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 →

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 →

Burma is a country in trouble. The economy isn’t good, the government is new, and it is under sanctions by many countries for human rights violations. To add to all that, many of the countries soldiers are children. Although Burma is a country trying desperately to clean up its act, problems remain. Child Soldiers International, a non-profit United Kingdom organization, is reporting that both military and civilian “brokers” search for children on the streets. When they find ones that can have their papers forged to show they are 18, they make these vulnerable children soldiers. How do you leave the … Continue reading →

I love Facebook. I have liked certain sites and every once in a while, a status gives me insight into things I either don’t know or haven’t thought of. Yesteday, it was a Mental Floss article about “modern” antiques, i.e. things today’s children have never seen. Boy, did I feel old when I saw #1 was a 45-rpm record adapter! However, today’s “Ah” moment on Facebook was not amusing. United to End Genocide posted that Burma has more child soldiers than any other country in the world. As a citizen of country where the majority of people try to protect … Continue reading →