BS: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 08:46 PM

Marygarvey, from what I understand it wouldn't take much to blow up that ship. It has been described as a rust bucket looking for a place to sink.

We are all outraged by this. Unfortunately none of us can do anything. My nephew can and will and that is our best hope. He is studying medicin in hopes to join Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) or some similar organization.

So I have donated a nephew to the cause. What else can I do?

(Sorry to inject levity into this serious thread but that's what I do sometimes...)

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: Ferrara
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 08:23 PM

The worst aspect of this, for me, is the government officials who are more interested in sounding as if they care, than they are in saving those children's lives. Just one example: to quote from sophocleese' article:

"Benin's Minister of Information, Mr. Garston Zardzo, has pledged his government's preparedness to receive the children at a reception centre in Cotonou. Zardzo also disclosed government's decision to drastically deal with all parents, relatives and traders involved in this notorious human trafficking."

Well, that's great, but unless that captain is offered amnesty, the kids remain in grave danger. So appearances, and politics, not the children's welfare, are what seems to be important to the officials involved.

This is human nature. But we don't have to like it. Some e-mails, telegrams and letters to the Red Cross might help.(?) Sometimes, an organization can point out that a situation is hurting a country in world opinion, and use that to get action out of a government.

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: sophocleese
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 08:04 PM

Another interesting site to check is here.

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 06:43 PM

April's Reader's Digest had a reprint of an article about the thousands of young women who are smuggled into this country and moved around from trailer to trailer, as sex slaves, mostly from Asia. They and their parents are fooled into thinking the girls are going to better paying jobs doing maid's work, like they did at home. One 12 year old told about how the men who bought her decided she should be raped, repeatedly, as she was a virgin and they wanted her to learn how to have sex "right."

Most of these girls cannot get away and even if they do, they cannot speak enough English to tell anyone of their plight. One did manage to get away, but they caught up with her as she was trying to find help; her lack of English was what kept her from safety.

This is here, in America. The article said there were connections to Russian, Asian, and American mafias.

As my Native American friends say, "My heart is on the ground."

marygravey, I like your idea!

kat

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: Troll
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 06:40 PM

This has been going on for years. Back in the mid-'90's, tow reporters from the Baltimore Sun went to Sudan and purchased a young boy from a dealer. This was all captured on film.
They then returned the boy to his family or what was left of it. When they returned with the story they could not get it published, even by their own newspaper. No one wanted to touch it. It was too hot. It eventually was published(I don't recall where) but there was no followup, no outrage from any of the nations leaders from Clinton to Jackson to Farakan to Gingrich.
Nothing.
And nothing will come of this. The world doesn't want to know.
Besides, it's almost time for Opra.

troll

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: CarolC
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 05:58 PM

Slavery is alive and well and living in a number of parts of the world. It takes many forms, not all of them as obvious or easy to spot as the form being discussed in this thread.

I don't know what the answers are. Maybe there isn't much we can do, those of us who live in the parts of the world where it is less of a problem.

Maybe those of us who are fortunate enough to live in such places can make a difference of some sort if we live simply and consume consciously. Maybe.

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From:
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 05:58 PM

Here is what I would hope would be done: surround the ship with an international armada. Give the captain and crew a chance to surrender. Get the children off. Videotape everything and search the ship thoroughly. Then blow it to kingdom come.

mg

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 05:19 PM

Oh. ok. For an educated person, I sure am ignorant about some things. I remember, in the back of my mind about slavery in Africa, but I had forgotten, I guess. Looks like short of being the Iperialistic Agressor and going to war, we can't stop it, huh?

And, even if we went to war to save the Africans from the Africans, what are we gonna do after(if) we win??? Set up Colonial Governments? Import all of Africa to the US? Somehow, throwing money at it doesn't seem to likely to work either, given what has happened to Relief money and food in Africa.

Thinking about it, seems you are correct, but it can still make me sick, can't it? Poor babies, and Africa has a rampant (perhaps pandemic) AIDS problem, too. Sad, sad things in this old world.

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: toadfrog
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 05:04 PM

The children are from Benin.

