Representative Schiff,

It has recently come to my attention that much of the chocolate sold in the U.S. is tainted by the horrific issue of slavery.

Next Sunday (3/25/07) is the 200th anniversary of the abolition of trans-Atlantic slavery and yet slavery is a bigger issue today than it was then. Around 15 million people were enslaved in the 400 years that humans were trafficked from Africa to the US and other places. Today, as I write this, some 27 million people live as slaves, throughout the world, with at least 50,000 of that 27 million living here in the U.S. Some are sex slaves, some are labor slaves, some are children who were bought to be sacrificed.

But many were bought to be put to work in the cocoa fields of West Africa and elsewhere. It is estimated that 12,000 children currently serve as slaves in the cocoa farms of Cote D'Ivoire (the Ivory Coast), a west-African country that is one of the leading producers of chocolate.

I don't know about you, but I am outraged by this and I demand more from the businesses of our great country. There must be a way for Americans to be ensured that the chocolate they buy is traffik-free. Please join with Senator Harkin and others in an effort to put an end to this gross injustice!

Thank you for your time,

Rev. Jay Matthew Barnes