows of the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial imagining these much talked about figures' whose faces appear on our very currency. How did they achieve? What series of events lead up them to this point of existence?
After marching about the playgrounds of eminence and esteem we collaborated with the Not For Sale national team as well as representatives from 32 states in the continental U.S. on Monday morning. I have never felt like I spent my time more wisely- mom would be proud.
We went on a rollercoaster ride of emotion from the devastating stories and real life catastrophes terrorizing our world from a secret hush hush crime syndicate happening right in front of us, to praising the efforts of Not for Sale in swiftly shifting our paradigms to action and abolition. Obviously this issue is unjust. Few people would sign the papers shipping a child's existence away to slavery, yet even those of us who would dedicate a lifetime to ridding the world of this issue may be intangibly perpetuating slavery through the coffee we drink, shirt we wear, car we drive, and chocolate we eat.
So we set to work preparing for over 200 meetings with representative congressmen and state senators to advocate the TVPR Trafficking Victims Protection Act 1631. With a group of 8 Floridian Constituents including a teacher, a contractor, students, and local church representatives, I was completely encouraged and energized. Our meetings generated an incredible response from our state rep and certainly left an impression on our senator's office.
If this is all boring you then I apologize. I know there is a lot more glitz and glam in raiding a brothel and dragging enslaved girls out to freedom fearing an enraged mafioso pimp chasing after you with Albanian death threats. Or even navigating the darkened dismal streets of Miami looking for girls that have gone missing from their Midwest fenced in neighborhoods. Regardless we all must do something. Talk about it. Cry about it. Scream about it. Trafficking had to become a dirty word in our vocabulary. A familiar concept with tell tale signs that we all are able to recognize and fight against. Because otherwise, this cancer continues to grow and fester in the shadows of our society. Corruption and apathy will continue to trap children on the street with not even the police to run to.
This issue is an enormous storm that continues to drain torrential downpours all over the entire world. Have you even ever stopped to think; Where did this shirt come from that I'm wearing? I mean beyond the hanger at the store in the mall. Could you be wearing the sweat and tears of a child? Be a smart consumer and be aware of the enslavement that you could have supported in your daily activities today.
talk about it
{stay tuned}
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