The inhumanity of people never ceases to amaze me.
Last week, a St. Louis man was indicted in one of the worst human trafficking cases I have ever heard of in my life. There were five men, all from my home state of Missouri, who were indicted for the kidnapping, torture and forced sexual slavery of a then 16-year-old handicapped girl over eight years.
The five men, who are between the ages of 31 and 62, are being charged with 11 different crimes in connection with the systematic imprisonment, sexual abuse and torture of this child. The indictment, which can be read here, goes into greusome detail about the different things that this girl (who remains unnamed) endured from 2002 to late last year. It truly is a disgusting description, so use your own discretion.
The girl, who had a bad home life to begin with, was bounced around from foster home to foster home until she decided to run away from one. After she ran away, Bagley (one of the men indicted) coerced her into his home with promises of turning her into a model and a dancer and giving her "a great life". This blog won't go into details about what happened after that, but in the span of seven years this girl endured things that no human should ever dream of enduring. To make matters worse, these sick individuals taped all of this and posted it to the web.
As a journalist, it's almost impossible to maintain objectivity in cases like these. Almost every one of us knows at least one girl this age, and imagining her enduring this type of treatment even for a second is too much for many of us to bear. I admire the journalists who can cover this story and be objective, because I would not be one of them. For the journalist assigned to a story like this, detaching oneself from the story is difficult, impossible even. Going into detail and researching it further, as every journalist needs to do with any story, only puts nightmarish thoughts into one's head. It truly is a horrific thing.
What makes this story especially horrific is the fact that this girl was handicapped and therefore did not have the mental capacity that the rest of us do. Not that it would matter; a normally functioning person of the same age would not be able to escape, either, but not being able to understand or articulate what happened to you over a good part of your life is torture in itself.
And, while this case of sex trafficking is horrific, this young woman is unfortunately not alone. There have been over 150,ooo sex slaves living in the United States since 2001. Over 300,000 children in the U.S. are runaways or "throw-aways" and are at considerable risk for becoming sex slaves. In Western Missouri, where this case took place, human trafficking is a big problem: in Kansas City, MO, alone, there were 84 cases of minors being used as sex slaves discovered by Child Protective Services alone since 2000. This doesn't include the cases that haven't been discovered, the cases outside of Jackson County, or the cases where adult women are involved.
Furthermore, girls and women who are under the control of a trafficker or a pimp usually cannot be helped because of the lack of security in many womens' shelters. When (and if) they escape, they have no place to go. Given their age (the average age for a sex slave is 11-14 years old, and there are some as young as five), they are also less likely to escape their captors. Or they are like the girl in the above case and do not have the mental or physical resources to escape. Many never do escape; instead, they die in the hands of their captors.
Crimes like these are among the worst because it involves gaining the trust of the victim before subjecting her to this torture. We, as adults, are supposed to be gaining the trust of children so we can help them and do things to benefit them, not so we can hurt them. For generations, children have been taught to trust adults because we know what's better for them than they do. Too often, as in cases like these, that trust has been perverted and abused. But trust issues are the least of our problems. As these girls and women grow older and escape from their captors, we (as a society, because it's everyone's problem) are going to have to deal with the mental, emotional and physical scars that these victims will carry for them for the rest of their lives.
This posting's name is "Innocent Lost", and aptly so as this is exactly what happens to these girls and young women. There is a part of their innocence that is gone forever in acts such as these.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Where do we stop, Reverend Jones?
Rev. Terry Jones is the pastor at a Gainesville, Fla. church, one that is the center of controversy and debate all over America. Jones and his small group of followers, who have espoused anti-Islamic sentiment in the past, are commemorating the ninth anniversary of the 9-11 tragedy by holding an "International Burn a Quran Day".
