Modern-Day Slavery

Human sex trafficking is the most common form of modern-day slavery.

As reported by Think Progress "The ugly truth is that it is less risky and more profitable to sell a girl than crack cocaine or meth. The U.S. government spends 300 times more money each year to fight drug trafficking than it does to fight human trafficking."

The FBI reports that the terms human trafficking and sex slavery usually conjure up images of young girls beaten and abused in faraway places, like Eastern Europe, Asia, or Africa. Actually, human sex trafficking and sex slavery happen locally in cities and towns, both large and small, throughout the United States, right in citizens' backyards.

The majority of these children being sold for sex are girls between the ages of 12 and 14.

How can we as a society allow this to happen?  How can we not make this one of our highest priorities as a nation?  This is not a political issue, this is a human issue.  The lives of many young women are at stake.  Why isn't this getting the attention it deserves?  

---

By no means am I an expert on this subject.  I was aware that human trafficking existed but had no idea of the magnitude.  It is my hope that this post raises awareness and in some way helps to bring this issue to the forefront.  Below are two organizations that are committed to this effort:

• Human Rights Project For Girls

• Demi and Ashton Foundation
  

---

In remarks at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, President Obama calls human trafficking a debasement of our common humanity that tears at the social fabric of our communities, distorts markets, endangers public health, and fuels violence and organized crime. September 25, 2012.

I implore you to visit the websites mentioned and support them in their efforts to combat human trafficking.