Iraqis Resort To Selling Children

Iraqis Resort To Selling Children

I am waiting for Windows XP SP2 to complete installing, and, as I am wont to doing in these episodes of spare time, I examine international news sources. This article in the English Al Jazeera edition caught my eye.

I encourage all of my geography students to go outside the US by examining international news sources. Some of my geography students have no choice, as it is part of their semester assignment. Most do not like to do this, and they protest. Usually, by mid-term, attitudes have changed, as the exposure awakens their minds to issues away from their homes. We cannot trust our media sources to provide us with unbiased news to keep Americans aware and apprised of conditions across the globe. Occasionally, Newsweek (Fareed Zakaria), the Washington Post, the New York Times, or the Wall Street Journal, will help out. The reality is that for us as US citizens to understand life outside our country we have to pro-active in that education.

Like this article. Huckabee wins! Yeah! Obama wins! Yeah! Meanwhile, families are driven to desperation to abide in a war-torn country. Families selling their children in hopes that their lives will be better, i.e. safer, healthier, etc., than their life might have been in Iraq. Some families are missing children, kidnapped and driven across borders, and sold, for who knows what purpose. If this information makes it to the US media, I would be surprised.

Oh, yeah, well, who can trust Al Jeezera, any way? After all, aren't they UBL mouthpiece?

Despite Al Jeezera's connection as UBL media outlet, they do carry legitimate stories and have the unique ability to penetrate into Islamic concerns. I do not think they would contrive this story. Otherwise, they would have no credibility in any region.

Lest you think these episodes do not happen, please visit your library and check out the April 2002 edition of Scientific American. I will be writing about this later - 21st century slavery.