Unfortunately, there's no way to stop Jones and whoever else decides to join him as he is protected by the First Amendment and is not breaking the law in any way. What people are concerned about, however, are the ramifications of a Quran burning both at home and overseas, especially with the situation in Afghanistan being as volatile as it has become since President Obama declared an end to the Iraq War. The Quran burning poses such a danger for deployed troops in the Middle East that the White House, world leaders and other organizations have tried to convince Jones to call the burning off, to no avail. They feel that if Jones decides to go ahead with the burning, that the lives of troops deployed in the Middle East would be in danger.
Even President Obama weighed in on the issue, calling it a "recruitment bonanza for Al Queda" and expressing great concern over how this burning will affect the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jones, while expressing concern for the troops as well, argued that America has "lost its backbone" and needs to stop backing down against Islamic extremists.
But how far is too far? And is burning the Quran a way to protest Islamic extremism, or is it another way for people to exercise their hatred against all Muslims? Either way, it's wrong.
Now other people are following Jones' lead. Another pastor, this time in Tennessee, is planning a Quran burning for Saturday as well. He plans to do it in his backyard and post it online for everyone to see. Rev. Bob Old, of Springfield, Tenn., doesn't believe Muslims belong in America.
"If they want to have their religion, they can have it somewhere else," Old said in an interview with The Tennessean.
Ironically, the Quran burning is being done in protest of religious extremism--by religious extremists--a group in which many Muslims don't belong. Christian groups, such as the National Association of Evangelicals, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Southern Baptist leaders have all decried the Quran burning, stating that it is wrong for Christians to burn other religions' sacred texts.
This controversy comes in the midst of a heated national debate over an Islamic community center that's slated to be built near Ground Zero in New York City. Over 70 percent of Americans feel that an Islamic community center (not a mosque) built near Ground Zero would be an insult to those who died in the 9-11 attacks. And, what's scarier, many mosques that are nowhere near New York City are being threatened as well.
According to a survey conducted by Time magazine, open racism toward Muslims in America is both shocking and heartbreaking at the same time: 28 percent believe that Muslims should be barred from sitting on the Supreme Court, and 33 percent believe that Muslims (born in America) should be barred from running for President. But an ABC/Washington Post poll finds that only 40 percent of people in America know a Muslim personally.
It's blatantly obvious, then, that peoples' opinions are colored by the Muslim extremists they see on TV and by the actions of the Muslim extremists who are responsible for the atrocities commited in America almost nine years ago. And it's because of this view of Muslims (and it being the only view of Muslims that many have) that Quran burnings are happening. Combine this with the relatively recent nature of the 9-11 attacks, and we see a level of prejudice and bigotry not seen since the Civil Rights era.
America won't let 9-11 die. That's a good thing; we never want to forget it. But maybe keeping it so fresh in our minds, especially this time of year, is the problem. We never forgot Pearl Harbor, either; just ask the thousands of Japanese-Americans, most of whom were hard-working, upstanding members of society, with no connection to the extremists who carried out the deed, whose lives were uprooted because of our fear and paranoia over what they'd do next,
Sound familiar? History does have a tendency to repeat itself. And, with the Quran burnings scheduled for Saturday, history may be starting to repeat itself once again. So, the question is, Reverend Jones: "Where do we stop?"
Unfortunately, there's no way to stop Jones and whoever else decides to join him as he is protected by the First Amendment and is not breaking the law in any way. What people are concerned about, however, are the ramifications of a Quran burning both at home and overseas, especially with the situation in Afghanistan being as volatile as it has become since President Obama declared an end to the Iraq War. The Quran burning poses such a danger for deployed troops in the Middle East that the White House, world leaders and other organizations have tried to convince Jones to call the burning off, to no avail. They feel that if Jones decides to go ahead with the burning, that the lives of troops deployed in the Middle East would be in danger.
Even President Obama weighed in on the issue, calling it a "recruitment bonanza for Al Queda" and expressing great concern over how this burning will affect the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jones, while expressing concern for the troops as well, argued that America has "lost its backbone" and needs to stop backing down against Islamic extremists.
But how far is too far? And is burning the Quran a way to protest Islamic extremism, or is it another way for people to exercise their hatred against all Muslims? Either way, it's wrong.
