Modern Day Slavery

       Modern day slavery in our culture, our society, and our world, how can this be?  Who could be heartless enough to defy human dignity in selling another person?  Have we lost all respect for human value?  Three types of exploiters: The businessman, the hurt, and the survivalist, and three approaches to the prevention of human trafficking.

       One exploiter is considered the businessman, for his characteristics display a self-centered concern, without seeing the hurt and damage of the enslaved.  He sees a product not a person; his mindset is on making a profit. An example of this type of exploiter, is a man who at one time might have been a drug dealer, but saw the financial gain of selling a person 1000 times, when he could only sell a bag of crack once.  One prevention tactic of combating the businessman is to cut down his demand.  Thus, his supply would diminish. Harsher punishment to the consumer is also needed to bring down the demand of modern day slavery.

       The hurt person has been hurt so he feels like he can hurt others.  His pain is normal to him, he has no barrier of right, and wrong and not knowing this is degrading to human life, because he too has been hurt.  Trying to find justice for his own pain, he causes pain to others because he hasn’t worked out his past issues.  To prevent this hurt person from hurting others, we can bring awareness to education and authorities, so they can see signs of children asking for help.  Also parents need to be aware to see if their kids and their friends are getting their basic needs and be aware to see if kids know things to mature for them, for this may be a cause of early exposure to sex.

       The third form of exploiters is the survivalist.  These are people who just want to meet their basic needs of life, or people who are under the influence of drugs.  These low socio-economic cultural people are trying to meet day-day necessities, they see no other way then selling themselves or people they have control over, to get money.  For example, some of these people are addicted to drugs, and if they run out of money to buy these drugs, they will be so inconsiderate and have priorities that shift under the use of drugs, that they will sell their own family members just to get the drugs. Some survivalists found out that there is more money for young children then themselves.  The uninformed think that the young is cleaner because they haven’t been exposed, but they never know.  We need to make sure that these people see that there is a way to meet those needs through getting access to local resources and help these local resources to be aware of the basic need of these people.

       This unthinkable and despicable act of human slavery in our modern culture is so overwhelming.  The only way change will happen is if we all have a part in changing it.  Both young and old can come together to find justice for the enslaved.

The Amazing Moose vs. the Turk-kamikazi

           Blinking hard trying to get the eye boogers out of his eyes, President George W. Canada stretches his arms from soreness of yesterday.  Gazing out the 15ft x 60ft window, President Canada squints at the reflection of the bright and glorious Sun, off Lake Zapote and the glistening shine of the white mountain tops.  Pondering about his day, he remembers, “I have to go to that children's school 60 miles away and be interviewed.”  He strongly demands his guards and drivers to not follow him or watch him leave.  They don’t so he takes off.  Getting there in ten minutes, his armpits didn’t even precipitate.  He walks in and the questions start nailing him.
           “Mr. President! what’s your first name”?
           “George.”  He laughed with a smirk.
           30 minutes later, one question caught him off guard.
           “Mr. President are you a superhero”?
           “Well...”
           Then the radio announcer started blaring a message with a lisp, “IT’STH STHEPTEMBER 10TH, 1901 AND THERE ISTH A CODE STHUITCASTHE BRWOWN!”  All the kids turned around and started bawling it was so funny. President George Canada/The Amazing Moose decided it was the perfect time to takes action.  Spinning around, changing into his uniform, The Amazing Moose flashes out of there.  By the time the kids turn back around, President Canada is gone.
           Soaring through the bright, blue, endless expanse, The Amazing Moose gazes down to the earth to a vast area of blur. It is because he is traveling faster than the speed of light (which is faster than 3.0x108).  The Amazing Moose gets to the sight at just the right time. He sees the first Turk-kamikaze plane, Turkish suicide plane, crash into the ground.  Under his breath, The Amazing Moose sternly declared, “This is war.”
           Over the horizon of the Atlas Mountains, buzz thousands of Turk-kamikaze planes coming to destroy Canada.  The Amazing Moose inhales deeply and concentrates.  Using his mind, he knocks down the first 100 planes and then starts to faint, fast.  He learns quickly not to telepathically fight.  He shoots back up and then is contemplating on what to do next, The Amazing Moose finally comes up with something.  He points his finger at the front plane and shoots it like a gun.  All the Turk-kamikaze pilots laugh, until it hits them.  Now over 900 pilots laugh no more.  But there are still over 150 thousand planes left.  The planes continue to attack, so The Amazing Moose chooses to bump it up a level.   Gaining some momentum,The Amazing moose rears his  strong muscular arm and takes swing. The first plane starts to go down causing a chain reaction, destroying over 75,000 air crafts.  “Whoa!” he exclaimed, “that’s a new record!”  Just with the booming sound of his voice, he knocks out the next 25,000.  “Pretty good but not good enough,” he thought, “There’s still 50,000 left.”  “Ahaaaa!” he celebrates because he forgot that he had the power to shoot maple syrup out of the inside of his wrists.  Just like Spiderman, but with maple syrup and it shoots out like a power washer, to powerful to withstand.  So 40,000 Turk-kamikaze planes get stuck together and fall straight to the ground.  With only 10,000 planes left, he flings hockey pucks at them out of his mouth and kills 9,999 airplanes. With only 1 plane left,  The Amazing Moose decides to bring it down safely without abliterating it.  Before he walked inside the plane he used his telepathic powers to kill all the guys inside.  

