heavy heart

Maybe you're not like me, but sometimes I 

feel a little overwhelmed with social justice causes.

There are so many needs and issues that deserve 

our attention, and sometimes I think that knowing about 

so many of them causes me to become a little numb

to the harsh reality of how terrible some of these 

things really are.  Anyone else feel this way?

 Well, in the last few weeks I've heard a lot
about the realities of human trafficking,
and let me tell you, it has totally wrecked me.
And I don't think that I can go back to
a distant, abstract way of caring.

It seems unfathomable that there are
slaves today, right?  The idea that people can
be bought and sold as property seems
completely insane to me.  Well, do you know
that human trafficking is an industry that
 nets 32 billion dollars annually?

How about this - are you aware that
it's happening right here in your backyard? 
There are an estimated 17,500 people
trafficked into the US each year - most of
them for sexual exploitation.  80% of these
are female, and 50% are minors.  In fact, the
average age of trafficked girls is 14. 

There are a lot more numbers, none of which can
really capture the atrocities that are going on
around us.  Because when push comes to shove,
it's not about numbers or statistics.  It's about the
terrible truth that people are being stripped of
their value as human beings and treated
like objects.  And that's not ok.

I don't know what I'm supposed to do about
it, but I do know that I won't just sit by and let
nothing be done.  Uncomfortable as it is,
expect to hear more from me on this topic.

These two organizations are doing great things,
and I think knowing about them is a good place to start:
Run For Freedom
the A21 Campaign