The Casey Anthony verdict...

I didn't follow the Casey Anthony trial. I knew the basic premise - a 2 year old little girl died, and her mother was involved in some sort of "foul play" after the fact. Was her mother guilty or not guilty of actually killing the child? I don't know (again, the sentence above is all I know about the whole situation) - but I DO know the verdict.

NOT GUILTY.

I know this verdict because about 98% of my facebook friends posted a status about it - ENRAGED at the injustice of it all. It completely took over my mini-feed - every other post was about this issue.  Men and women - from all different walks of life - quickly let the world know how UNFAIR it was. They spoke up on behalf of this precious little girl - Caylee - whose life was taken from her too soon. They screamed for JUSTICE.

And all I could think was.... why don't I hear these people speak up for the millions of little girls like Caylee around the world who suffer injustice EVERY DAY?!

Don't misunderstand me - all of you who got upset about the outcome of this trial aren't wrong. Your hearts are in the right place. You are experiencing righteous anger on behalf of an innocent child. You are fighting for something wonderful! My question is - if you're passionate about all those things, why not do something now for children in need of PROTECTION and JUSTICE in Africa? India? Thailand? Burma? Children that you can actually HELP?

The world loses a child EVERY 4 SECONDS. That's 22,000 children dying every day, mostly from preventable causes. That means that because of a lack of simple things like clean drinking water or cheap vaccines, in third world countries there are children dying left and right. EVERY DAY. Is that JUSTICE?

In Thailand, prostitution is a multi-billion dollar industry. Thailand's Health Systems Research Institute estimates that over 40% of the prostitutes in Thailand are CHILDREN. That means EVERY DAY thousands of children are sold into sex-slavery and raped for profit. Is that JUSTICE?

In Africa, little girls can be raped and abused by men who have AIDS, and infected by this horrible disease against their will... and NO ONE FIGHTS FOR THEM. Is that JUSTICE?

In India, many little girls are devalued, and left on the street to fend for themselves. They are unwanted and uncared for - forced to live as beggars or prostitutes. Very few of them have an opportunity for an education, and some are married off as child brides to men 6 times their age. Is that JUSTICE?

In Burma, little girls are forced to fight as child soldiers, or they are sold to drug-traffickers or sex-traffickers. Often they are victims of systematic rape by the military, and can be forced to work as minesweepers or human shields in warfare. Is that JUSTICE?

I am dreaming of a day, someday, when my facebook mini-feed will be taken over by men and women, from all different walks of life - crying out on behalf of the orphan. I am dreaming of a day when people are ENRAGED by the plight of children in need - children who are vulnerable to rape, slavery, disease, and war. I am dreaming of a day when all around me all I see is people demanding JUSTICE for these precious kids. Because, just like little Caylee, they deserve better.

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If this makes you want to DO SOMETHING, then consider giving here to protect children in Thailand, India, Africa and Burma.