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Very soon flags will be flying and fireworks exploding as the USA celebrates its Independence; its Freedom. Most of us do not know what it is like to live any other way. We have always lived in this country that was founded on the words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
ˈli-bər-tē
: the quality or state of being free:
a : the power to do as one pleases
b : freedom from physical restraint
c : freedom from arbitrary control
d : the power of choice (Miriam-Webster)
While our history is tainted with atrocities to our fellow humans, the USA is no longer involved in the slave trade, right? We are finally allowing all men, women and children their unalienable right to be free, right?
Before you wave the red, white and blue, look at just a few of the many headlines coming from every corner of our nation:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/feb/13/a-hidden-crime-child-sex-trafficking-is-on-the-ris/
https://www.rn.com/headlines-in-health/overview-human-trafficking/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicolefisher/2017/04/24/human-trafficking-in-plain-sight/#c10feac51f8e
From Florida to Minnesota, Oregon to New York, no state is immune from this horror. While most of us are watching parades through our local streets and having a backyard BBQ with family and friends, thousands of others will be enslaved in bars, hotel rooms, salons, fields, and shops in the “good ole USA.”
This year as we celebrate our nation’s freedom, let’s not forget those around us who are being denied their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
While we may not know any specific cases, we can:
-Support those organizations that are involved in fighting slavery in the USA. Groups such as Shared Hope International and Nightlight/Atlanta
-Become Informed and then:
-Be a Voice: Take opportunities in conversations, facebook posts, even local newspaper editorials to get the word out about slavery in our country
-Report any suspected trafficking you may see. The Polaris Project is one group that has a toll free number to “ make reports from anywhere in the country related to potential trafficking victims, suspicious behaviors, and/or locations where trafficking is suspected to occur.”
To live freely is a gift, often given at the expense of another. It is true of our freedom as a nation. Let us do our part to bring liberty to every individual within our borders.
-Denise
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