Month: September 2008

Drawing from the recent book A Crime So Monstrous, this article chronicles some of the modern-day slavery movement, which includes human traficking to the U.S. Author and journalist Benjamin Skinner puts this in perspective:

“traffickers turn up to 17,500 humans into slaves on American soil every year. Put another way, assuming you read at an average speed,” Skinner writes, “by the time you finish this chapter, another person will have entered bondage in the United States.”

The article notes that the problem in the U.S. difficult to resolve because the sex-traficking in the U.S is so intertwined with law-enforcement corruption. Perhaps more suprisingly, we are told that the high level of pornography viewing in the U.S. is a contributor:

The deeper root of the problem can be tracked back to growing acceptance and use of pornography. The United States is crawling with pornography customers. In fact, recent numbers reveal that pornography brings in an annual $12 billion—that is more than sporting events or any other entertainment venue.

To make a difference, get involed with some of the groups battling human trafficking: Free the Slaves, International Justice Mission, Shared Hope, Children of the Night, and the Call + Response movement.