I finally finished "Not For Sale" by David Batstone, and it's definitely going on the list of "books that have changed or grown Megans perspective on life." What I took away from the first two chapters is a new view of the world. Countries that used to just be a colored patch on a globe are coming to life. America is definitely my world and culture. Reading "Not For Sale" (as well as talking with Rebecca and Glenn) has given me a concept of what some of these countries are really like. Not just on the human trafficking and slavery level, but on a socioeconomic level as well. It's hard for me to funnel all of my thoughts into words at this point, but I feel like God is beginning to show me a very few snapshots of how He would look at a globe. Not just the horrors, but also the people He has there making a difference. Tragedy mixed with hope, Evil confronted with the boldest compassion. He's not just unfolding the horrors of the world and depravity of man, He's showing me one more aspect of His love. There are so many people with such passion to make a difference.
The later chapters impacted me differently--the chapter on trafficking in the US hit much closer to home. I'm seeing a pattern emerging in some of the social crisis of our day. Invisibility and Ignorance. Either people don't see what goes on, or they just don't know what to do about it, so they look the other way. The people who accept responsibility and find a way to take action are the ones who become heroes. It's the concept behind "Many are called, but few are chosen..."
On an encouraging note: People care. Secrecy is a vital ingredient for the entire human trafficking industry because of the first abolitionist movements, and the mass realization that slavery violates the most basic moral codes. Even though the issues modern day abolitionists face are daunting, they don't have to turn around an entire culture.
The question I was left with after reading the book was this:
Where do I fit?
I can tell you I'm not entirely sure right now, but I know that I fit somewhere, and it all fits into my future in some crazy way I can't even comprehend at this point.
Buy the book cheap here:
http://product.half.ebay.com/Not-for-Sale_W0QQprZ62999215QQtgZinfo To learn more about Not For Sale, and what the heck i'm talking about, go here:
http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/ there is a very impactful short film on this site... warning, its done tastefully, but its about very rough subject matter. :
http://www.tinystars.org What happens in that video is happening to millions of children all over the world. and I'm not exaggerating the number.
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