January 30, 2014

Dear Sir,

There are 27 million people around the world in some form of slavery, of that number we are informed 15 million are women and children who have been abducted into the vile business of sexual slavery. This has been highlighted on Christian radio and other secular media. Here in Bermuda hardly a day goes by where you do not hear about chattel slavery of Africans and the Middle Passage and how this still impacts on black people 180 years after its abolition in Britain and the USA dragging its feet 30 years later in removing this blight on humanity by skin colour. There continues to be millions who earn two dollars a day in sweat shops by evil people who exploit their misery for gain in heartless oppression for profit by employers who have no conscience whatever. In Sudan freedom from the misery and brutality of slavery can be purchased for as little $45 each! Imagine such a thing and what we could do to help to free as many of these wretched people by getting involved. It has been the narrative here in Bermuda that black people are not that far removed from slavery even now.

One would have thought our sensitivities on this subject would be white hot, pardon the pun, yet it doesn’t seem to gain any interest to the usual call in crowd to talk shows who can’t seem to get enough of reminding us of the horrors slavery before 1834. It is not my desire to cheapen 400 years of slavery or the Holocaust of Nazi Germany of the Jews or any other egregious example of man’s inhumanity to man but to simply ask why do not seem be outraged and moved to do what we can to fight this scourge on humanity today. It appears our perception of slavery today is paying workers $10 an hour and people being paid straight time after working 40 hours. Please do not misunderstand my point as endorsing gross exploitation of any worker in this country, but the example I’ve just pointed out does not reflect the 27 million people around the world in slavery and human trafficking of people for criminally low wages such as two dollars a day and women and children deprived of their liberty for the vile and lewd desire of depraved people with sexual desires that cause revulsion and disgust by decent people everywhere!

Bermuda needs to get involved to do what we can to strike a the heart of these shameful practices taking place in the world right now. If we all do a little, we’ve all done a lot.

WAYNE B SCOTT