This weekend most of us will celebrate America’s Independence. We will sunbathe by large swimming pools, eat a light feast of hotdogs, hamburgers and baked beans. We will watch fireworks and reflect on our core values that all men are created equal and are thus entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Some of us will thank God we are free, and most of us will take the concept of freedom for granted. In the United States, we are born free. We cannot fathom a life that is not free.
But not all are free.
It is estimated that more than 270 million people are living in slavery right now. The slave trade is a $9 billion per year industry, and many who are sold into slavery are children.
I’m not asking that you feel guilty about going to the pool or eating a hamburger. But I am asking that you would give pause sometime during this holiday weekend to consider the plight of those who are not free. The video below features a split screen of a day in the life of two children, one who is free and one who is forced to spend his day making expensive shoes by hand.