I can safely say that most of us reading this now are not in the above predicament. We can make our choices and are not in want of a roof or food. I have personally seen many people that are very hungry and oppressed and I think that touched something within me. Poor servants were routinely mistreated and sometimes even beaten for silly trivial things by their "masters" --at worst, I've heard about cases where maid-servants were raped and then dismissed to face the critisizing and cruel gaze of their society. Then there are the ones that are harrassed and persecuted for their beliefs or for their non-violent views (usually by governments). These people have nobody to stick up for them and often suffer torture of the mind and body as a result, languishing in prison for months and months without a fair trail or proper legal advice.
Death sentences on those whom a verdict was judged to be unsafe -- what recourse have they got? We are very lucky being the citizens of western countries where democracy prevails and our freedom is more or less free...but what if it was you or me that was locked up and terrorised by the state...what then?
All this made me join Amnesty Internationala few years ago. Through them I receive information about oppressed people and I can then do my little bit to try and help them. Its the least that anyone can do. If you think you might want to join, then look them up in your phone directory and give them a ring. Good luck!
The United Nations -- lots of information
