THE CRINGE EFFECT

WRITTEN BY WANDA IRISH

My apologies in advance, for this will not be water cooler conversation You know how; when God has sent you on, yet another path filled with learning experiences, you either pull up your bootstraps or you jump ship The latter is not one of these experiences for me You know you ’ ve been sent out on a mission, something greater than yourself Well, because you can With technology today, one has the ability to go down the “rabbit hole” of what fuels your desire to help others escape their own living nightmare One cannot just sit by and do nothing; it would be inhumane to do nothing Even if you help just one person, that one person could lead to many more if you just tried So here I sit, with nothing more to lose Research is everything in my book The more you know of the truth, the more you grow

So, I start on the adventure of binge-watching YouTube videos on human trafficking I was gravely mistaken about the severity of these crimes I thought it was mainly about prostitution rings within the downtown venues and dive motels That is NOT just the street corner pimp you had to make sure you and your kids stayed clear of back in the day. No, the perpetrator could be your next-door neighbor, teacher, pastor, or worse, a family member. The perpetrator will be someone who can financially better themself from you without your knowledge or consent And the victim can be either a child woman or man from brutal labor camps to organ harvesting and sex trafficking The grooming starts before you even expect it Trust has been established, and your guard or instincts have been inhibited without your permission You’ve been promised a pipe dream to better yourself or your family Who wouldn’t want a better life, especially with the difficulty of surviving everyday life nowadays? It’s not fair to be tricked in this manner (Continued on page 10)

By Jessica Alfaro

We are living in the year 2023, and it is no surprise that the majority of our days are spent in front of a screen. Learning from a screen, reading from a screen, talking, writing, connecting, creating, and even eating in front of some sort of electronic device. This is the "new norm." Remember books, though? Remember the peace that came with finding a good spot to settle in and get lost between the pages of a good book? San Joaquin public libraries do, and they have a wonderful way to get you and your families back into reading this summer!

San Joaquin Public Library has introduced a new summer reading incentive program-absolutely free, of course! The program is called the "Summer Reading Challenge." In this program, teens and adults are required to read three books Once the books are completed, head down to the library and ask for a reading log. List the book titles on the reading log along with a star rating, and return to your library branch After submitting your reading log, you'll be rewarded with a raffle ticket and a free book!

Once you fill out your information on the back of the ticket, you can enter the raffle by placing your ticket into the box designated for your desired prize. The person listed on the form will be entered into the SSJCPL summer reading raffles by submitting the log and free raffle ticket There are many great prizes, including but not limited to a Nintendo Switch, a mini refrigerator, and a summer inflatable water station! Prizes may vary from branch to branch. Still looking for more? They've got it! Manteca Library also has a program to help get your little ones k-12 on the right track to reaching their grade-level reading requirements Introducing BOOK BUDDIES; in this program, your child is paired with a tutor to work with at no cost to you! Take a break from all the screens and visit the San Joaquin Public Library's website for more information on all the great activities and events to take advantage of with your family this summer