speak up

we had dinner with some friends recently, and i was talking to one of them about human trafficking. i was happy that she was aware of the issue...i'm realizing not many ppl are...and the more i talked about it, the faster i spoke and the louder i got. a couple of ppl turned to look at me, and i immediately felt embarrassed. i wish i could talk about it in a normal tone of voice, with a stoic expression, and with pragmatism. but i can't. it's too hard. i've known about human trafficking for three years now, and i am still unnaturally pissed off about it. i am pissed off that it exists. pissed off that it is growing. pissed off that it is happening on a global scale. pissed off that in these three years i have done little to nothing to participate in the extermination of it. extermination. reminds me of cockroaches. cockroaches need to be exterminated. so do the seedy pimps and brothelkeepers who relish their sport of exploitation. extermination. can trafficking really be exterminated?

a few weeks ago a dear friend of ours left pasadena to start a non-profit dealing with human trafficking in thailand. it's called Speak Up [for the Poor]. i cannot say enough about our friend, who we've come to love and admire in these past two years. as i read his blog, i cannot help but be moved. he asks questions with cutting clarity and honesty. and he describes his experiences with equally cutting sadness and anger. he is one of those ppl working towards the extermination of trafficking. he is one of those ppl i will call "hero" because though he struggles with fear and doubt as he goes about this work in the frightening world of sexual slavery, he still chooses to move forward. he still chooses to move towards that which must be exterminated in order for dignity and freedom to be restored. dignity and freedom. we take them for granted here, but how distant and luxurious they are to the millions enslaved.