You know what?
Jesus loves animals.
Of course he does. He made them! And he’s entrusted man to care for them. I’ve been given a gift of compassion that extends beyond humans. I care for animals deeply. I relate to them and I advocate for them. That being said, this blog is not like my others. It’s a blog in which my compassion for humans and my passion for animals collides.
A huge bucket list item on almost every racer’s itinerary is elephant riding. Once a squad hits Thailand, the search is on for the cheapest, longest elephant trek anyone can find. Because I love animals, most would assume this to be a much anticipated event for me. The truth is, I’ve been dreading this country because of it…
Let’s switch gears for a second.
It’s very easy for people who are uneducated in the subject of human trafficking, to see a young Thai girl on the arm of an inebriated, middle aged causation man with a beer gut and assume she actually wants to be there. She loves answering his beckon call. She loves being fondled. She loves having sex for money. She loves being forced to dance on stage with all eyes on her. She enjoys what she does and she finds pride in it…
It’s also easy for most people to see an elephant carrying a large group of people through the jungle and assume that she actually wants to be there. She loves being exploited. She loves being poked and prodded with a bull-hook. She loves the squeals of joy and laughter from her passengers as she’s commanded time and time again to spray them with water. She enjoys doing tricks for bananas.
There’s a sang here in Asia…
“SAME SAME. BUT DIFFERENT.”
Both are forms of captivity. Both subjects have absolutely no control of their freedom.
Did you know that when girls are sold, they go through a “seasoning” process in which they are locked in a room, forced to perform sexually and are beaten within an inch of their lives? Their spirits are broken and their personalities are drained. They are brainwashed into thinking they are worthless objects meant solely for pleasure. Only after this are they put into prostitution, where every move they make is controlled by their pimps, mamasans or bar managers. Their free will is non-existant. People don’t see that though. What they see is the world’s best acting performance. These girls are alluring. They appear to love the attention of men. They appear to be happy. Because it’s their job!
Similarly, elephants are taken from their mothers at age three. The “phajaan” is the Thai name for the conditioning they go through. In English, this word translates to “crush.” It’s a process that does just that. The elephant’s spirits are crushed. She is tied to a tree and beaten to a bloody pulp for three straight days. By the fourth day, not only is she unable to stand, but she lacks all self esteem and motivation. She is completely submissive to man. Only then is she entered into the trekking industry where she is controlled by her “mahout” and perceived to be happy by most of her customers.
I know it’s easy to look at these two situations and think they’re incomparable. One travesty involves humans. The other is an animal. But…
THEY ARE BOTH SLAVERY!
That elephant ride is more “justifiable” because fewer people know of the cruelty involved. They refuse to learn the truth because things are more fun in ignorance – a statement I’m sure any “John” would agree with when it comes to that cute little Thai chick he just purchased for the night.
Maybe I’m out of place to say all this. What does elephant trekking have to do with ministry? In the end, no one’s salvation is affected…
But this is my blog, and I can’t keep quiet anymore. It’s not natural for a girl to want to sell her body. It’s also unnatural for an elephant to allow humans on her back. I’ve seen firsthand the aftermath of both situations and it completely breaks my heart. I’m just as passionate about human trafficking as I am about elephant exploitation. I love people and animals alike and for me, no form of slavery is below another. I stand against both.
So there you have it…
“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”
– William Wilberforce
