Mon, Mar 26 2007

Slaves and other secrets

If the figures mentioned in the ABC News story on human trafficking are accurate, we have a lot to be concerned about. Since it takes so long to find some of these victims, I would guess that the numbers of them are probably even higher than have been reported. Can you imagine seeing your newspaper delivered by someone who looked bruised and battered? Nelson Williams is a real hero for having alerted police to Emily Nicely's injuries.

The family members the young woman was staying with has been brought in for investigation and charges, but only time will tell whether they are convicted of wrongdoing. I wondered if neighbors had't noticed anything odd about the family. Let's face it. We've all had those times when we heard strange noises or shouting coming from residences near us. It can be tough to know when it's just a bit of tension release and when it's something a whole lot more sinister.

Homes that are too quiet can be troublesome too. I once lived in an apartment complex where a young mother was leaving to go to work alone every day, when we all knew she had a young son living with her. Our apartment manager asked the local police to do a welfare check on the boy and it took a very, very long time for the officer to talk the little boy into opening the door. If the officer had made only a casual check he would never have found out that the little guy had been alone all day and had probably been alone every day, all summer long. I wonder how many of us sometimes see things that don't look quite right and then look the other way for fear of being a snoop. But there's a big difference between being a habitual busybody and being moved to intervene in order to protect a human life. Get to know your neighbors—at least enough to help prevent a tragedy.

posted at: 08:40 | category: /Miscellaneous | link to this entry