Chained To Death

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

-Luke 4:18-19

Slavery is a terrifying thing, filled with pain, sorrow, and often death.  It has been around for centuries and still exists today.  Slavery would be like taking your very worst fear and multiplying it by a billion!  It binds thousands of people all over the world in their worst fear.  Slaves are outlawed in all countries, yet there are more slaves in the world today than has ever existed in human history.  Currently there are over 27 million slaves!  (Kevin Bales, [author of Disposable People] International Justice Mission, and Free The Slaves)  That is more people than fills New York City or Chicago.  That is enough people to stand side-by-side and stretch from Los Angeles to New York and back again! (International Justice Mission)  They have families, children, and names that are all being lost.  In bondage they live lives they never wanted.  Is it right to hold humans, people just like us, in bondage?  I will talk about three things slavery does, it takes parents and grandparents away, it forces some young children into hard manual labor, and it crushes the dreams of girls being forced into prostitution.

Slavery rips apart generations of families.  Victims of slavery are often families stricken by poverty and sold into this life.  Some are also deceived with a job or other offer. (Enotes, Slavery Today, Anti Slavery)  Typical schemes include offering potential victims a job in America at fast food chains like In-N-Out.  They are asked to pay for their travel and then later find out that they sold themselves into slavery.  Parents are forced to leave their children and spend the rest of their lives working as slaves.  They will never get to see them grow up, get married, or have children of their own.  There once was a time when elders were respected for the lives they have lived.  Now they are treated as if living is a bad thing, as if being born is their downfall.  This is a horrible injustice that needs to be stopped.  

Slavery forces some young children into hard manual labor.  Stop and think for a minute about everything you have such as your phone, your clothes, your shoes, and so forth.  Did you know that children are laboring day and night to provide you with luxuries such as a cell phone, iPod, or iPad?  Most of the products we use everyday are made by slaves. (Slavery Footprints)  They are hurt physically and mentally everyday while they make these comfort items.  Children are also sold to families as servants all over the world, including America.  Being underfed, they work all hours of they day, and most do not even know what the word “play” is!  There are an estimated 4,000-17,500 people trafficked into this country, our country, each year! (Kevin Bales, founder of Free the Slaves, the American sister organization of the UK’s Anti-Slavery International.  He is co-author of the book The Slave Next Door: Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today.) Most of these children live the dark lives of slavery in “normal” neighborhood homes, just like ours, with “normal” everyday people.  Is it correct to force children into endless lives of slavery and do nothing about it?  Is it not wrong to beat innocent children for simply not cleaning enough? 

Slavery crushes the dreams of girls being forced into prostitution.  All of us have dreams; dreams of being a doctor, lawyer, husband, wife, parent, we all have them. We have the opportunity to try and reach our dream, but many girls around the world cannot even begin to try to follow their dreams.  Many young girls are robbed of their families, friends, and dreams, and forced into sex trafficking.  Having no choice, they are treated as tools with no feelings.  Known, as "one of the single largest human trafficking events in the United States" is the Super Bowl. (Huffington Post, News Channel 5, Texas Authority General Greg Abbott, Chicago Now, The A21 Campaign, etc.)  Thousands of girls are brought in from all over the country and the world to be used for this event.  Touchdowns are made and scores rise as the victims go unnoticed.  Police may be able to save some from their nightmares, but thousands upon thousand will still continue to be tormented.  Approximately 80 percent of foreign victims are women and girls, and up to 50 percent are minors  (US Department of State in a 2008 study) Will we turn our backs to such cruelty?  Will we shake our head in disappointment, but change nothing?   

Slavery needs to be stopped.  How long will we let it go unnoticed?  How long will these children suffer?  When will we stop ripping the parents and grandparents from their children?  Where will it stop for those who are in sex trafficking?  For Americans, their picture of slavery is locked in their mind as one from the past.  We are blinded to the fact that slavery is not just a past issue, but also a present one, and will be a future one if we do not put a stop to it now.  How many lives will be ruined before we stand up for what is right?  Slavery could be happening in our own back yards, we could stop it. (State Department)  Has slavery now become accepted to us as something that will never change?  We can save these children, parents, and girls!  These people have no chance against this monster.  What can they do?  They are chained to death.  They cannot free themselves from bondage.  How will they ever know God's love if we do not show it?  
“150 years ago Lincoln freed the slaves we can do it again.  I stand with Lincoln.” (Slavery Footprints)

 "We were proclaiming ourselves political hypocrites before the world, by thus fostering Human Slavery and proclaiming ourselves, at the same time, the sole friends of Human Freedom."

 -Abraham Lincoln