How Accurate is ‘Lincoln?’ Part 2

I went to see Lincoln this weekend and it was a great film. But, how well did it really portray history? Be forewarned – this blog contains some movie spoilers! The film was about Lincoln trying to get the 13th Amendment passed in order to abolished slavery. As for the tension in the country as Lincoln was trying to get the amendment passed – that was accurate. I just didn’t realize all the political tension. Some in Congress still wanted the Emancipation Proclamation recalled and even those for the 13th Amendment didn’t seem ready to hear the specific words “equality … Continue reading

Human Trafficking in America – Part 2

Yesterday, I was talking about human trafficking. Like many, I turned a blind eye to this until I saw statistics that just wouldn’t allow me to do that anymore. Is there anything you can do to prevent human trafficking? First of all, know that it is real and happening in our country. Second, you can recognize the signs of a possible victim. These people act like they are under someone else’s control and feel as if they are under surveillance. They work long hours for little pay, yet don’t manage their own money. They may not know English and may … Continue reading

Human Trafficking in America – Part 1

I saw a commercial for a local news station the other night about human trafficking right. I missed the newscast (as I often do – on purpose because it is just generally depressing), but today, I saw the article on the news web site and decided to read it. A local woman claimed she was a victim of human trafficking racket here in my hometown of Memphis. Now, I’ll admit, I read this with some skepticism. She claimed that at age 18, a “friend” sold her into a commercial sex ring. One night she went to a party house with … Continue reading

Mississippi Finally Bans Slavery

America made slavery illegal in 1865, right?  Hum, some of the states may want to check their paperwork just to make sure. The state of Mississippi found itself finally formally ratifying the 13th Amendment – that one that abolished slavery – on February 7, 2013. Now as you can imagine, being a southern state, Mississippi officials were probably less than excited about ratifying this amendment back in the late 1800s.  So not eager to let this long standing tradition go, Mississippi officials didn’t even get around to voting on the ratification until 1995.  1995?  Yes, it was 130 years after … Continue reading

College Students Try to End Slavery

College football is on a lot of minds tonight.  I myself am sitting here watching the BCS Championship out of the corner of my eye (my other eye is crying for the plight of the Fighting Irish) while writing this blog. But, some college students have something other than the national championship football game on their minds. Last Friday, the Passion 2014 conference wrapped up at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.  Attending were about 60,000 young Christians from 56 different countries and 2,300 universities.  The four day conference consisted of community group learning sessions. What was on their mind?  Primarily, … Continue reading

Anti-Slavery: Today’s Fight for Tomorrow’s Freedom

As I said once before in a blog, when many Americans hear the word “slavery,” they think of African Americans being freed after the Civil War. But unfortunately, slavery is still very much a part of the world today. While researching the SlaveryFootprint.org website, I ran across the Anti-Slavery website. Anti-Slavery points out that although slavery was prohibited by the UN in 1848’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, slavery still exists today. Modern slavery includes many different things – prostitution, bonded labor, trafficking, slavery by descent, child labor, forced labor, and forced marriage. The site estimates that as many as … Continue reading