All the press gathered around to ask questions and take pictures.  

One person asked, “The Amazing Moose who are you”?  As The Amazing Moose starts to lift his mask and reveal that he was President Canada, someone hears a TICK...TICK...TICK...TICK...  and screams.  The Amazing Moose turns around but instead of doing something he freezes and his mouth drops.  He watches as one little ash falls slowly towards the ground and lands precisely on top of the nuclear bomb.  Within a second, BOOM!  Now no one will ever know who The Amazing Moose was.

Folklore Across Cultures

Many cultures around the world have different types of stories with diverse themes and various techniques.  Three tales I read were: “The Badger Names the Sun”, from Mexico, “La Corriveau”, from Canada, and “Cowboys in Heaven”, from Texas.  No matter what culture is being read, there will be different kinds of folklore tales.

Beginning with the different types of stories, these three folklore tales express the differences in their cultures.  The first story, “The Badger Names the Sun”, conveys the idea of the creation story.  How in the beginning of naming objects, such as the Sun, no one and no thing could think of a name for it.  As thinking and discussing fills the air, one figure finally assigns the name for the Sun.  However, in the second tale, “La Corriveau”, this tale emits a frightening kind of story.  With spirits, murder and hanging, it just describes a scary story.  Even though the third story deals with spirits, it is a humorous tale.  It pokes at an old Texan tall tale making fun of, “Cowboys in Heaven.”

The diverse themes for these tales state what the message is of the story.  The first story explains the reason for “knowing why.”  In the story, the badger names the sun then runs because he thinks the people want to punish him.  But, they want to praise him, and he gets scared and never comes out of his hole again.  So, know why something is happening.  Unlike the first story, the second story details to staying true to one person.  This lady, Marie-Josephet, married a man, but she didn’t like him after a while.  So, she killed him, and got away with it.  She then married again, and as last time she got tired of him so she killed him also.  But this time she got caught and was sentenced to death by hanging.  The message for this one is don’t envy and you won’t get hung.  Nevertheless, the third tall tale reveals a funny more interesting message.  Don’t try to leave Heaven to go back to Texas.  If you try, you will be corralled like broncos.

Whereas types of stories and themes help explain the tales, techniques are what really show how parts of the story are told.  The first story shows the technique of personification.  The badger’s ability to speak is called personification, or a metaphor that gives inanimate objects, animals, or abstract ideas human characteristics.  In contrast, “La Corriveau”, uses the technique of foreshadowing, or the use of hints or clues in a narrative to suggest future action, to voice that part of the story.  At the beginning of the tale, she kills her first husband and doesn't get caught, but as she kills her second husband, you can tell she will be caught this time.  Whereas, the technique use for the third tall tale is a pun.  Cowboys go to heaven and stay there.  This is a group of words are the same words, but by putting a sharp diverse meaning on it, it makes the words amusing.

Although there are some minuscule similarities, these stories are extremely diverse.  This diversity is due to the culture from where the stories are from, because all cultures are different.

Chocolate?

         Did you know, that for the Halloween season, over 90 million pounds of chocolate were sold? (Halloween statistic)  That’s only Halloween! This statistic doesn’t even include all the other holidays throughout the year and around the world.  That is a large portion of cocoa beans picked by the hands of children younger than us.  Most of these beans are not located in factories or in the U.S., but actually in West Africa, inside jungles. Most kids there don’t go to school, instead they are used for child labor, they are trafficked, and forced to harvest these coco beans all day for little to no pay.   Chocolate and modern day slavery go hand in hand.

