Amazing Grace Your Business Blogger and kith and kin were invited to a private pre-screening of Amazing Grace last February. The movie is about England's Wilberforce and his fight to end slavery.

Slavery has still not been rid from our planet and is still practiced in China and sex slavery in Mexico.

The existence of slavery is beyond comprehension.

The movie is perfect. A must see, must DVD buy. However, our hosts from CRC Public Relations warned us that,

One thing to note: There is a brief scene or two that depict the brutality that was endured when slaves took the passage from Africa. However, in my opinion, it serves to awaken the senses and not to frighten. Just a thought.

Anyway, I hope that you and yours enjoy the film and I look forward to any feedback you may be able to offer!

The point of the movie Amazing Grace is that one human being does not own another. This is evil. Because each created person belongs to the Creator.

The movie's relevance for today is not, I think, to call attention to the continued existence of slavery. This analogy is a little too easy. Contrary to the PR campaign against today's slavery, I would suggest a more compelling analogy. The comparison should be between the Wilberforce fight against slavery, and today's fight against abortion.

Slavery and Abortion are the taking of innocent life. The only difference is venue.

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Thank you (foot)notes:

We were privileged to see the advance trailers Easter before last. See Wilberforce and Gapingvoid.

Jamaican FlagAlert Readers will remember that slavery is a function of power. When the British were subduing the Scots, the captured Kilted were herded up by the hundreds and sold as slaves and shipped to the sugar plantations in the West Indies. Which may be the reason Scottish and Jamaican flags are somewhat similar. Both depict the Cross of St. Andrews.

Scottish FlagFreedom for All says,

As human beings we all have histories to tell and West Indian history is linked to hundreds of years of British (Scottish) history. There are many black people in the West Indies with Scottish surnames. For example, in Jamaica, there are more Scottish surnames such as Campbell, Grant, Graham, MacFarlane and Reid per square mile in Jamaica than they are in Scotland. Four of the National heroes of West Indian rebellions, who were hanged by the British, were: Sharpe, Gladstone, Bogle and Gordon. The name of the present Colonel of the famous Maroons warriors that won their freedom from the British in Jamaica during slavery is, Wallace Stirling...a very Scottish name. We are a part of the fabric of this country in many ways and no one can tell us to leave.

See Biblios for an interesting detail.

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On the plane with Richard Branson

Two things are abundantly clear in traveling with Richard Branson and the ONE campaign activists: first, they know they have to address the corruption question; and two, their responses to the question are pro forma because they view the issue of corruption (despite protestations to the contrary) as being somewhat peripheral.

Scott Johnson at Powerline writes about the Live8 phenomenon today and quotes his reader, Julian Biggs, who argues:

Time after time, the TV announcers [covering Live8] reminded us that things are "even worse in Africa than they were before Live Aid 20 years ago!" Clearly, none of them considered this might tell us something about the efficacy of Live Aid and its use of cash to solve problems caused by massive political corruption.

Good point. So why do Branson and Co. treat "massive political corruption" as peripheral?

Photo op on the tarmac at Heathrow: Bob Geldof, Djimon Hounsou, Richard Branson, Female British rocker, Natalie Imbruglia, Charles McCormack, President of Save the Children

In responding to a question about corruption at yesterday's press conference, Branson said, with a clearly well-worn joke, that corruption was something like marital affairs -- people like to blame men, but "it takes two to tango."

Much overly hearty laughter at Sexual-Joke-Made-By-Rich-and-Famous-Man.

Foreign companies, he argued, should be penalized if they try to bribe lobal officials. BUT, he emphasized, "a lot of African companies are getting it together on corruption." Nigeria for example. (Coincidentally, this week saw the launch of Virgin Nigeria, the newest Branson venture.) He argued that it is "quite easy" to blame a lack of investment in Africa on corruption, but that "as a business man, my belief is that corruption is on the decline."

Branson emphasized that investing in Africa "makes good business sense. It's not a charity."

Later, as we walked toward boarding the flight to Heathrow, I asked him if Africa was going to be a focus of his business expansion beyond his investment in Virgin Nigeria. "Yes." (He stood in line with everyone else to board the plane, greeting all comers very congenially.)

There was one person who seemed to take the corruption issue more seriously: Djimon Hounsou, the Oscar-nominated actor from Amistad and Gladiator, was the first one to raise the issue of corruption, even before the question from the floor. Perhaps not coincidentally, he was also one of the very few actual Africans present. He is originally from Benin, which is in West Africa. He argued that in order to combat corruption, elections in Africa need to be monitored, and the use of aid monies must also be monitored.

On the tarmac at Heathrow

Tomorrow, I'll be attending a briefing on "What the G8 Must Do on Debt" hosted by the Jubilee Campaign. (As well as trying to avoid rioting anarchists.) This reflects the One Campaign's call for debt cancellation. Anyone have questions they'd like to have asked? Shoot them to me!

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Challies asks, "What to change the world? Go to church." Not Live 8.

Junkyardblog has Madonna and the digitus impudicus at Fooling. Thanks to PyroManiac and Challies

USS Neverdock asks,"Looking for justice", "start a revolution", "create good government", are these people seriously talking about, dare I say it, regime change?in Africa, Are You Listening?

WILLisms says, "I have no doubt that Bono is sincere in his concern for Africa, but, watching Live 8, the effort really just missed the point. Millenium Challenge Accounts are what the world needs to get on board with, not awareness for the sake of awareness." Read more at Certified Classy #5

Digitus says in Recent Articles about Live8 performers that "They were there to reach down and help us help the poor, but meanwhile, backstage they while snarfing up the lobster, caviar, and $14,000 gift bags given for free to the A-listers like Madonna..."

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