The recent child porn ring bust raises a pressing question.  What is the punishment for the crime of abusing, exploiting, selling, and degrading children?  I feel that a crime of this nature against children is the vilest and demands justice.  According to U.S. policy, found in the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003 the minimum standards against human traff … Read More

via Child Trafficking

I’m no longer surprised when I read a story like the one accompanying Lawrence Taylor’s arrest. It’s a pretty typical American child sex trafficking story. A 15-year-old girl from the Bronx is reported missing to the police in March, only to be found beaten and bruised, physically and emotionally, imprisoned by fear and force, and serving her master by having sex with men of his choosing. No one appears to be denying the truth of this part of the story. It’s just another child sex slave. Except the press would rather call her a prostitute and her master a pimp. And many would argue that she wasn’t really “enslaved.” She chose to go with the man in the first place. That makes it all easier to swallow.

It’s also not surprising that such a prominent name is implicated. I’ve been writing about this issue for several years now.  The sheer volume of children being held captive as sex slaves made the participation of prominent public figures a certainty. So the allegations against Lawrence Taylor only serve to further illustrate just how pervasive the problem of child sex trafficking is in the United States. If the allegations against him are false, it won’t change that fact.

What would surprise me?

I’ll be surprised if this story doesn’t quickly fade from the front pages. He may be innocent. If he is, it should. But if he’s not, I’ll be surprised if it actually  serves as a lightning rod for changes in legislation that make it easier for authorities to prosecute those involved in the enslavement of children for sex.

Why? Because vast numbers of the American population view slavery as American history. It’s simply more comfortable to think of these girls as prostitutes and not slaves. And we’ve popularized the use of the word “pimp” to such a degree that it is more likely to be seen in the positive than the negative. There are already YouTube parodies that make light of the incident. We like it that way. It helps us sleep at night.

Will Lawrence Taylor become the poster boy for child sex slavery? I doubt it.

He’s also teamed up with The Blind Project which is a group devoted to exposing the sex trade. Through the connections he’s made, John Mark is putting together an art exhibition in Columbia which will feature work from world renowned graphic designers. – WLTX.com

Changes to existing laws are required to insure that authorities have the tools necessary to expedite the prosecution of those involved in sex traficking and modern forms of slavery. Arizona House Bill 2673, penned by Krysten Sinema, is an example of the kind of simple changes required to make it easier.  The bill did away with a provision that police need to prove that a trafficked person was acquired “for transport” to be considered being trafficked.

“This bill gives law enforcement a greater ability to fight heinous crimes like human trafficking for sex or slave labor,” Sinema said. “It’s a simple fix that makes a huge difference for public safety in our neighborhoods and offers a real solution to violence along the border.”

Kudos to Arizona. Thank you, Representative Sinema.

The restavek is a a Haitian child who is sent by their parents to work for another family as a servant. This is a common practice and done because the parents lack the ability to take care of the child. While the term can refer to a child simply staying with another family, as it is literally translated “one who stays with,” it is more commonly used now to describe those who are abused and mistreated in the process.

The interview between Anderson Cooper and Demi More only begins to touch on the massive obstacles in the way of changing this system. I think what she is attempting to do with her DNA foundation is worthy of exposure.

What I see in this video is exploitation, but I don’t see slavery. And I think to fight modern slavery properly, we need to make sure we define it properly. Kevin Bales, in his TED presentation on how to combat modern slavery, went out of his way to make certain his audience understood what he meant by “slave.” He needed to be specific to frame the conversation properly. And his definition of a slave and mine are the same: a slave is someone who is forced to work, under the threat of physical harm, without pay.

What this video is documenting is important. It’s just not slavery. Perhaps that’s why “modern day slavery” is in quotes. I don’t know. What I do know is that the tactics required to fight modern slavery are different than those required to fight the exploitation of the poor and disenfranchised. Both camps will be better served if we focus properly.

What are your thoughts?

“Are you willing to live in a world with slavery? I think there is enough intellectual power in this room to end slavery.  And if we can’t use our collective intelligence power to bring about the end of slavery, are we truly free?” – Kevn Bales

I hope you worship in the temple of learning.

18 minutes long. Make the time.

But I’ve read too much. The evidence of its truth is too great. And I applaud the film’s makers for their use of animation to portray the sinister way in which sex traffickers lure their victims into a life of sexual slavery. The film is part of an exhibition called ‘not Natasha’ at the Impressions Gallery in in Bradford, UK.

The film was made in consultation with five Albanian women who were trafficked into the UK and had agreed to share their experiences with the film makers to ensure the accuracy of their stories. This a powerful cautionary tale which has already become a talking point amongst victims of the sex-trafficking trade. While many films on the subject are often distressing and difficult to watch, this film draws in the audience with its animated fairy tale stlye and music before hitting home with its serious message.

It’s style lures you in and then clubs you over the head. It’s haunting. And hard to believe. And it’s true. Please share this.

“The retailer spent 16 months researching the effort to fight sex trafficking before introducing it, Ms. Simmons said, because of the nature of the problem. The idea was to learn “how we can deliver this” message, she added, “without switching people off.” – New York Times

This is just one of their excellent “living our values” initiatives, but their focus is clear. They have a bold stop trafficking campaign, designed to “raise awareness of the scale of the issue, raise funding for vulnerable children and young people, and inspire those with decision-making power to effect change. And I love this part of it – they give their clerks training on how to “talk authoritatively about the issue.” I think it’s a bold step and one that’s needed in order for a campaign like this to have real impact. Signs are simply not enough. As a result, they’ve already raised $1.5 Million for the Somaly Mam Foundation, a substantial portion of that donated by shoppers. That’s not an accident.

This is a virus that can’t thrive in the light and we simply need more light.