Human Trafficking

Brought to [the US] with the promise of a better life, however, upon arrival they are forced into labor and prostitution. It is within our power to rescue these victims and restore their dignity. Fear, powerlessness, humiliation, loneliness. Human trafficking is modern day slavery; it is a crime against humanity. Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Be aware.

In the world today there are over 27 million human slaves. That is more than there were at the height of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade; that is more than the population of New York City, LA, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Dallas, San Diego, San Jose, Detroit, and San Francisco COMBINED.
Trafficking of humans is the 2nd largest criminal industry in the world after drug dealing, and is the fastest growing. Many victims of trafficking are made to engage in prostitution, pornography, or exotic dancing. Trafficking also occurs in forms of labor exploitation, such as domestic servitude or restaurant work, sweatshop factory work or migrant agricultural work.
Force (rape, beatings, confinement), fraud (false offers of employment, marriage, better life), and coercion (threats, debt-bondage, psychological abuse) are methods used by traffickers to press victims into lives of servitude and abuse.

About 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. every year as human slaves. Their plight largely goes unnoticed by the average citizen, and not only is it not just, but it does affect us all.
Below are a few lyrics to a song called "Child of God" by Steve Siler. This is powerful stuff.

I paint on the face
I strap on the heels
I shut down my heart so it won’t have to feel
the hands that don’t know me all over my skin
and the eyes that don’t love me drinking me in

Under this make up
I’m black and blue
The petals were crushed before I could bloom
I didn’t choose this
No one ever would
And I’d break these chains if only I could

I’m a child of God
I hide in plain sight
I’m a child of God
Slave to the night
Powerless, broken, abandoned, abused
Do you see a child of God
Or just a prostitute?
The world looks away and calls me a whore
and each day I die just a little bit more
A disposable person to keep at arms length
Human trash…
Is that what you think?

It's depressing. It's disturbing. It's disgusting.

Click one of these links to see what you can do:

HumanTrafficking.org

Salvation Army Promise Initiative

Not For Sale

Initiative Against Sex Trafficking

Hands of Hope

Faith Alliance Against Sex Trafficking

World Hope International

Project Rescue

Polaris Project

The Protection Project