Message from sspringer

[Anonymous]

Dr. Fischler gave us much to think about. The film she shared will make lasting impressions for most, if not all, of us. I was most shocked to learn that some governments condone the trafficking and use of prostitution as a service. In my sheltered world I thought it ended with the "comfort girls". I also have some issue with the Chinese mail-order/internet bride. I've met too many young Chinese women, married to older Caucasian men here who do not have the jobskills, language skills, or financial resources to make it on their own. And so I wonder, did they just pick the better of both worlds ( live under the thumb of an American husband here versus under the thumb of a Chinese husband in China)? At least in China they may have family around......at any rate. I think some of the phrases Dr. Fischler used are especially inviting for discussion. "Time,money, and dirt are what all wars are fought over" " Cultural patterns linger" And in reference to the trafficked girls-"Green lilke mangos, not really sweet" and "not filled with passion". I feel our news media could do a better, more thorough job of presenting the human trafficking problem. Occasionally there is something on CNN, but not much advertising for it ahead of time, and the local newspapers just make a reference, usually within an article. One of our classmates raised the quesion, who is to blame for the trafficking-is it the government that lets it happen or the people/patrons who supply the demand? And on an international scale...it should receive the publicity and funding to stop it as the drug wars. One more note. We learned that the trafficking in China is internal, but in Japan it goes from country to country. One can't help but wonder if China's trafficking will increase as it "opens up" more to the west. Something to watch for.