History

I have a lot of friends involved in the Modern Day Abolitionist Movement.  (Yes friends, Slavery is a greater issue today than it ever was in the 1800's in America!)  That's one thought.  Hang on to it for a minute.

Another thought: One of my classes is Russian Culture and History.  One element I've found fascinating is how much Russia's (and the rest of the former Soviet world's) present is shaped by the past (I guess that's true of all of us.)

For example: The emerging Russian Empire was dominated by the Mongol Horde for more than 200 years.  By all accounts it was a particularly ruthless reign of terror that left a lasting impression on Russian Culture.  Not only did the West (Western Europe at least) fail to aid Russia during the invasion, but in the chaos and vacuum of leadership that followed, the West on different occasions wrestled land and control from the Russians.  One invader actually tried to deceive the Russians into thinking he was a long lost heir to the throne and led an invasion at the head of a Polish Army.  His reign lasted less than a year and when he was found out, he was killed and his ashes loaded into a cannon and shot back to Poland!!

To this day Russians are generally distrustful of the West and they learned well the art of despotic rule, ie, they tend towards authoritarian and/or totalitarian rule.

Here's where my two thoughts collide:  There's a great hour-long video floating around produced by PBS's Frontline (http://freedocumentaries.org/teatro.php?filmID=161&lan=undefined&size=undefined),  It's about the Sex Trade in Eastern Europe and along with any number of articles you can find on the internet, you can see that not only is Eastern Europe (Ukraine in particular) a major source country for trafficking victims...but a  primary destination country is Turkey.

Now read this excerpt from one of my text regarding  the occupation of Ukraine/Russia by the Mongols.  More lasting results of the past bearing on the present??

"Each year they would ride forth from their strongholds in the Crimea through the narrow Isthmus of Perekop in roving bands which had no purpose other than to take captives.  In the summer, when the river beds were dry, they would ride in silently, surround villages and descend on them.  The horsemen carried leather thongs to drag away men prisoners.  On the sides of their horses were slung great baskets made like bakers' panniers to carry away children, for their prized booty were young boys and girls whom they sold to the Turks or other neighbors.  Galloping through the towns, they swept up children in their baskets; a sick child was dashed to the ground or against a tree."


"As late as 1571, the Crimean Tatars reached Moscow.  Accounts of the day say they killed 200,000 people and that the rives were swollen with bodies; 130,000 people were carried off into slavery."  (Land of the Firebird, Massie 39).