Monday, 11 April 2011
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For Sale: The Little Girl Next Door
Editor's Note: April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Sex Trafficking is just one form of the horrible child abuse that occurs every day in our world.
Don't worry guys. I brought my own soap box for this.Ever since 12th grade when I picked up the book Sold written by Patricia McCormick I've been privy to the god awful world of human trafficking. I've raised money, written paper after paper, annoyed all my Facebook friends, and spent countless nights crying myself to sleep over the horrors of the sex trade.
You think I'm kidding about the last part, but really, I'm not. For those of you who are unaware, the United Nations defines human trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons by means of threat, force, or other forms of coercion, deception, or the abuse of power against a person of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation.
It happens everywhere, including the grand ole US of A. To quote the U.S. Department's Adviser on Trafficking, "We are not finding victims in the United States because we're not looking for them."
Trafficking victims are so difficult to find for a number of reasons, but the main reason is normally as simple as fear. Traffickers keep their victims terrified to ensure that they'll never run away or inform the authorities of the hell they're really living through.I'm sure most of you have heard of or seen the movie Taken which stars Liam Neeson. If you haven't, the movie follows a father who will stop at absolutely nothing to rescue his daughter from the 32 billion dollar industry known as the slave trade. Although I found Taken to be a difficult movie to watch, it pales in comparison to the film I watched tonight.
Trade is the story of a 13 year old girl, Adriana, from Mexico who is literally grabbed off the streets of her hometown and forced into the all-to-real underground world of sexual slavery. Following the trail her captors leave is the little girl's older brother, Jorge, who is determined to save his sister. Both Jorge and Adriana find confidantes who help them tremendously during their trek from Mexico City to New Jersey. Below you'll find the trailer to the movie.
I'm not going to lie to you, this is the most difficult movie I've ever had to watch. I had to pause the movie on three different occasions due to the intensity, however, I'm glad I watched it. Prior to watching this film I thought I understood the horrors each woman, girl, and boy endure once sold into slavery, but now I realize I didn't have a clue.
Right now, as you're reading this, a little girl has been trafficked into the United States. Everyone should see this movie, no matter how difficult it is to watch. What would you do if it were your sister or daughter kidnapped off the street while riding her bike? It sounds unbelievable, but believe me, it's happens. You can make a difference in the lives of little girls everywhere.The point of this post is: a human being should never be up for bidding. If you'd like to donate to ending human trafficking, please follow this link: Traffick911 or Children of the Night
On the off chance that an actual trafficker is reading this post right now: You are unbelievably cruel, and one day you will pay for your cruelty. Hopefully in the form of your blood and guts on the ground.
Were you aware of the horrors of human sex trafficking? What do you think you could do, personally to bring awareness to this and other horrific acts of child abuse?
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About the Author
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- From: clumsyandunaware@xanga
- About Me: I know what it's like to be afraid of your own mind.
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Comments (41)
This is horrible :(
I'm in Mexico as a missionary right now and I know how scared everyone is to let their daughters outside alone. They tell me never to walk around alone down here because I often do, I guess I should be more careful. :X Gah I want to help these girls out :(E! also had a segment on the sex trafficking of minors on the other day that I watched. They showed the story of a 13 year old (i think) that was kidnapped and forced to prostitute herself to men. It was a heart wrenching story but did a good job portraying what is happening in our own back yards. Fun fact, Toledo, Ohio is one of the largest sex trafficking of minors in the United States. I find it awful that people can take an innocent child and turn them into an object/commodity for consumption and money.I don't know how those people sleep at night....
I've cried myself to sleep over social horrors, as well.
I remember when I was a senior in high school. I worked at a school supply store and even though I showed her websites and statistics my coworker REFUSED to believe human trafficking happened in the states. She thought it was something that only happened in third world countries.
I'll definitely have to check this movie out. I watched the movie Taken and it was hard for me at times to get through certain scenes without feeling disgusted or overwhelmed at what was happening. You never imagine these kinds of things being done but the reality is it happens all too often. Thank you for this post.
thanks for this post - as disturbing as it is... i'm the father of a 13 year old - who i don't like to leave out of my site (we live in an urban area) and this kind of thing scares the bjesus out of me... my wife and i watched taken with our daughter - have many discussions re: these issues... makes me sick...
these people (takers, sellers, buyers) all deserve to rot in a most vicious and dark place...
