You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know. – William Wilberforce
After seeing The Abolitionists movie on Friday, I have to speak up. I know I am only one voice in a sea of influence, but all I know is I’m not meant to be silent.
Slavery did not end with the Emancipation.
It is still alive and rampant in our world.
It is swept under the rug, the screams of pain and suffering are silenced by torture and threats. Human trafficking happens in every country of the world – including here in the USA.
Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.) is working hard to end child trafficking. The movie shows footage from the ‘jumps’ that volunteers arrange to save these kids, and it is awful what they are going through.
Human trafficking includes children who have been kidnapped and sent to orphanages where anyone off the street can come in and buy a child with no background check and then do what they wish with these innocent humans.
It also showed the countless number of young girls who had been trained and forced into prostitution starting between age 4-7 and kept in captivity through most of their lives. Many had been raped so many times, they ended up pregnant and raising children of their own.
Although I am not a mother yet, I cannot even imagine allowing one of my babies to be in these circumstances. Some families choose to sell their daughters into sex trafficking at a young age as a last resort to get enough money to support themselves. No child should EVER have a price tag put on their life.
The Facts:
1. There are an estimated 27 million slaves in the world today. That’s the highest recorded number of slaves in history!
2. The average cost of a slave around the world is $90.
3. Human trafficking has been identified as the largest human rights violation in the history of mankind.
4. Human trafficking is the second largest criminal enterprise in the world, after drug smuggling and arms dealing.
5. The United States is one of the top three destination points for trafficked victims. California, New York, Texas and Nevada are the top destination states within the country.
6. According to estimates, approximately 80 percent of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19 percent involves labor exploitation.
7. The average age of a young woman being trafficked is 12–14 years old.
8. Immigration agents estimate that 10,000 women are being held in Los Angeles’ underground brothels; this does not include the thousands of victims in domestic work, sweatshops or other informal industries.
9. An estimated 13 million children are enslaved around the world today, accounting for nearly half of trafficking victims in the world.
10. Trafficked children are significantly more likely to develop mental health problems, abuse substances, engage in prostitution as adults, and either commit or be victimized by violent crimes later in life.
via: http://www.live58.org/10-facts-about-human-trafficking-everyone-should-know
Join the fight and help end child trafficking: www.ourrescue.org.
To my local friends, Megaplex is donating all proceeds of the movie tickets to Operation Underground Railroad. GO SEE IT!!
XOXO – Heath