I like and respect Ricky Martin.

He and Christianne Amanpour are on Oprah tod talking about their work to end child prositution, human slavery, and human trafficking.

http://www2.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200511/tows_past_20051102.jhtml


Megastar Ricky Martin is becoming as well known for his charity efforts as he is for his music career. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Ricky traveled to Houston where he met some of the youngest survivors. Despite the devastation, Ricky shared the good news: The kids there are resilient. "The healing process for a child is way faster than ours," he told Oprah. "You just look at them and they're smiling and they're ready to move on."

Ricky also shared his concerns for the hundreds of children who, according to the International Center for Exploited and Missing Children, are still missing. Although the whereabouts of these children are unknown, Ricky fears many may fall victim to child traffickers: criminals who kidnap and exploit unsuspecting minors.


The trafficking of children for the purposes of prostitution has been called the ugliest, most preventable man-made disaster in the world. One brave person who has seen the realities of this desperate, depraved underworld up close is CNN international reporter Christiane Amanpour.

Christiane says she has witnessed instances in which parents or guardians sell girls—some as young as 10 years old—into prostitution. Sometimes they do so with the full knowledge of what is to come. At other times the parents or guardians are unaware, believing that the girls will simply be working in some other way to support their families.

According to World Vision, an international children's watch group, a quarter of all who travel internationally so that they may solicit sex from children are U.S. citizens. "As awful as it sounds, that is true," Christiane says. "Of course it's not just American citizens. It's Europeans and, in many parts of the world, it's the local people. Europeans a lot to Asia and Southeast Asia for that kind of sex service, but the majority, the bulk, is the local community."

Redstone

Most men I know would chuckle over it and echange knowing looks and elbows-to-the-rib, then move on to adolescent-level innuendo. No, I do not hang out with frat boys. haha. Seriously, though. This gets him major points in my book. More power to Ricky.

Anyone who supports that moron who has phucked this country up so much.....well,I have NO respect for them.No matter what Ricky does,it is marred by his being a repuke bu$h supporter. :puke:

for him, really never thought about it. This causes me to change my mind. People who have the access and the funds to do these things and do not do them really upset me. People who do, no matter who they support, deserve respect for helping others. Good for him.

Here is an article that was published in the Puerto Rico Herald:

Puerto Rican Artists: War Unnecessary, Not A Solution

March 21, 2003
Copyright © 2003 ASSOCIATED PRESS. All rights reserved.

SAN JUAN (AP) - For Puerto Rican star Ricky Martin, the U.S. war against Iraq is "stupid," and for Puerto Rican actor Benicio del Toro, "it isn’t a solution."...
http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/2003/vol7n13/Media3-en.shtml

I couldn't understand it. I like what he's doing now, and applaud him for hooking up with this cause. Bless his heart for getting the word out about it.

TC