I wish 60 million trafficked Indian people got the Western attention one Indian elephant has [View all]

[Recursion]

(Background: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5485525 )

Let me first say, yes, I am perfectly aware that people are capable of being angry about two things at once; there's nothing wrong with giving money or attention to Raju; I certainly hope SOS wins the case and Raju doesn't have to go back to Mr. Shahid.

Still.

I can't give money to kids begging on the street because the NGO's estimate that about three quarters of them are trafficked and the money goes straight to their traffickers. It's OK to give them bottles of water or packs of cookies, but you have to make sure they drink it or eat them in front of you so you'll know they don't get stolen from them. There's an even worse scene when it's a woman and child: if the child is screaming, it's probably legit, but if the child is zonked out... traffickers give a small child to a woman along with a small dose of heroin or alcohol to keep the kid docile, and have them go beg. Sex trafficking gets a lot of attention, but it's actually the smallest sector of human trafficking: the vast majority is for simple labor (including begging).

Anyways. I hope Shahid loses his court case and Raju can stay at the preserve. But I wish human trafficking got as much media attention...