“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.” — Abraham Lincoln
Slavery has had a long and brutal history. It began in ancient times, when victorious conquerors and mighty kings would subjugate the nations and tribes around them.
It, like many institutions, evolved with time.
Men were carried off, against their will, to foreign lands to serve indefinitely. It became racially infused, with certain races seen as inferior and therefore deserving to be enslaved. Many atrocities were committed, many families were divided, many died due to overwork.
Slavery is abominable.
Now, you might ask why I talk about slavery today. Most would think, "Isn't it a dead institution? There aren't any slaves today, right?"
Wrong. Slavery is still alive and well.
There are 29 million people who live their lives in slavery. We, as people desiring freedom for all men, must stand against this evil.
Slavery violates every right that a man has. Free speech is silenced, men are killed, women are violated, and children are expendable. Slavery dehumanizes people by treating them like cattle. Men are not property, they are people, entitled their own rights. No man's rights are inferior to another's, and no man has a right to own another man.
Most modern day slaves live their entire lives under a system of oppression. Traditionally, slaves are rarely freed. In the modern age, I doubt any are ever freed at all.
We must work to find a way to fight this evil. If we do not, it will lead to countless lives being forced into oppression.