They are being sold in other, neigboring countries. There is no outrage because
(1) There is nothing obvious we can do about it. It is engrained not only in local poverty, but in local custom. The U.N. official I heard discussing this remarked that it makes no obvious sense to arrest the people who buy the children, or the children themselves. Also that there are people engaged in trying to find the children and get them back home. Of course, they are trying to arrest the slavers. Think about it. Governments aren't that powerful, and neither is the U.N.

2. Think about it. They have slaves in Mali. Not only is it against the law in Mali, it has been made against the law four separate times. They have slaves in Sudan. Songs don't help situations like that. It requires actual physical power, and it requires also a change in the customs and beliefs of people in those countries.

3. We in the U.S. cannot even stop smuggling of immigrants here,some of whom are brought and kept under conditions tantamount to slavery. That has been in the news too. That happens right here in California. How are we going to police the coast of Africa?

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 04:51 PM

According to the radio last night there is a tradition in the West African countries of sending the oldest child to work in the home of a wealthier person, usually a relative. In recent decades this tradition has been corrupted and the people receiving the children have been selling the children into slavery and prostitution.

Slavery has never been outlawed in Africa. It has been ongoing since the very earliest days. Children have always been among the victims. I cannot even imagine how you will manage to get it outlawed. If you cut off the economic support to those countries you will certainly hurt them but the only way to make money after that will be to sell more civilians off into slavery. The governments are corrupt and the people are desperately poor.

It is yet another example of man's inhumanity to man.

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 04:39 PM

I'm right there with you, Susan. I just saw this in the paper this AM. Horrible, horrible. Where are these children from? My paper didn't say, just that they are off the coast of Africa.

Also, think about how awful it must be as a parent to have to make the decision to sell one of your children to keep the others alive........wonder how many of them are females destined for the Sex Trade? oh, shuddddddder the whole thing.

Where is the UN? the Vatican? the World Council of Churches? Sally Struthers and her Save the Children? If the Captains are going to dump them, boats could surround the ship to pluck them out of the water.

Send UN ships to arrest them on the High Seas......something, anything. SOON!!

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 03:53 PM

Last night I dreamed that for some strange reason, I was having to eat human flesh. A lot of it. Bite after bite. Each one necessary but each one a new impossible decision. It was a very big bowl. I can still taste it. When I woke up I thought it was about Easter Communion, for which I overslept, and it may have been.

But now as I recall the taste it seems a lot like chocolate bunnies, and waking to think "He is Risen" and finding this story instead. I don't think I will ever remember Easter the same way again.

I think the lack of outrage has to do with the fact that this story is almost unbearable to feel. To look at this head on is almost more than I can do, myself, and I decided long ago to feel whatever had to be felt. Most people do not have the tools or resources to feel this. I have them and I can hardly stand to even think about it. I go on with my Easter brunch for my sweet hard-working Hardi, knowing this is happening too.

What possible positive future is there for these children, and how many more? If this is the tip we just happened to hear about, how big is the iceberg?

God help us if we cannot even make songs for 250 kids who may be in the drink, when we can make so many and have so much attention for our Elian's.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: Amergin
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 03:41 PM

There is no outrage because it is not economically important to be an outrage. There is no outrage because they are not American children.

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 02:16 PM

I am making an unoffical song challenge thread right now. Someone please help make a clicky to it once it's up.

This thread here for info and opinions, that one for songs.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: GUEST,Gern, no longer worthy of cookie
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 02:11 PM

I couldn't agree more. Dan Rather found 15 minutes of news more important than this story on Friday. Where is the outrage?

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 02:09 PM

No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"roaming the West African coast for more than two weeks...."

This supports the cocoa trade?

This is what we support when we eat CHOCOLATE????????

And we've been sitting around here debating FLAMERS????

Where are the songs? Where are the letter campaigns?

We been talking about P-fuckingC???

Songs! We need SONGS!!

~S~

Subject: RE: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: Naemanson
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 01:35 PM

Here is one story about it. Slavery is not dead but it hasn't caught the public's attention yet either. Maybe Bush can focus on it as a way to take our attention off what he is doing to our economy and environment.

Click here

Subject: Children Sold into Slavery at Sea
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 01:03 PM

Just heard a slice of this news story. Red Cross awaiting a ship coming into port with 250 children sold as slaves.. saying the captain may dump them at sea rather than docking with them and being arrested. Several ports have refused entry.

WHASSUP????

~Susan