Human trafficking is a very scary thing and hard to read about but everyone should most definitely be aware of this horrible crime! Thank you for this post!
Yeah I am all too aware of this horrendous problem. It makes me want to start assassinating the people responsible one by one.
@Yoru_Kendo@xanga - Ditto. If I could, I would make a career in killing those bastards.
"Hopefully in the form of your blood and guts on the ground."
Oh, that makes you just as bad as the people trafficking my dear. Also, at least on the Mexican-US border, quite a few of the traffickers and handlers are often forced into what they do just as much as the sex slave themselves.
Watched Taken when first came to theater. Took our kids (13 and 15) with us.
It was very hard to watch and at times I looked away.
Afterwards we talked about it and had a longer discussion with our daughter. (she has long blond hair, blue eyes, looks older than 13. what sickos generally look for)
We need to talk to our children and make them more aware. Teach them what to look for and stay away from. In general how to defend themselves better.
Sometimes all you can still isn't enough.
Our justice systems doesn't deal with these freaks severe enough.
I for one do not believe in "being reformed."
Have you seen "Human Trafficking"? I first saw it on lifetime. Pretty powerful
this is such a sad reality.
@Me_LeaderoftheWorld@xanga - I don’t know squat about the demographics and sociology behind this awful trend. But I can tell you about the popularity of Toledo, Ohio from the POV of a Michigander.
I was born in Toledo and grew up in a little rural village just inside MI. Michigan’s legal drinking age is 21. Ohio’s is 18. It’s been that way forever, since I was in high school, back in the 1960’s. If you were an underclassman, how did you get your beer? Prevail on a Senior to accompany you down to Toledo.
That already makes it a popular spot. You have a bunch of major urbanage, both in northern OH & southeast MI. You have the proximity of Windsor, Canada, up by Detroit, MI.
And suddenly the convergence of geography, population, and whatever, makes a horrible kind of sense. A macabre one-stop-shopping; courtesy of the purveyors of the sex trade, for the convenience of a young horny clientele and all the other bottom-dwellers who troll that tainted water.
@wrybreadspread@xanga - I am also a michigander but was born in Ohio, so I understand where you're coming from. The sociology and demographics behind the trend isn't based solely on Toledo's population but because, as you pointed out, the convergence of geography. The main reason is due to I-75 and I-80. It is very easy to pick a girl up and then transport her out of the state via the main highways before anyone notices she is gone. Since it's such easy and quick access, the traffickers can go north, south, east and west quickly and discreetly. Also because of the population and high traffick volume from trucks, trucker stops are a prime place for "pimps" to market these underage girls, without question or suspicion.
@randaness@xanga - Me, too. Just not this one.
We all have our causes, I guess.
@wrybreadspread@xanga - ohio's drinking age is 21 now. has been for quite some time. Grew up in ohio and for asong as i can remember its been 21. trust me if it were younger my HS years would have been very different.
i will definitely be watching this movie sometime. i actually watched "taken" again today. it's a great movie. it breaks my heart, though, what people can do to innocent children. how can you find any pleasure in that? thanks for posting this.
Monsters that do this to fellow human beings! I wish that out law departments would hurry up and add a remote viewing squad already specifically to track down missing persons anywhere they might be as surely the victims of this awful trade must be - at least for the most part. Then when they find the creeps who did it, make them do the most hazardous, demeaning, nasty jobs there are without pay in order to pay back in karma what they did to their victims. Give them a taste of their own bitter medicine and see how they like it!
People who prey on others make me sick. There is a part of me that wishes that I weren't aware of how awful the world is, but I would never want to be that powerless to do what I need to do to protect my children. It scares me that in reality it is out of my control. I can teach my children to be smart, to be aware etc. but I do not have the power to control the will of people that are monsters.
mmm, indeed this is a terrible act that happens in the world and I doubt it will ever stop. I will try to watch those films
Gardens of the Night is an incredibly disturbing, yet well made and good movie.
Oh come on, if a little Mexican girl went missing in real life the police or anyone for that matter wouldn't give a damn.
Sad but true. Then again, it's just a movie.
I also recommend going to http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/ It has awesome ways that you, your friends, family and coworkers can work together to help fight the sex trade. There's even a map that you can use to track and help arrest local traffickers in your community. There's something for literally everyone can do on this site. Not to mention all the really awesome handmade merchandise you can buy from former slaves working to rebuild their lives.
@momblycat@xanga - aha. color me outa the loop. thanks for that update.