20 million people according to the Anti Slavery International organization who are categorized under “modern slavery“. Whether is in Africa, Sudan, or laborers in India and Pakistan; it is a fact that we have to admit it still exists: SLAVERY.
According to Dictionary.com,one of the definitions of “slavery” is:
The condition of being subject or addicted to a specified influence
And when you think of it, i believe that slavery in its traditional form is not a threat or something to be alerted about; in fact, slavery can be excercised in different forms such as:
- Addictions: Whether it is drugs, alcohol or shopping or any means of addiction, you are by that enslaving yourself.
- Human trafficking and prostitution: what is the difference between the traditional method and this? Tell me? Isn’t it the same but “packged” differentlY?
- Enslaved to work, debt, family etc.: The worst is being forced to do work just to coverup debts, or liabilities you’ve got, or to just “live”. You work unwillingly. You perform your duties for the sake of the job. That is slavery. Or being enslaved by a family that harasses you, or abuse you, or forces you to do something just because they have the title of being “the family”.
- Political salves: The talk would take us to democracy and the beauracry and what countries impose on their citizens of harsh rules through neglecting their rights: the right of freedom in its many forms.
- Land Slavery: What better example do we have other than Palestine vs Israel
- Enslaved mentally and intellectually: Which i think is a major threat. What makes a society except the great minds it has. What happens when those minds are bieng brain washed and polluted with ideas that are against human morals and ethics. Especially with youths, being enslaved mentally is quite alaraming.
The reason i wrote this entry is a letter i read in one of the blogs and made me wonder: Is the slavery era gone? or are we experiencing slavery in other forms? You start wondering, are we not our own slaves?
Below is the letter as quoted from the blog,
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“Here’s an incredibly interesting letter from 1857, written by a lady called Vilet Lester and sent to someone by the name of Patsey Patterson. Vilet Lester was a slave and prior to this letter being written had at some point been owned by the Patterson family before moving on. In the letter she states that she’s been sold several times before arriving at her current location. More info can be found here. ”
Georgia Bullock Co August 29th 1857
My Loving Miss Patsy
I hav long bin wishing to imbrace this presant and pleasant opertunity of unfolding my Seans and fealings Since I was constrained to leav my Long Loved home and friends which I cannot never gave my Self the Least promis of returning to. I am well and this is Injoying good hlth and has ever Since I Left Randolph. whend I left Randolf I went to Rockingham and Stad there five weaks and then I left there and went to Richmon virgina to be Sold and I Stade there three days and was bought by a man by the name of Groover and braught to Georgia and he kept me about Nine months and he being a trader Sold me to a man by the name of Rimes and he Sold me to a man by the name of Lester and he has owned me four years and Says that he will keep me til death Siperates us without Some of my old north Caroliner friends wants to buy me again. my Dear Mistress I cannot tell my fealings nor how bad I wish to See youand old Boss and Mss Rahol and Mother. I do not now which I want to See the worst Miss Rahol or mother I have thaugh that I wanted to See mother but never befour did I no what it was to want to See a parent and could not. I wish you to gave my love to old Boss Miss Rahol and bailum and gave my manafold love to mother brothers and sister and pleas to tell them to Right to me So I may here… (Page 2 cont.) …from them if I cannot See them and also I wish you to right to me and Right me all the nuse. I do want to now whether old Boss is Still Living or now and all the rest of them and I want to now whether balium is maried or no. I wish to now what has Ever become of my Presus little girl. I left her in goldsborough with Mr. Walker and I have not herd from her Since and Walker Said that he was going to Carry her to Rockingham and gave her to his Sister and I want to no whether he did or no as I do wish to See her very mutch and Boss Says he wishes to now whether he will Sell her or now and the least that can buy her and that he wishes a answer as Soon as he can get one as I wis himto buy her an my Boss being a man of Reason and fealing wishes to grant my trubled breast that mutch gratification and wishes to now whether he will Sell her now. So I must come to a close by Escribing my Self you long loved and well wishing play mate as a Servant until death
Vilet Lester
of Georgia
to Miss Patsey Padison
of North CarolinerMy Bosses Name is James B Lester and if you Should think a nuff of me to right me which I do beg the faver of you as a Sevant direct your letter to Millray Bullock County Georgia. Pleas to right me So fare you well in love.
link
A Last Dot:
“I didn’t know i was a slave until i found out i couldn’t do the things i wanted.” Frederick Douglass
“لقد حررني الله فليس لأحد أن يأسرني” أحلام مستغانمي نسيان
Well put, the worse form of slavery is the one we inflict upon ourselves knowingly and never attempt to get out of it, but blame evryone and everything including the universe for our misfortunes.
http://www.albayan.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=Article&cid=1194613558867&pagename=Albayan%2FArticle%2FFullDetail
مقال أعجبني .. للأستاذ ياسر حارب ..
هنا الحروف واقفة .. لربما مشاعر التغيير والرغبة في التغيير موسمية . خاصة إن كنت في الحقيقة تعيش تحت وهم حرية .. حرياتنا معمية .. لأسباب بعيدة جداً عن تركيبتنا الجينية .. أو هذا ما أتمناه ..
عزيزتي .. أتى هذا الطرح في حيز وقت مؤلم .. حيز حرية تتنفس .. نحتاجها .. لربما ..
مودتي
Made my skin crawl to read letters that old! It’s as if I am invading someone’s privacy! A bit like browsing through a friend’s inbox today after they forgot to log off!
I see your points made in the post, but I disagree with the definition of slavery. For example in Islam we’re all slaves to Allah, which is a good thing. As opposed to Christianity where they believe humans are sons of God.
“I didn’t know i was a slave until i found out i couldn’t do the things i wanted.” Frederick Douglass
I always said this exact same line, I never knew anyone else said it.