Wilberforce Signing!

On the evening of December 10, 2008, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Act was passed by both houses of Congress. The White House invited 10 representatives from non-government organizations to be present at the Wilberforce signing in the Oval office (December 2008). They also invited 4 political appointees in various offices that deal with anti-trafficking efforts.

Pictured above is our daughter , Dr. Janice Crouse, who was one of those chosen for this historical signing in the Oval office (slighly to the right of President George W. Bush ) The Wilberforce signing was part of the Battle to Pass the
William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Act . (1)

These chosen for the signing were people who have worked on the front lines of the policy battles over the anti-trafficking efforts.

The widespread and increasing use of rape as a systematic weapon of war, even of genocide, the international trafficking in persons, mainly women and children, has also risen alarmingly. Children are sold and women are lured or kidnapped and then sold into sexual slavery.

William Wilberforce 1759-1833
William Wilberforce came from a prosperous merchant family of Kingston-upon-Hull, a North Sea port. At twenty-one, elected to Parliament for his native town. A conversion to evangelical Christianity in 1785 changed his approach to politics. In 1787 he became, the parliamentary leader of the slavery abolition movement. William Willberforce labored ceaselessly for the abolition of slavery.

John Wesley, on the 24th of February, 1793 at age eighty-eight year, a week before his death, wrote the last letter he would ever write. The letter was to Wilberforce ,urging him to continue the fight for the Abolition of Slavery. Wesley said, "...Oh, be not weary in well-doing. Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till slavery, the vilest that ever saw the sun, shall be banished away..."

It was under John Wesley's preaching and work among the poor in England that a revival of Christan faith and care for the poor spread thoughout England. At the time of the American Revolution it swept across the ocean to American with the great evangelistic preaching and work by George Whitfield, Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury.

It was Christians, like Wilberforce and Wesley who fought against the evil of slavery. As far as we know, no one of the Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Secularist, Atheist or other religion ever fought to end the worldwide system of slavery.

1.Other invited quests for the signing in the picture above include L to R, Michael Chertoff- former Secretary of Homelan Security, Michael Horowitz-Hudson Institute, Rachel Lloyd- Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS). New York City, NYC. Gary Haugen- International Justice Mission, Brad Miles-Polarius Project, Kevin Bales- Author of Disposal People, Directly behind Janice Shaw Crouse is Richard Land, head of Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for Southern Baptists