Now other people are following Jones' lead. Another pastor, this time in Tennessee, is planning a Quran burning for Saturday as well. He plans to do it in his backyard and post it online for everyone to see. Rev. Bob Old, of Springfield, Tenn., doesn't believe Muslims belong in America.
"If they want to have their religion, they can have it somewhere else," Old said in an interview with The Tennessean.
Ironically, the Quran burning is being done in protest of religious extremism--by religious extremists--a group in which many Muslims don't belong. Christian groups, such as the National Association of Evangelicals, the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue and Southern Baptist leaders have all decried the Quran burning, stating that it is wrong for Christians to burn other religions' sacred texts.
This controversy comes in the midst of a heated national debate over an Islamic community center that's slated to be built near Ground Zero in New York City. Over 70 percent of Americans feel that an Islamic community center (not a mosque) built near Ground Zero would be an insult to those who died in the 9-11 attacks. And, what's scarier, many mosques that are nowhere near New York City are being threatened as well.
According to a survey conducted by Time magazine, open racism toward Muslims in America is both shocking and heartbreaking at the same time: 28 percent believe that Muslims should be barred from sitting on the Supreme Court, and 33 percent believe that Muslims (born in America) should be barred from running for President. But an ABC/Washington Post poll finds that only 40 percent of people in America know a Muslim personally.
It's blatantly obvious, then, that peoples' opinions are colored by the Muslim extremists they see on TV and by the actions of the Muslim extremists who are responsible for the atrocities commited in America almost nine years ago. And it's because of this view of Muslims (and it being the only view of Muslims that many have) that Quran burnings are happening. Combine this with the relatively recent nature of the 9-11 attacks, and we see a level of prejudice and bigotry not seen since the Civil Rights era.
America won't let 9-11 die. That's a good thing; we never want to forget it. But maybe keeping it so fresh in our minds, especially this time of year, is the problem. We never forgot Pearl Harbor, either; just ask the thousands of Japanese-Americans, most of whom were hard-working, upstanding members of society, with no connection to the extremists who carried out the deed, whose lives were uprooted because of our fear and paranoia over what they'd do next,
Sound familiar? History does have a tendency to repeat itself. And, with the Quran burnings scheduled for Saturday, history may be starting to repeat itself once again. So, the question is, Reverend Jones: "Where do we stop?"
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Purity?
Until last week, I had never heard of the "Christian Side Hug". Apparently, unlike the conventional hug, this new hug is less likely to result in awkward and accidental sexual contact between devout Christian teenagers. Conservative Christian youth groups all over America are adopting the new sign of affection, even going so far as to ban the conventional hug completely, especially when done between members of the two sexes. The goal is to minimize physical contact between members and/or leaders of the group, therefore reducing the chances of someone being "turned on" by something as innocent as a hug.
Youth groups are a wonderful thing for young people. They, and other programs like them, help keep kids off of the street and out of trouble. Every young person needs to belong to a group like that: it provides kids an opportunity to take a break from homework, TV and the computer and lets them interact with people their own age outside of school or school activities. It's good for them.
While youth groups are good for young people, however, many churches' obsessions with premarital sex (or the prevention thereof) is worrisome. The goal to keep young people as pure before marriage as possible is so unrealistic that any sign of physical affection outside of the "side hug" or a handshake is seen as sexual (and, therefore, a sin). While I certainly wouldn't go up to a potential employer and give him or her a full-frontal hug, I can't say I wouldn't do the same with my friends, especially if I haven't seen them in a long time. In either case, do I find hugging my friends to be a turn-on? Not in the least, and I didn't when I was a teenager, either. To me, and to a lot of young people, hugging is innocent.
Not so in the eyes of conservative Christians all over America. According to their logic, hugging inevitably leads to more sexual behavior like kissing, heavy petting and premarital sex. And this is their way of stopping that sin right in its tracks. Or is it?
Not very long ago, I was a teenager and a rebellious one at that. I hated authority, especially when they told me what to think and believe. And as a way of combating authority, I acted, dressed and even believed the exact opposite of what they wanted me to. This is a common behavior among teenagers, especially more independent teenagers. They may engage in these behaviors just to assert their autonomy as a human being and engage in a "forbidden" act. Other teenagers may just be curious about this whole "sex" thing people at church keep talking about, and so they try it too. Either way, without protection, these young people could find themselves in a situation that they are not mature enough to handle.
Many youth groups only teach the "don't do it" part of this lesson. Few, if any, talk about the "what could happen if you do" part (aside from going to Hell after you die). And many parents have the same mindset, as well. People these days aren't frank enough about the dirty little three-letter word. They're too afraid of what their peers, their neighbors or what their God would think of them to shove a handful of condoms into their kid's purse or wallet or put their daughters on the Pill. And as a result, birth rates among teenagers have gone up in 26 states since 2005. Not surprisingly almost every state in the Bible Belt, many of which had high teenage birth rates to begin with, saw an increase. The only state that saw a decrease was Tennessee, and even that decrease was marginal.
While the conservative Christian standpoint is well-intentioned, in practice it doesn't work at all. Sex is natural; it isn't dirty and sinful. And young people are going to discover it whether their religion tells them to or not. As for me, I'd rather have my God be mad at me for teaching a kid about safe sex than have to look at that same kid struggle through life because she had a child she cannot support, and knowing that I could have done something to stop it.
Youth groups are a wonderful thing for young people. They, and other programs like them, help keep kids off of the street and out of trouble. Every young person needs to belong to a group like that: it provides kids an opportunity to take a break from homework, TV and the computer and lets them interact with people their own age outside of school or school activities. It's good for them.
While youth groups are good for young people, however, many churches' obsessions with premarital sex (or the prevention thereof) is worrisome. The goal to keep young people as pure before marriage as possible is so unrealistic that any sign of physical affection outside of the "side hug" or a handshake is seen as sexual (and, therefore, a sin). While I certainly wouldn't go up to a potential employer and give him or her a full-frontal hug, I can't say I wouldn't do the same with my friends, especially if I haven't seen them in a long time. In either case, do I find hugging my friends to be a turn-on? Not in the least, and I didn't when I was a teenager, either. To me, and to a lot of young people, hugging is innocent.
Not so in the eyes of conservative Christians all over America. According to their logic, hugging inevitably leads to more sexual behavior like kissing, heavy petting and premarital sex. And this is their way of stopping that sin right in its tracks. Or is it?
Not very long ago, I was a teenager and a rebellious one at that. I hated authority, especially when they told me what to think and believe. And as a way of combating authority, I acted, dressed and even believed the exact opposite of what they wanted me to. This is a common behavior among teenagers, especially more independent teenagers. They may engage in these behaviors just to assert their autonomy as a human being and engage in a "forbidden" act. Other teenagers may just be curious about this whole "sex" thing people at church keep talking about, and so they try it too. Either way, without protection, these young people could find themselves in a situation that they are not mature enough to handle.
Many youth groups only teach the "don't do it" part of this lesson. Few, if any, talk about the "what could happen if you do" part (aside from going to Hell after you die). And many parents have the same mindset, as well. People these days aren't frank enough about the dirty little three-letter word. They're too afraid of what their peers, their neighbors or what their God would think of them to shove a handful of condoms into their kid's purse or wallet or put their daughters on the Pill. And as a result, birth rates among teenagers have gone up in 26 states since 2005. Not surprisingly almost every state in the Bible Belt, many of which had high teenage birth rates to begin with, saw an increase. The only state that saw a decrease was Tennessee, and even that decrease was marginal.
While the conservative Christian standpoint is well-intentioned, in practice it doesn't work at all. Sex is natural; it isn't dirty and sinful. And young people are going to discover it whether their religion tells them to or not. As for me, I'd rather have my God be mad at me for teaching a kid about safe sex than have to look at that same kid struggle through life because she had a child she cannot support, and knowing that I could have done something to stop it.
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