Thoughts on Freedom of Speech and Packing for the Dominican Republic

While I am packing my bags and preparing to leave for the Dominican Republic, watching the word “TikTok” trend on X, and adjusting to having my sour dough and pottery tutorials taken away from me on TikTok, I can’t help but think about the community I lost on Facebook a few years ago.

New here? maybe start here

Facebook is a 1 sided conversation when you only have a page. I hate that for me. While I loudly talked about the harm being done to children at the school 2 miles from home, “they” got what they wanted and got to stop that dialogue by canceling my Facebook profile. (for violating Community Standards?)

In 2009, I volunteered to expose a not so pretty part about where I live by using my blog and that came to fruition 10 years later. My family and I have been paying for that ever since.

I was an early adopter of all technology and that has opened so many doors for me, including raising awareness of this issue. Though it might have seemed chaotic and unplanned to some as people watched the state and local politicians react to what was posted on this blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter. In the moment, it was all absolutely strategic on my part. I was warned that social platforms would likely be taken away, I was warned that I would likely be sent to the hospital and “they” would say I was crazy, I was warned. I was warned about what I would see at Woodbine BOE meetings. I was warned and I did it anyway. God put those kids in my line of vision for a reason.

There was many meetings held outside of Cape May County about the problem I 1st saw in Woodbine when touring with my now 21 year old for kindergarten. Things were planned out. Political people and government entities had a seat at the table at those meetings. Will anything ever come out of those efforts, who knows? I would like to think the ring has slowed down. I have even been told the Janitors office is currently free of children and that is progress. This calms me and makes me think my sacrifice was worth it. No one should ever go to school and wonder about the price tag they may have on their own head. Child Trafficking should not be happening in a school in the USA.

I am told that things are still in progress. Being patient has never been harder. Corruption has never been clearer for me.

So while I am packing my bag for the Dominican Republic for a trips with CUPs Mission for a place where I can openly work to solve a problem, Please know that not one day will go by without me thinking about the child I held(Zulia) and the children I saw in the Janitor’s office while having a seat on the WBOE and before.

I know what I saw. It was confirmed. While I am headed to the Dominican Republic to help children then do not think I have forgotten about the children(trafficked or not) of Woodbine. I think of them daily and they will always have a piece of my heart. Always.

James 4:17 “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin“