Compensated Emancipation?

Fun (A.K.A. "really boring" but you should read it anyway...) Fact of the Day: 

Tomorrow, April 16^th, is the day marked to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act.  This Act freed 3,100 SLAVES in and around Washington D.C. in 1862, nine months before he issued the ever-popular Emancipation Proclamation.

(I would just like to point out that 3,100 is a ridiculously high number of slaves for a city 75,080... mathematically, that is approximately 1 in 25 people enslaved.)

This act is unique in the way that it proposed freeing the slaves in the District of Columbia.  The government forced owners to free their slaves, but gave them approximately $300 for each.  Hence, the idea of “compensated emancipation.”  

While the purpose of this act was to ensure that slavery in the region phased out, I’m not sure how I feel about the government paying for the release of these people.  I understand that outlawing slavery outright could have very poor effects, perhaps even leading to a rebellion (haha, Civil War).  However, I find that if you want to stop people from enslaving others, continuing to treat them as commodities is not the way to do it. 

But I’m sure good ‘ole Lincoln had a much better idea of how to handle the situation than I could possibly have.

On to other matters…

Today commences the One Dress One Month project.  There are quite a few of us participating, and we are ever-so excited. 

Not to worry, there will certainly be pictures of the beautiful ladies posted a little later.  There are some very lovely images of the group in our dresses, but I don’t have access to them at this moment.  

            (Margo, the possessor of the camera, is studying for a big test.  I don’t want to bug her into sending me pictures when she has WAY more important things on her mind.)

Finally,

           

            I could give you facts about the slave trade that would make you want to cry, that would make you want to tear out your hair and really question human nature.  But I won’t do that, not tonight.  First, I’m tired and my bed looks really comfy.  Second, I’d rather you discover things on your own. 

Being spoon-fed facts about the enslavement of others isn’t going to make you want to help the victims; it’s just going to shock you.  I want you to have the same passion for helping as the women in this organization do.  I don’t care if you want to protect the ocean, save orphans, or feed the hungry.  But whatever it is, I want you to DO something.  Don’t just sit there and wait for somebody else to step up… because it won’t get done, I promise.

            That's all for now... Thanks for reading my babbling and for taking the time to consider the issue that is human slavery.  It’s certainly not a fun topic, nor is the project we’re engaging in particularly “fun.”   But we do it because this is a project we are passionate about.  We value the lives of others, and we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience life and freedom.

--Emily

United Nations Addresses Human Trafficking

Released today, the UN is taking a stand against human trafficking. Read the full article below.
UN senior officials urge countries to boost their efforts to combat human trafficking

This is why we are doing this. We can't depend on the slow moving cogs of politics to solve this atrocity alone.

“Whether an individual, an organization, a State, I urge everyone to speak out against this terrible crime that does unspeakable damage.”

-General Assembly’s President Al-Nasser  

One Dress, One Month

One of our projects this spring is One Dress, One Month. Basically, those who chose to participate will wear the same dress, every day, for one month. We can accessorize it differently, wear the dress creatively (like as a scarf, perhaps), wear pants under it or shirts over it, etc. And, we will be washing them regularly. For men who want to participate, or women who don't want to wear a dress, we came up with the option of wearing the same shirt- preferably purple- for the month.

This was inspired by Amy Seiffert, a Campus Crusade staffer at Bowling Green State University. She has worn her dress for a year now, and has blogged about her experiences. Check out the link!

Last October, four of us participated in the project. The links to two of our blogs can be found on our links page. If you're even slightly considering participating, reading about our experiences might help make up your mind. I know all of us would be happy to talk with you and answer any questions you may have.

We will be doing the project from April 15- May 13. It's a little ways away, but finding a dress can prove to be challenging, especially in Athens. Since many OU students are home for Spring Break, this would be the perfect time to begin looking for a dress. We have a facebook event with more information, as well as suggestions about finding a dress, etc. Also, fan us on facebook to keep up with all our events and projects, and how you can help!

The four of us and our dresses from October

 

Welcome

Welcome to Naming the Tears OU. We are a student organization committed to fighting modern-day slavery.

In order to confront the issue of HUMAN SLAVERY in Ohio, the United States, and internationally, we the students at Ohio University intend to sacrifice ourselves and our resources in order to speak up for the poor and the helpless. We will accomplish this by reaching to obtain justice for those who cannot speak for themselves and by bringing awareness of the issue to the people around us.

As we work to get this group off the ground, please pray for the founders. As we attempt to get the word out about the group, recruit people to join us, and teach others about the issue of human slavery, please pray for those whose ears hear our message. Most of all, pray for those who are enslaved, who face torture and pain everyday, for those who feels that no one cares. 

Our name, Naming the Tears, comes from a wonderful poem by Andrea Gibson. which is below. Although the poem deals with sexual exploitation, we are confronting all types of slavery. We want to help those who are suffering know that people do care, and are fighting for them. We want them to know that their tears do not go unseen, their cries unheard.  

I hope you will join us in our journey.