I love the Honors Universal Human Rights Class that I’m taking (Dr. Catherine Hawkins rocks!) because all 15 of us get into such interesting discussions about topics such as Human Trafficking and Feminism and History. Today was no exception when one of the students giving her report on human trafficking where she interviewed a person who had created a non-profit to help out where she could in this regard. The stats on human trafficking would blow your hair back, it is much more prevalent than I ever thought. In fact, this same student shared how she found out that just across the street from where she worked in New Braunfels a place had been busted for human trafficking. Right there in our own back yard.

The discussion then progressed into the huge “need” by a mass amount of people for “purchasing” people for their services and what was that need about and what could be done about it. Often times the Professor will comment about what critical times these are that we live in terms of ecology and sustainability and humanity.

One of our bright eyed and big hearted Freshman members raised his hand and asked the Professor and me if in our generation we had these same concerns breathing down our necks that they do. He admitted to loving the conversation and he always left the class jazzed but that sometimes he felt very overwhelmed by all that was out there that needed help. I don’t have kids of my own but if I did I imagine that I would feel for them like I felt for this guy which was a.) Very touched that he was open and aware and cared so much and b.) That as long as I have a healthy breath to breathe it is my responsibility as a member of my generation to help come up with solutions for the problems that we helped to create so that the people coming up behind us have some vestiges of hope and help.

We shared with the class that technology has made such a huge leap in terms of communication so that they were being exposed to a whole lot of stuff that many in our generation were not exposed to but we had our own kind of troubles going on. Still some good discussion ensued about spirituality and that one person can make a difference and one small step can change the course of direction for the better.

At the very end of class the Professor said this quote that I’ll leave with you to ponder tonight:

“Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead