Human
Trafficking
In an unknown
building, unknown language, unknown country, you pose for a group of individuals,
as you are told. With hardly any clothing, with eyes of despair, you model for
them. You are auctioned for thousands of dollars for forced labor or sexual
exploitation. As you see their hands rise, you wish that you could be in your
mother’s arms. A tear falls down your
cheek, because you’re slowly forgetting her scent. With the feeling of loss and
depression, your angry that daddy didn’t protect his little girl like he
promised. That he hasn’t found you and brought you back home to your warm bed.
“Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and involves force, fraud or coercion
to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act (“What Is Human Trafficking”
1). “Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked in
countries around the world” (1). Human Trafficking is on the rise and everybody
can help the victims of this horrible pestilence. What will you do to stop this
epidemic?
History
Human trafficking
has been occurring for thousands of years in the United States. During the time
between 1501 to 1506, human trafficking significantly rose when the Spanish and
Portuguese brought slaves from Africa to America, holding them in servitude as
another man’s property (Sue 1). Victims became involved in slavery
through many ways: captured soldiers or adversary populations, through slave
merchants, or by citizens who lived in poverty, who sold themselves or family
members to pay off debts (“Slave Labor”1).
In 1562, British colonies joined the Slave Trade, creating the
Triangular Trade (Sue 1). This allowed the transportation of human cargo,
tobacco, sugar, textiles, and cotton. Slave traders and participants in the
Triangular Trade made monumental profits, tipping off the snowball from the top
of the hill, leading by example for future countries to join (Sue 1). In the
mid-1600’s, slavery became legalized, Massachusetts being the first state in
1641 (1). Unfortunately, this
ruthless act of oppression continued without opposition until 1758, when a
meeting held by Quakers forbid its members from owning slaves or participating
in the slave trade (Sue 1). However, it wasn’t until 1865 when slavery was
officially abolished (“The 13th Amendment of the US Constitution”):
U.S. Constitution,
Amendment XII, Section I: Neither nor slavery nor involuntary servitude, except
as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted,
shall exist within the United States, or any subject of their jurisdiction. (1)
Fast-forwarding to today’s society,
modern-day slavery or human trafficking, has evolved primarily for erotic
purposes. “Of all types of exploitation, sex trafficking is identified 79
percent of the time, making it the most commonly known form” (“Human
Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery “1). This type of trafficking is dominated
by women and children, and mostly perpetrated by men (1). However, males’
involuntary participation in sex trafficking is referred to as “survivor sex,”
commonly seen in many runaways and homeless youths (“Human Trafficking and
Modern Day Slavery 1). In addition, the evolution of human trafficking has been
assisted by the advancement of technology, creating cybersex trafficking (1).
Cybersex trafficking is “sexual arousal using computer technology,
especially by exchanging messages with another person via the
Internet” (“Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery” 1). Given these points:
technology, profits, and desires are factors that have heighten human
trafficking, creating a significant trepidation in most of the population.
Let’s look on how the reflection of the history of human trafficking has
affected societies, families, and individuals.
Social
Effects
As she walks anxiously through the parking lot, unceasingly
checking her surroundings, she holds her breath as she locates her car. Her
heart starts to race when she realizes that it’s only her and another man
walking in the same general location. She then tightens her grip on her bags
and places her car keys between her fingers as she creates a fist. She plays
the scenario of the man grabbing her from behind and plans each step: First,
she will drop her bags and use her car keys as weapon. Second, she will scream fire in hopes of catching a stranger’s
attention. Third, she will do everything she can to escape his grip by
head-butting, biting, and kicking. Fourth, she acknowledges her odds of
overpowering her abductor, prays for her life, and begins to mentally play all
her memorable moments. She prepares herself for her notional abduction to come
to life, as she finally reaches for her car door, the man walks past her and
enters his car. He then turns on his engine and drives in the opposite
direction.
Focusing in, susceptible individuals are constantly at
unease with the possibility of them becoming victims of human trafficking. At a
young age, fear is instilled in hopes that the horrors of modern-day slavery will
produce awareness and safety. As an individual, the risk of being a victim
contracts the amount of trust one might have with others. In addition, it
strips people of their freedoms: being indoors by certain hours, the lack of
wanting to be alone or independent, and their sense of safety. This epidemic
forbids the relaxation of women, children, and fathers as it has become more
common in heavily populated areas, such as Houston.
Zooming out, human trafficking affects relationships. As a parent
or guardian, you fear for the safety of your loved ones, fear them being
abducted for the use of labor or sexual exploitation, fear of them never coming
home. Your worst nightmares cause you to act abruptly, overacting when your
daughter shows up ten minutes past her curfew or when she doesn’t respond to
your text immediately. It causes you to
enforce stern rules: approving your children’s friends, restricting them on how
they present themselves, or even monitoring their movements. In this instance,
the uneasiness of the security of your family members may lead you to restrict
their freedoms, potentially causing disconnect within the relationship.
Overall, human trafficking has a negative impact on
individuals, families, and societies. The lack of freedom produced by the fear
of human trafficking oppresses the quality or state of being humane.
Examples.
Lastly,
Kristi Click, a teacher at Clear Springs High School who aids human trafficking
victims after they are rescued, gives us an insight on her personal experience
caring for a victim named Angelia:
When Angelia was 18 years old she ran away from her
childhood city, Dallas, to start her new life in Houston. With family issues at
home, she contacted her friend who offered her a place to stay. Having a petite
figure, blonde hair, and blue eyes Angelia’s friend persuaded her to join the
modeling business. She participated in several photo shoots until the day when
her cooperation didn’t matter. Her third photo shoot was an organized abduction
that was setup by her friend, beginning a race to the end of her virtue. For
many months, she was forced to have sex with paid customers in plywood
constructed rooms, which soon became what she called home. She was threatened for her life daily, punished for
practicing basic freedoms, and lived in inhumane conditions. While in
captivity, she was forced to take drugs and drink alcohol, disabling her state of mind.
All these events created an unrecognizable image, leaving behind a
humbled and battered soul. Fortunately, more than a year later, Angelia was
rescued by a local church, where volunteers would go undercover and offer aid
to sex trafficking victims. She was then put under the care of Mrs. Click.
Angelia was described as unstable,
unware, and terrified. For an entire year, Mrs. Click retaught Angelia
basic manners, encouraged her to take college classes, and attended her
counseling and AA group meetings. (Click)
Solutions
In
the Sixteenth Century, once a victim became enslaved, it was impossible to
escape. A victim would be in slavery for a lifetime, and even their children
were born as another man’s property;
this continued for generations after a death. Fortunately, in the 19th century
slavery was officially abolished with the passage of the 13th
Amendment (“The 13th Amendment of the US Consitution.”1). However,
modern-day slavery or human trafficking is still occurring, and the question
has become, what can you do as individuals to end this heartbreaking epidemic?
The
most crucial solution is to act when human trafficking is first detected. As a
community, it’s an essential to understand the indicators of human trafficking
and know the steps needed to be taken when recognized. There are several
questions a person should consider in order to help identify a victim of human
trafficking:
·
Is
the person fearful, timid, or submissive?
·
Is
the person disoriented or confused, show signs of mental or physical abuse?
·
Does
the person have bruises in various healing stages?
·
Does the person appear to be coached on what
they say?
·
Does
the person have freedom of movement?
·
Is the person often in
the company of someone to whom he or she defers? Or someone who seems to be in
control of the situation, e.g., where they go or who they talk to? (“Indicators
of Human Trafficking”1)
When a victim
is identified, you should immediately call the proper authorities should be
called immediately, by dialing 911 or “The 24-hour National Human Trafficking
Hotline at 1-888-373-7888,” explaining the situation and the location of the
sighting (“15 Ways That You Can Help Fight Human Traficking”1). “The 24-hour National Human Trafficking
Hotline is one of the most extensive data sets on the issue of human
trafficking in the United States and provides several ways to contact them: via
phone calls, texts, TTY, and live chat rooms (“We’ll Listen, We’ll Help” 1).
“Over 40,000 human trafficking cases have been reported to the NHTH in the
United States, with 720 of those cases being reported in Texas (1).” Using
these resources to detect human trafficking and report incidents can allow
hundreds of victims to be rescued and brought back to their loving families.
Another solution, is “volunteering
and supporting anti-trafficking efforts in your community,” such as church
organizations. These groups rescue victims, provide safe havens, and assign guardian angels to individual who are
recovering from the horrors of modern-day slavery. As stated by Mrs. Click,
many of these organizations “reteach victims basic manners, encourage them to
further their education, and accompany them at their support groups” (Click).
Participating in these associations, allows victims to return to society and
live the life they were planning to have before their forced involvement, as
seen in Jeri Williams claim, “It was people saying that ‘I see you and I care’-
that was the thing, I think, that turned things around for me the most”
(“Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)- Human Trafficking Public Awareness” 1).
The last solution, is raising
awareness about the Human Trafficking Epidemic. Raising awareness helps the
public understand what human trafficking is, the outlook of this epidemic, and
hopefully spread the desire to fight against modern-day slavery. Along with
there being a greater understanding, raising awareness can provide more
opportunities for victims through funding. For example, having financial
resources allows organizations to be able to pay for a victim’s necessities
after they are rescued; because most of the time, a victim arrives only with
what they are carrying on their personnel, such as clothes and small bags.
These organization can also provide a safe place for these individuals to stay
while they get back on their feet and reconnect with their family members. This
can be a long period of time, because of the fear that the escaped victim may
put their family endanger. This is a common reason why an individual won’t
report their situation when given an opportunity. Another reason why raising
awareness is important when people being heavily advertised through posters,
billboards, and infomercials is because, it creates more chances for a victim
to communicate to the authorities. As a result of providing awareness, the
severity of human trafficking is lessened through educating others, creating
resources, and publicize assistance to individuals.
