The Powers of a Leader

Last week in English class we had an in-class essay on whether or not extraordinary people should be bound to the same rules as everyone else or if they should be allowed more leeway. I answered that all people should be bound by the same rules that define society or else risk plunging society into chaos because once the line between right and wrong is allowed to be broken it loosed standard and becomes fuzzy. However, now I am thinking about it on terms of leaders. Leaders certainly qualify as extraordinary people. So the question becomes; is it justifiable for leaders to break the rules of society for the "greater good"?

If thousands could be saved is it okay for one to be sacrificed? When thinking about social justice, do we apply that to an overarching "greater good" or is social justice more about defending the rights of every human? Should we consider more individuals or society and humanity as a whole? The use of water-boarding for the "greater good" was largely responded to with outrage from civilians. However, if the torture of one could save a million others, is it not worth it to torture the one and save the million? These questions I pose lead to the idea that the ends justify the means.

My response to my questions would be that no matter the benefit of an evil act, wrong is still wrong. The easy solution is not always the best solution. The boundaries of society set by law must be held firm. In fighting for social justice, I would say our end goal is striving for the betterment of humanity as a whole but that end must be achieved in a just way. Justice is not without justice without justice. So in conclusion, regardless of a motive of striving for the greater good, leaders must follow the rules of society or justice will not be justice.

slavery continued (again)

I'm really passionate about the slaves in the world today. I know that there have already been many posts on it, but I wanted to add some more. Here's one fact I found: The average price of a slave in 1809 was $40,000 but today is is only $90. Here is a story I found about one girl in Cambodia:
"Kunthy was trafficked in to prostitution in Cambodia at age 13. She was held captive in a dilapidated structure the locals called the “Anarchy Building,” where she was raped nightly and routinely beaten, drugged and threatened by the brothel keeper and pimp.
Kunthy was discovered through an IJM undercover investigation. After documenting proof of her imprisonment, IJM staff worked with local authorities to ensure her rescue, and pursued the prosecution of the brothel owner and pimp, who were sentenced to 15 and 10 years in prison respectively.
Today, Kunthy lives in an aftercare home, where she is healing from her abuse in a secure and loving environment. Her dream is to own an Internet café and design Web sites for businesses. Right now, she works at a part-time job with a local NGO, attends a computer training school and is thriving in the freedom and security of her transitional home."
It is so sad that girls as old as us have to deal with things like this.

some thoughts about sex slavery

as i read ian and molly's posts, i remember some stories a friend once told me. mihoko was my graduate school classmate. she had great passion for Cambodian women in villages. when she served in a NGO for about a year or so living in a remote Cambodian village, she discovered that many people would sell their daughters to others (these people would go to villages and promise restaurant jobs in big cities such as bangkok, when in fact they would force them into prostitution once these girls get there) because they were poor. but my friend also discovered that they were poor because they did not have enough water to irrigate their rice farm. so, her NGO decided that the best way to combat prostitution was to dig wells. if they could discover rich water source, farmers would be able to water their land and harvest better crops and improve their economic condition. and as a result, they may not have incentive to sell their daughters to any job offers. in combination of education (teaching the families about the deception of these pimps) and well digging, the NGO seemed to be able curb sex trafficking in that area of Cambodia.

Continuation of slavery

I would also like to continue Ian's post on sex slavery. This is something that has also been on my heart. When I visited Liberia this summer I was also appalled by the amount of women and girls that were selling themselves so they could provide for their families. Education in Liberia is not free. Everyone has to pay to attend school. It costs roughly $50 (USD) for one child to attend school for a year. To us it sounds like a tiny cost, but for many of these families it could be up to a third of their yearly income. Then picture the many families who could have up to 7 kids! How can they even afford to send their children to school (let alone feed and clothe them)? Many of the moms get caught in this trap of prostitution because they are, as Ian said, desperate for their kids to get an education. And many of the girls get caught in this trap as well because they so desperately desire an education. It is a serious issue that breaks my heart because these women are so stuck in this trap and they can't see any other option. It makes me so thankful that we can get a good education without having to go to extreme measures to get the money. I just thought I would throw that out there to let you guys think about.

A 2 in 1 Post

This is a semi-continuation of Molly's post. I've always been appalled by the outrageous amount of sex slavery in the world. Sex slavery is a chronic problem, and is so widespread that it cannot be fought against effectively. The problem is huge in South and South East Asia. Parents sell their children, especially girls, to pimps for anything- even lifestock! Imagine selling a 10 year old girl for a goat! These girls are brought into cities for prostitution and are caught in an inescapable, suffering-beyond-description situation. A teenage girl might entertain 40 clients a day...a day! The root of the problem is simple...desperation. These families would obviously rather a different method then selling their daughters. Our focus should be to help bring social justice to the families in rural South Asia. That's where the problem and desperation lie.
Today is World AIDS day. I would like to also briefly touch on a story that caught my attention tonight on the news. Thozama and her teenage brother Thozamele were both orphaned when their mother died of AIDS; they were left in the slums of Johannesburg without water or electricity and responsible for their 4 other brothers and sisters. They walk over 4 miles everyday to go to their school and bring their siblings to their schools. The most amazing feature of this story was the hope that the kids had. They almost have nothing, yet they look towards the future. I think that is something that each of us need to do. We must look to solve our problems with hope rather than do nothing. I'm not sure that I could do that myself.

Here are some quick links Sex Trade: http://www.love146.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=21460
UNAIDS: http://www.unaids.org/en/AboutUNAIDS/default.asp