Human Trafficking Thoughts

Every once in awhile an issue rises above political wrangling, personal ideology, and theoretical constructs because we can agree; this is just wrong. On Thursday this week I had such an experience at the University of St. Thomas Law Journal’s symposium on human trafficking. I also had the experience of being shamed, and that’s not a bad thing.

The symposium gave attendees a lot to think about, particularly from the remarks of Norma Ramos one of the cofounders of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women. In discussing her rejection of the term “sex-worker” she asked the simple question when did sex become work, and do we have to live with the commoditization of everything? Is human sexuality something to be traded on and with? In her talk and as part of a panel later in the day Ramos draws clear lines between a “porn” culture, prostitution, human trafficking and abuses that I cannot even bring myself to write about.

This issue of ending the sex-trade in all of it forms really does rise above political points of view and gets at something we may have already lost, the dignity of each human being as a person. Norma Ramos is a card carrying liberal of great pride and accomplishment, but what I heard her talking about are the very things that the right should be caring about and talking more about. This is not an issue of first amendment, this is an issue where we look at the degradation of the individuals involved in the sex trade, and the devastation to the communities in which we live and we have to ask ourselves simply, “Is this something that any reasonable society should live with?” Again, Ramos makes a powerful point here. She took the examples of theft and murder, and pointed out that no society has ever said that theft and murder and going to happen so we should just figure out how to regulate these things.

It is a Christian point of view that looks at a society and cares for the most vulnerable, and here is a place where we are clearly failing miserably. Beyond just the Christian, for a long time people have been told that to speak up against pornography in any form is to be a prude, to reject a reasoned approach to life, and to infringe on the rights of others. Yesterday, Norma Ramos gave me permission to get over that.

I have two daughters, and when she gave the example of a parent holding a young child and the dreams that go through a parents head of what that child will become: doctor, lawyer, missionary, on that list no parent ever thinks “prostituted person”. So today I’m coming before my God and asking myself, why I would ever support or watch something that I would make me angry, sad, or disappointed in what I had accomplished as a parent if I see my child in it?

There is room for broad agreement on this issue. We have sold enough of our dignity. The solution for me personally is not in legislative action outlawing obscene material, it is the simple act of looking at movies, television shows, advertisements and the flood of media in my eyes and saying, that is someone’s child and a child of God.

Shameless self promotion

In a bit of shameless self promotion I am posting the first chapter of the most recent book I've written here as a pdf. I have a couple of goals. One is that, I'm having a tough time doing the rewrite. I tend to be more interested in the next book, than in doing the hard work of rewriting the book that is in process. So, I'm partly interested in knowing if the first chapter is interesting enough that anyone would like to read the next chapter. At any rate, my goal is to have the rewrite done by Christmas. My goal was to finish the first draft by August, and I made that, so maybe part of middle age is getting more done.

On a more exciting front, Cole is starting for the Royals J.V. team today as they take on our arch rivals the Tigers. I'll take Cole's cool new camera and hopefully have some good pics.

A note for all expatriated Montanas. If you want to really miss Montana check out the Montana Standard online. There are probably better papers in Montana, but as far as the flavor of the state goes it's hard to beat that one. I've put a link in the left hand navigation to their blog page and I recommend Pat Ryan in the sports department. I try to avoid Foley when possible, but sometimes I miss Montana enough I'll even read his stuff.

Time to restart

It's time to restart the blogging, but I think I'm going to go quiet at first. I'm thinking about going ahead and posting some of the chapters of the book that I have just finished writing, abut I'm not sure about that either. What I do know is that there are a lot of things that I'm pondering, and getting them out in a written form seems to help.

For the first post in over a year, I hate to say that I'm going to have to cover middle age and the increasing revelation that I have entered into with both feet. The bottom line is that I really don't mind. Here are my top 10 signs that I have entered middle age:

1. I'm often a passenger in my car because my 15 year wants to drive
2. I'm living with three women (wife and two daughters) who all criticize my fashion choices
3. I look forward to the commute home and National Public Radio
4. Lawn care is high on my priority list and it irritates me when the grass is too long
5. I'm pretty sure I'm not the smartest person in the room anymore
6. God is less vengeful
7. I've lost all but one grandparent
8. I avoid arm wrestling my son because I'm afraid I might lose
9. I have no illusions that if I quit shaving my head it would grow back
10. I have friends who are Elks, Shriners, Rotarians, and part of other "old guy" groups

If anybody has any thougths on that book idea let me know.