The Scariest Good Guy You’ll Ever Meet

[Sir Edward]

Saw this on another forum:

The Scariest Good Guy You’ll Ever Meet
http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j37/beyond-limits.asp

Man, when I read stuff like this, a part of me feels awful for being behind a desk for 40 hours a week.

[Sir William]

I'm not sure if this guy would be someone you categorize as 'scary', but I would definitely want this guy on OUR side; I am trying to read through a book he wrote called 'Slave Hunter' which chronicles his efforts to free children enslaved in the Asian sex trade.  To say it has been difficult is to put it mildly...it isn't a book for the faint of heart.  Anyway, his name's Aaron Cohen and he was one of a few non-Israelis to pass muster into the IDF and was put on a...well, I digress.  I think he's one of those warriors you read about later on, after it is all said and done.

Here he is on Wiki:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Cohen_(counterterrorist)

And here's the book I'm havin so much trouble getting thru:  http://www.amazon.com/Slave-Hunter-ebook/dp/B002CT0TTE/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1294345463&sr=8-9

But he IS one of the good guys...unfortunately, child slavery and/or child sex slavery is anything but sexy...people don't like to hear about it or talk about it because it is so heinous.  I credit my little sister for opening my eyes to this particular plight.  It has become her cause to champion and she doesn't just pay lipservice to it, she's out there, in the streets of Philly looking for these kids.  That sort of concerns me but I know her...she'll do it no matter what I might say.  She's in touch w/local and state law enforcement as well as other like-minded individuals who do this sort of thing.  She's also responsible for the Stop Modern Slavery movement in Philly...I'm right proud of her.  Totally off topic, I know.  lol

[Sir Matthew]

It's kinda funny you would mention the asian slave trade, not because that is funny, it's not, but a freind of mine from high school is taking a half year subatical to travel to Thailand and Vietnam to help victims there to recover. He just told me a few weeks ago that he was doing this. When I told him, Tim you can't save the world he said, "well, you know me, always the Paladin."

[Sir Edward]

That's true, you can't save everyone. But if you can save just one person, it will make all the world of difference to that person. That, I think, makes it worth it.

[Sir William]

It's kinda funny you would mention the asian slave trade, not because that is funny, it's not, but a freind of mine from high school is taking a half year subatical to travel to Thailand and Vietnam to help victims there to recover. He just told me a few weeks ago that he was doing this. When I told him, Tim you can't save the world he said, "well, you know me, always the Paladin."

A man after my own heart...we all do our part.  You probably did a good thing by telling him he couldn't do it...firmed up his resolve even more to do so.

[Sir Edward]

Video clip about this:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2666757n

[Sir James A]

Hmm.. 9 members.. and there were 9 founding members in the Knights Templar. Coincidence? Conspiracy?

I'm interested in thoughts on this part of the article:

“What do you need? Tents? Okay, we’ll do tents. Cook pots? All right, we’ll order cook pots,” he explains to me. “You need blankets? We’d have to get blankets from Iran, but it’s illegal for me to do that. Ah, I know a criminal. He’s a smuggler out of Iran. I pay him to smuggle the blankets.”

The criminal/smuggler part in particular. Is it, or would it have been, knightly to consort with those people?

I am VERY glad he's on our side. Doesn't seem like a man you want to cross, and he's clearly making a huge difference.

[Sir Edward]

I'm interested in thoughts on this part of the article:

“What do you need? Tents? Okay, we’ll do tents. Cook pots? All right, we’ll order cook pots,” he explains to me. “You need blankets? We’d have to get blankets from Iran, but it’s illegal for me to do that. Ah, I know a criminal. He’s a smuggler out of Iran. I pay him to smuggle the blankets.”

The criminal/smuggler part in particular. Is it, or would it have been, knightly to consort with those people?

I noticed that too. I'm not sure I'd be comfortable doing so. But I see where he's coming from. He and his group are being very goal-oriented, and not letting local problems stand in the way of getting the mission accomplished. But I also was thinking about how he worded that-- illegal blanket smuggling? The only harm being done here is putting money in the pockets of criminals. But what if they're defined as criminals under an unjust system of law? I don't have any moral issue with defying unjust laws. And it's often an oppressive government that lets these large swaths of the population remain in squalor in the first place.

So I guess my answer is, it depends.