CORBIN —
It is hard to imagine a child who has never had a toy, never had a birthday party, never has seen the inside of a school or church, never had candy, never had a home, never had parents and never experienced love. It is hard to imagine a child that has had such impoverished parents that he/she was given away at infancy; a child whose new “owners” give the child minimal provisions to grow up so that by four years of age he/she would be put to work weaving carpet, picking/sorting/cleaning vegetables, or any of a list of menial tasks that often come with a 10-hour daily quota – a quota that must be met to avoid physical punishment or deprivation of food; children if found sick or unable to work are immediately dismissed into the surrounding ghetto or jungle to die from sickness or starvation. Invariably some of the fine tapestry carpet we walk on, some of the fruit we eat, and shirts we wear come from the hands of enslaved children.
U.N. research estimates well over 400 million children are so enslaved in the world today! Such enslavements flourishes in countries where there are no child labor laws such as China, Afghanistan, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and the Congo. Although these outrageous crimes are ongoing and publically noted, as well as condemned by U.N. and the world, they persist due to the incredible wealth of these child slave owners, sharing that wealth with government officials.
Do we live in a corrupt and sinful world or do we live in a corrupt and sinful world!
Money is the root of this outrageous evil. …“they never stop sinning; they are experts in greed – an accursed brood!” [2Peter 2:14]. Observing the opulent living of these child-slave owners gives the perspective of how grievous is their crime.
Money is alluring for all of us. Its enticement for pleasure and possessions are professionally polished and pushed at us through every media. The choice to go for all we can get seems to prevail over many. Seeing the brevity of owning anything on earth due to the brevity of life on earth is blurred by cleverly deceptive advertisements.
It behooves us to keep our senses and our bearings by a daily reminder (a prayer) of who we are and why we are here. In my many years of ministry and counseling, I’ve never seen people more afraid of death and with efforts to avoid it, than those who have dedicated their years to acquiring what they are forced to lose.
I cannot imagine anyone’s fear of death and frantic efforts to avoid it than those who have enslaved children for their worldly wealth. “These men lie in wait for their own blood; they waylay only themselves! Such is the end for all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the lives of those who get it.” [Proverbs 1:18,19] Super rich super fast is gone even faster –in the moment of last breath.
Since the age of four, a little boy, Iqbal Masih had worked as a slave in Pakistan’s textile industry. Iqbal escaped at age ten and did all he could to proclaim the atrocity of such enslavement. Iqbal was murdered on April 16, 1995 at age twelve by Pakistan’s textile mafia. May you and I never allow his voice to be silenced
Editorials
Related Photos
-
John Burkhart
Discussion
Get super rich super fast - enslave children
- Editorials
-
-
Weather can turn deadly in an instant
Tuesday’s storm that swept through the region reminded me just how deadly the weather can turn.
-
Will Main Street ever trust Washington again?
The scandal at the Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department spying on the Associated Press came at the same time that I have been reading Moises Naim’s excellent book The End of Power.
-
Mistreatment doesn’t warrant story
The man strode into the office with a purpose. He had been wronged, and he wanted the newspaper to do something about it. But regrettably, I had to inform him that we couldn’t help him.
-
Controversies expose policies we should evaluate
Scandals like those roiling Washington often look more or less nefarious as time and facts unfold. After all, what at first looked like a third-rate burglary turned into Watergate.
-
The world could use a little more ‘Tebow Time’
I try to leave the sports writing and opinions to my friends, Les and Chris, here at the Times-Tribune, but as a big sports fan, the occasional story will grab my attention.
-
Compliance cars and souls
Within 12 years, it is projected; about 16 percent of cars on America’s roads will be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV).
-
KY Mountain Laurel Festival - Reflecting Pool
Kentucky is a most unique Commonwealth for many reasons.
-
Coal problem worth tackling in Washington and Frankfort
Despite hysterical cries from radical environmentalists, neither Sen. Rand Paul’s Defense of Environment and Property Act nor Sen. Mitch McConnell’s Coal Jobs Protection Act would allow activities that bring harm to Kentucky’s wildlife or waterways for the sake of propping up the coal industry.
-
Dress appropriately for the situation
I stopped in a fast-food restaurant this week for a giant sweet tea, and while I waited in line I saw a girl in her early 20s filling out a job application.
-
Life lessons from a lawyer’s lawyer
One of the great moments of my life was sitting next to legendary Louisville attorney Frank Haddad at a luncheon when he found that he had received the first Peter Perlman Outstanding Trial Lawyer award from the Kentucky Academy of Trial Lawyers.
- More Editorials Headlines
-
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness
"Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season
SeaWorld: Penguins Are Coolest Thing in Florida
Obama Renews Call to Close Gitmo
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
