Not really sure what the above phrase means.....it's the title of a chapter of Les Misérables from which i am about to quote.
The following quote really struck me. It applies to present times as well as the nineteenth century which this novel was based....
"What is this story of Fantine about? It is about society buying a slave.
From whom? From misery.
From hunger, from cold, from loneliness, from desertion, from privation. Melancholy barter. A soul for a piece of bread. Misery makes the offer; society accepts.
The holy law of Jesus Christ governs our civilization but it does no yet permeate it. They say that slavery has disappeared from European civilization. That is incorrect. It still exists, but now it weighs only on women and it is called prostitution.
It weighs on women, that is to say, on grace, fraility, beauty, motherhood. This is not the least among man's shames." -Victor Hugo
This past January i attended the Passion 2010 conference in Atlanta, Georgia. There were many foreign ministry opportunities for everyone to get involved with. One in particular was that of human trafficking and prostitution across the globe. Here are a few facts i learned from their representatives.
-Most "sexual markeplaces" in the middle east contain about 200,000 sex slaves. That's more than the population of Salt Lake City.
-Last year the slave trade made $32 billion. That is more than Nike, Google, and Starbucks combined.
-There are currently more slaves in the world than at any point in human history.
-A girl in Indian Brothels will undergo 12-14 abortions in two years.
Time to wake up to the presence of injustice, especially for women around the world. It is time that we accept our responsibility as to seek out the orphans and widows of the world, especially those in slavery, and give them a second chance at freedom. Check out the Passion2010 website for more information on all of the DoSomethingNow campaigns!
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