Now a days, slavery deals with human trafficking and sex. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines human trafficking as subjecting a person to “force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor.” There are 12.3 million slaves world-wide today, including the thousands of children working the cocoa plantations of east Africa.
In the U.S., there are 100,000 to 300,000 American minors (starting at age 12) exploited by pimps every year. Visualize an overhead shot of the sold out Rose Bowl stadium on New Year’s Day. Now double or triple that. That’s what 100,000-300,000 people looks like.
As many as 17,500 slaves are brought to the U.S. each year. California basically serves as the welcome wagon for these victims. Los Angeles leads the list of the FBI’s High Intensity Child Sex Trafficking Areas. San Francisco and San Diego also make the top 10. California’s large markets and ports make it a hub for human trafficking. But, also the state’s penalties against traffickers are less than golden. In California the time does not fit the crime.
In 2005, California passed AB 22 California Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Under which trafficking of a minor is punishable by 4, 6, or 8 years and trafficking of an adult is punishable by 3, 4, or 5 years. These numbers are less than the penalty for rape and kidnapping. These prison terms are ineffective because victims are reluctant to testify in court if the perpetrators are going to be back on the streets in fewer months that it takes to pay off a car loan. Also, the current laws make it tough to prosecute the pimps who do not use “physical force” of minors they’ve got working for them. Instead, the girls are arrested for prostitution.
Many groups and organizations are trying to eradicate human trafficking. These include Oasis, Polaris, Free the Slaves, Shared Hope International, Stop the Traffik, and Captive Daughters. One group, California Against Slavery (CAS), is attempting to get a ballot initiative passed which will enact stronger state laws that remove the profits from human trafficking and increase the penalties to the criminals.
CAS, a non-partisan human-rights organization, hopes to put the initiative on the 2012 November election ballot. Getting an initiative on the ballot takes a lot of time, money, and ink. CAS needs roughly 750,000 signatures of California residents. There will be an intensive signature gathering effort this fall. That is, of course, if CAS can raise a needed $1 million to fund the effort.
The CAS ballot initiative, if passed, will dramatically increase prison sentences for those convicted of human trafficking in California. It will also greatly increase the fines. It will allow those caught in sex trafficking to be registered as sex offenders. It will make it easier to prosecute sex trafficking of minors. And it will call for a mandatory two-hour minimum of law enforcement training.
My first question after looking into this issue was why aren’t our state politicians tackling things? The answer: Politics. Due to the state’s economy and prison overcrowding there is unwillingness in Sacramento to pass any bill that’s going to cost money or increase prison terms. Meanwhile, the crooks get richer while avoiding a trip up the river.
This weekend is crucial for CAS. The group is hosting walk-a-thons to spearhead its fund-raising campaign. On Saturday, August 27, CAS is having a walk-a-thon in Fullerton, CA at Craig Regional Park. Then on Sunday, August 28, there will be walk-a-thons in Bay Area at San Leandro Marina Park and in San Diego at Harbor Island Park. The events range from a two-mile stroll to a competitive 5K race. There will be speakers and information booths from many other Anti-Trafficking groups. Please check out the CAS website at californiaagainstslavery.org for more information.
If you can’t make the walk-a-thons this weekend you can donate on the CAS website. You can also register for updates. I ask you to consider forwarding the CAS website to your friends and relatives. You can spread the word through Facebook. However, these words on your screen may not be enough. I urge you to go to the CAS website or the sites of the organizations mentioned above. Read the stories of the victims. Watch the videos. Learn how American teenage girls are kidnapped and coerced into prostitution through Craigslist. Watch the story of 11-year-old Ming Dang, who was sold for sex by her parents in San Jose. Learn about Elena, who was trafficked from Peru to Los Angeles by a professor for slave labor. Watch the CNN Freedom Project. Search for MSNBC’s “Sex Slaves in America.”
Without a doubt, this is sickening topic. What is even more appalling is the money generated by this epidemic. How does $30 billion grab you? That’s twice what Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, brings in annually. CAS needs a tiny fraction of that amount to accomplish its goal. Then in November of 2012 the voters can respond. Hopefully, it will be in a manner in which our elected officials have yet to do.
No comments:
Post a Comment