There is a subtle myth that slavery was vanquished in the 19th century. In reality it hasn’t been defeated and there are more slaves today than any other time of human history. In fact, everyday, there are thousands of slaves across the United States. Thousands brought in and sold for sex and labor. In my years on this globe I have witnessed and/or read about numerous horrific events; however, I cannot fathom that humanity has created a crime more heinous than enslaving children in a system of rape for profit.
Sadly, there is an astonishing, well organized network of criminals victimizing women and children every day. I have wondered why we, those fighting for justice, are unable to network with similar ferocity. Why do criminals have structured systems and networks reaping havoc, while we continue creating “solutions” and systems that remain autonomous of one another? Why can we not network? What if different sectors of society could begin working together to break the chains of modern day slavery? What if churches could unite and lead the charge against this heinous injustice? What if a duplicable model of collaboration developed that became an example to other cities in our nation and around the world of the enormous potential when government and market place leaders, young people, churches, and thousands of modern day abolitionists wrestled, fought, and prayed against child sex slavery? What if….
Over 40 years ago Martin Luther King Jr. painted a poignant vision with his “I have a dream” monologue. What if today, in our continued struggle against slavery, we carried on his dream of abolishing slavery and created a UNITED effort working together to bring justice? What if…
What if…
Blog by Pat McCalla
There have been several noteworthy and engaging articles/events that have spread through the cyber-world over the last couple weeks. Though these conversations and announcements aren’t quite the booming News Alerts of “Balloon boy”, Michael Jackson’s “This Is It”, or the Yankees grabbing their 27th World Series… they are at least creating a steady hum of conversation on the issue of Human Trafficking. A hum that we must perpetuate and inflate into something noticeable and undeniable. We cannot be silent when we know that slavery exists in our own backyard!
In this light I’d like to highlight some the key Stories, Articles, and Events from the past couple weeks:
- 52 Children Recovered, 60 Alleged Child Pimps Arrested in Crackdown - The three-day operation, tagged Operation Cross Country IV, included enforcement actions in 36 cities across 30 FBI divisions nationwide. It is part of the FBI’s ongoing Innocence Lost National Initiative, which was created in 2003 with the goal of ending sex trafficking of children in the United States.
- Taking a Sweedish Cue on Prostitution - What Sheriff Tom Dart has done is shift enforcement resources from the supply side to the demand side: from arresting (and releasing and rearresting) forcibly prostituted women and girls to arresting pimps and johns and impounding their cars, while directing the prostituted females to social services.
- For Runaways, Sex Buys Survival - Nearly a third of the children who flee or are kicked out of their homes each year engage in sex for food, drugs or a place to stay, according to a variety of studies published in academic and public health journals.
- N.Y. Hosts Emma Thompson’s Exhibit on Human Trafficking - Journey includes exhibits by Turner Prize-winning sculptor Anish Kapoor, Oscar-winning film designer Michael Howells, playwright Ewan Spencer, photographer Simon Stephens and other artists, each depicting a different portion of the journey of human trafficking.
- ICE Give Voice to Victims of Human Trafficking in the US - As part of ICE’s continued efforts, the agency has unveiled an outdoor public service announcement campaign, “Hidden in Plain Sight,” to draw the American public’s attention to the plight of human-trafficking victims in the United States. The campaign message explains that human trafficking includes those who are sexually exploited or forced to work against their will.
Should we consider a major reorientation of our laws that place criminality on the demand, rather than the supply, of commercial sex? And what are the implications for trafficked and enslaved minors?
The FBI and ICE see that Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Minors is priority.
A popular Actress uses her face and fortune to promote awareness and human rights in a creative way.
The runaways of America are now more susceptible to sexual exploitation than ever before.
Even Tyra Banks hosted a controversial show entitled “Teen Pimps and the Teen Girls They Made Prostitutes”.
There’s a lot to think about. But even more to Talk about! And we NEED to talk about it… these conversations NEED to be a part of public conversation and general knowledge. We believe that AWARENESS = PREVENTION and therefore the more we talk about the issue; it’s dirty secrets, it’s misunderstandings, the facts and horrid realities… the more people will know how to avert this injustice and protect their loved ones.
This is an issue worth talking about. Please, Spread the word.
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