Shedding Light on the Darkness

This month marks National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month—a time dedicated to shedding light on the lives of nearly thirty million men, women, and children worldwide whose survival is determined by acts of forced labor or sexual exploitation.

Human trafficking knows no boundaries, existing in the far reaches of Southeast Asia to the streets of California. The plight of its victims often remains in the shadows of neighborhoods of both affluence and poverty.

In his speech at the Clinton Global Initiative last fall, President Obama declared that the U.S. would lead the fight against human trafficking, while challenging all Americans to do more against this “debasement of our humanity.”

As Americans, we have the responsibility of commemorating this month by learning more about human trafficking. More importantly, our history compels us, at times, to gauge the depth of our commitment to democracy and freedom by liberating those who endure the yoke of forced labor and sexual bondage.

And though it may seem daunting, we can all do something to end this oppression.

Here are some suggestions.

First, find out how many slaves work for you by visiting the website, slaveryfootprint.org. You’ll be asked eleven questions primarily based on your lifestyle and consumer habits. At the end of the survey, a number will appear based on your responses (I discovered forty-five slaves work for me). The site will then suggest ways to minimize your impact on modern-day slavery.

Next, visit Not for Sale (notforsalecampaign.org). Started by David Batstone, the author of Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade—and How We Can Fight It (2010) and a modern-day abolitionist, this organization offers plenty of resources, including an academy to train modern-day abolitionists and an interactive map (slaverymap.org) that allows you “to learn how to map documented cases of human trafficking in your community and around the globe.”

Or visit the Polaris Project (polarisproject.org). Taking its name from “the North Star ‘Polaris’ that guided slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad” this organization provides a voice for the voiceless, encouraging lawmakers to enact tougher anti-trafficking legislation, while also providing a multilingual, 24/7 resource hotline.

Finally, as the new session of Congress begins, write your representatives and prod them to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims and Protection Act (TVPA)—the federal law that serves as the metric for Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report, the U.S. State Department’s annual, comprehensive study that ranks countries, including the U.S., based on their compliance to the TVPA’s minimum standards.

As this day ends and light turns to darkness, let’s help liberate those who are shackled and chained, and whose nightmarish existence dreams of a peaceful sleep. 

Seasons of Egyptian Democracy

Despite their historic election, Egyptians now find themselves in the midst of an Arab Autumn where the leaves of democratic aspirations have seemed to fade from bright green to moribund hues of brown, orange, and recently blood red.

What Egyptians have discovered is that sowing the seeds of democracy is easy. Cultivating a democratic society and taking advantage of the bountiful harvest of freedom is quite a different story.

Efforts by the ruling military council to stymie the democratic process, as well as its desire to insulate itself against civilian institutions illustrate the challenges and obstacles yet to overcome.

I hope that Egyptians endure, for the Arab Winter, should it arrive, may produce frostbite so severe that the hands of freedom will lose their ability to propagate the fundamental, democratic principles of equality, justice, and opportunity. 

Published Editorials

Last January, at the urging of my wife, I wrote an editorial piece for our local newspaper. The die was cast and I was hooked, writing several more editorials, ranging from gay rights to terrorism. Each of these editorials was published, including one by the New York Times.

The support and feedback I have received has been phenomenal. One reader recently thanked me in an e-mail by stating, "your efforts to enlighten your community about the problems of harassment and sexuality in local schools...certainly have influenced local youth and brightened their path...I only wish you were there when I was growing up."

Below, I have included the title and link to each of my published editorials. Please read those that interest you. Comments, questions, etc. are appreciated.




An encore in bigotry, published on 3/18/11 by The Weekend Pinnacle

Cries for Justice, published on 4/8/11 by The Weekend Pinnacle

Love thy Muslim Neighbor, published on 4/29/11 by the The Weekend Pinnacle

A reprieve for homosexuality, published on 7/1/11 by The Weekend Pinnacle

Role of gays and lesbians should be taught, published on 7/22/11 by The Weekend Pinnacle

Bullying of Gay Students, and Suicides, published on 9/22/11 by The New York Times

A New Libya and the Fate of a Terrorist

Lest our country forget, 189 Americans died when their plane exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988. Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi of Libya was the only person found guilty of this act of terror, though he undoubtedly received assistance from the government of the now deposed General Moammar Gadhafi. 

A Scottish court sentenced al-Megrahi in 2001 to a life prison term. Unfortunately, he was released from a Scottish prison in 2009 on “compassionate grounds,” claiming that he had only months to live in his battle with terminal cancer. Upon returning to Libya, he was hailed as a hero.  

Adding insult to injury, al-Meghari has lived in a palatial residence since his release. High walls and security cameras fortify the home’s exterior, while its interior includes countless rooms and marble tile, ostensibly paid for by the coffers of Gadhafi’s regime (CNN's Robertson on finding Lockerbie bomber, August 28, 2011).

As life returns to the streets of Tripoli and the country's new leaders seek legitimacy, al-Meghari lies comatose, frail, and wizened.

Surrounded by family and loved ones, Al-Meghari spends his last hours in opulence, a scene that stands in stark contrast to the charnel house he was guilty of perpetrating.

I wish the best for the people of Libya in their journey towards democracy, while I expect its future leaders to honor their pledge of prosecuting agents of terrorism, including those who conspired to attack Pan-Am Flight 103. 

Let’s hope that in death al-Meghari finally receives the justice and hell he rightfully deserves.