         Most of Hershey’s chocolate production begins in West Africa.  According to Not For Sale Campaign, Hershey’s has an F, on an A- F grading scale, for Fair Trade Certified cocoa.  Meaning that almost none of their cocoa is labored in clean and safe environmental places.  Being one of the largest producers of chocolate in the United States gives this company a platform for community service and national children programs.  But there is a darker side to the Hershey Company.  They fail to be transparent in revealing all of their sources of cocoa.  How can a wealthy American company that appears so good, have human trafficking as a labor source for their cocoa?  Many cocoa farms in Africa can’t afford to pay adults who are protected by fair labor laws.  Therefore, these farmers resort to the cheapest labor they can find, children.

         I think that Hershey’s should stop being so selfish about money and pay adults to do the work these children do, so these children will stop hurting themselves with their large machetes.  Or even like the article says, Hershey’s should find out for themselves where their cocoa comes from and change it where that cocoa can be certified.  It’s the 21^st century!  There shouldn’t be slavery still!  Stop being so stupid and certify the cocoa.  Also Hershey’s says they support children, so why don’t they support the ones that are suffering and not knowing if they will live another second.  Support those that bring you production.

         For no reason should Chocolate and modern day slavery go hand in hand.  It doesn’t seem right.  I believe that Hershey needs to get their act together and do what is right.

         

A Moment of Victory

"Inhale...Exhale...Inhale...Exhale."  Breathing hard, I am not able to feel the wet, soothing saliva slide down my throat.  With complete dryness closing off the ability of swallowing, I all of a sudden hear nothing; I am zoned, total silence.  The stench of B.O. is filling my nostrils.  Anticipating for the throw, I stretch my arms out trying to get space.  My hand sliding off the soggy jerseys of the opposing team, and the brisk, cool, night air flying between my fingers.  Glancing at the open spot in the goal, I quickly glare at the glistening ball soaring through the blinding light of the stadium.  Raising my right foot, I...

God Talking

       Ever since I can remember, my parents have told me that when the Sun’s rays shine through or around the clouds it means either God is talking to some one or He is bringing people to Heaven.
     Through this picture, http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photos/best-pod-april-2010/#/waikawau-bay-new-zealand_17620_600x450.jpg,

I see what God has created and I think who is He talking to/ who is He taking with him.  It amazes me what God has created, all these beautiful sceneries, all the animals, everything!  I am in awe of Him.

     Cloudy days with a glimpse of the bright light in the sky are my favorite days in the entire world.  Why? You ask, because in the mornings, driving to school, God is speaking to people and on my way home, God is taking someone with Him.

     One day, I was driving home from a hard day at school, it was cloudy, and the sun was behind the clouds.  As I got to a clearing out in the country, the clouds were moving and then BOOM!  The sun busted out of the clouds and leading up to the sun were clouds that looked like steps, “Steps up to Heaven”, and I really do believe God was taking someone with Him.  The rest of my day was great and I was just in AWE!!  I wish I could have taken a picture, but it only lasted a minute.  The next minute the clouds moved and it was nothing.

     My God is who He is.  No one can be Him and no one will ever be Him.  He is the creator of our universe and He is GINORMOUS!!!!  I love all His beauty and how He shows it.

A Daily Run

Everyday after school I have cross-country, and during this time I think and listen the most.  During the day, I am distracted by my want of pleasing others and expectations people have of me.  I have to remove myself from the rest of my day and listen to the voice of God.

         Like one of the authors of, "This I Believe," her belief is, all you need is a daily walk just to listen.  Susan Cosio wrote her personal philosophy and titled it, “A Daily Walk Just to Listen.”  I know exactly what she does, because I do it everyday.  I also, “have to remove myself from the voices that barrage me in order to find my true compass.”  While I pray, my true compass is like me knowing where I am running and how I will get to the finish, but it’s a guide for my life.

         Ms. Cosio is right; prayer is less about what we say and more about what we hear.  If all you do, is talk and ramble while you pray and not give God a chance to speak to you, you won’t be moved or guided by God.  To hear God, you have to make time for him and listen closely.  Sometimes just step away from a situation and listen.

         I believe that Christianity is not a religion, but it’s a Relationship.  It is not about knowing or memorizing what God has to say in your head, but about internalizing his word in my heart and understanding it so much, it affects who I am.  This is mainly what Susan Cosio is saying in her second to last paragraph, and I am in awe cause this is my belief also.

         When both of us are, “On our daily walks,” we are close to God and that’s how we find our way.  I love the verse she gives in Psalms 46.  “Be still and know that I am God."  It assures me that if I just stop and listen God will be there.

"I, Too, Sing America"

Intro. Paragraph


In the poem "I, Too, Sing America" by Langston Hughes, the tones of rejection and optimism reflect the man's attitude towards his treatment by others, but his confidence in himself.  This man knows he is an american and one day he will be treated like one.  But for now, live life as it is and be merry.