Given these points, everyone can be a part of solving the
modern-day slavery epidemic through involvement, knowledge, and sympathetic
behavior.
Absurdity and Camus
“Absurdity is the quality of being
ridiculous or widely unreasonable,” which is seen in the human trafficking
epidemic (‘Absurd” 1). As this epidemic is on the rise, the government and law
enforcement agencies turn their heads on the issue and its victims. This is
brought to light through Elijah Rising’s Van Tours, which “offers free,
two-hour tours of high-probability trafficking sights in Houston (“Van Tours”
1).” These tours indirectly show the absurdity of the government; this is because
police officers are aware of what is occurring at these sites in “Houston,
Cypress, Spring, and Katy,” but still fail to rescue these suffering
individuals that are being sold for sexual exploitation across the street from their
favorite restaurant (1). The government is supposed to protect its citizens and
provide justice to the harmed, but these victims are being overlooked and
forgotten, and this validates the system as absurd. This statement supports
philosopher Albert Camus, “who questioned the mechanisms of the government”
(Adam 1). Albert Camus was a mid-twentieth French Algerian theorist, writer,
and moralist who was recognized for his challenge against the norm (Cruickshank 1). He believed that life was pointless and was “defined as a metaphysical tension or opposition that
results from the presence of human consciousness—with its ever-pressing demand
for order and meaning in life—in an essentially meaningless and indifferent
universe (Simpson 1).” Therefore, to the people who want to understand their
misfortune, there is no purpose on why things occur, such as human trafficking.
To the people who want to end this epidemic, they should not be contingent to
the government, they should create their own opportunities for change through
revolution. To people who want to end limitations, “the only way to deal with
an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an
act of rebellion (“Watch Now Preview” 1).” Albert Camus opens the eyes of his
readers on why we do the things we do and the meaning of our existence as
individuals, to hopefully prevent philosophical suicide and to answer our
perplexing questions.
Conclusion:
“600,000 to 800,000 children, women, and men are captured
and sold across international borders every year and exploited for forced labor
or commercial sex” (“What are the Statistics on Human Trafficking of
children”1). Modern-day slavery is becoming a major problem in the United
States, specifically in Houston.
Everyone is a potential victim of this epidemic and everyone can help
put an end to human trafficking. Make a change now, before your loved one’s
picture is displayed on a missing person’s report.
Work Citied
“15 Ways That
You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking.” U.S.
Department of State,
U.S. Department of State, www.state.gov/j/tip/id/help/.
“Absurd.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/browse/absurd.
Adam.
“PHILOSOPHY - Albert Camus.” YouTube, YouTube, 15 May 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQOfbObFOCw&feature=youtu.be
Click, Kristi. “Human Trafficking .” 20
Mar. 2018
Cruickshank, John. “Albert Camus.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 18 Jan. 2018,
www.britannica.com/biography/Albert-Camus#ref1062.
“Human Trafficking and Modern Day
Slavery.” Introduction and History of
Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery, 2018, pp. 7–27.,
us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/86866_Ch_1.pdf.
“Indicators of Human Trafficking.” Department of Homeland Security, 21 Nov. 2016,
www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/indicators-human-trafficking.
“Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) -
Human Trafficking Public Awareness.” Office
for Victims of Crime (OVC) Human Trafficking: Public Awareness,
ovc.ncjrs.gov/humantrafficking/publicawareness.html.
"Slave Labor." Science and Its Times, edited by Neil Schlager and Josh
Lauer, vol. 1, Gale, 2001. World History in Context,
https://ezproxy.com.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CV2643450097/WHIC?u=txshracd2496&xid=5941207c.
Accessed 20 Mar. 2018
Sue, Caryl. “A History of Slavery in the
United States.” National Geographic
Society, 4 May 2017, www.nationalgeographic.org/interactive/slavery-united-states/.
Simpson , David. “Albert Camus
(1913-1960).” Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/camus/.
“The 13th Amendment of the U.S.
Constitution.” National Constitution Center – The 13th Amendment of the
U.S. Constitution,
constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendments/amendment-xiii.
“Watch Now Preview.” Photo : Preview Images, www.beruskakocarky.com/preview/quotes-from-the-rebel-camus.html
“We'll Listen. We'll Help.” National Human Trafficking Hotline, humantraffickinghotline.org/
“What Are the Statistics on Human Trafficking
of Children?” Ark of Hope for Children,
arkofhopeforchildren.org/child-trafficking/child-trafficking-statistics.
“What Is Human
Trafficking?” Department of Homeland
Security, 21 Nov. 2016, www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/what-human-trafficking.
“Van Tours.” Elijah Rising, www.elijahrising.org/van-tours/.
Young, Patricia. “Timeline of Human
Trafficking.” Human Trafficking Timeline,
Rutgers University, www.eden.rutgers.edu/~yongpatr/425/timlines.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment