When hopping on Facebook and Twitter over the past couple of days, I've seen a whole lot of "Pass this on for Caylee..." or "Leave a light on for Caylee..."
Ok, I get it. This was a tragedy, and as of right now, whomever the murderer is, he or she is walking the streets today. It's senseless violence like this that appalls any sensible person.
But, for Western New Yorkers, did you notice that on July 4th, a woman (Ngoubdo Babagana) was gunned down, execution style in Black Rock(http://www.wkbw.com/home/Fatal-Shooting-On-Dearborn-In-Buffalo-125044989.html)? Where are the cries for justice for Ngoubdo? Or, about the other 10K+ murders annually here in the US?
I'm afraid, I must inform everyone: You were duped by the mass media. You fell for "Missing White Woman Syndome". Pretty, well-off financially, white women who are the victims of crime tend to draw lots of national media attention, while non-whites, who are poor tend to draw little at all.
Case in point, that is local here: Amanda Wienckowski. You can find about 3 thousands news stories on her (http://www.google.com/search?q=amanda+weinckowski), but yet how many other prostitutes in WNY have been the victim of a crime? The primary difference: Her skin color, and her economic background.
But, I do NOT want to draw attention away from the violence here. We should NOT stand idly by, and do nothing. However, passing around some copy/paste on Facebook or Twitter; or leaving a porch light on will do naught for these children, nor for any children who may be in similar circumstances.
Do something that has an effect: Find a charitable organization, and donate money, time, or both. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is a good one. So is the Dorris Duke Foundation. You can find more here: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=protect+children+from+child+abuse+foundations (I can not vouch for individual organizations. I don't know them all). Don't just sit on your duff, and participate in Slacktivism...
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