“The CIA estimates that between 50 000 and 100 000 girls, boys and women are trafficked annually into the United States to be pimped out or sold for forced sex. Worldwide more than 1 million people are trafficked across international borders against their will.”
“We are not finding victims in the United States because we’re not looking for them.” – The U.S. State Department’s Advisor on Trafficking.
The movie Trade does an excellent job in opening one’s eyes to the horrors and reality of the modern day sex trafficking industry. In other words, if one were to parallel the movie Blood Diamond to the movie Trade, it would go like this: Trade is to the sex trafficking industry, as Blood Diamond is to the diamond industry.
If this is such a serious problem, why are so many people unaware of it?
When people hear about sex trafficking, most people are disgusted at the thought of buying another human being for sex. After all, how can we treat other human beings as objects? This conjures up thoughts of slavery and dehumanization.
However, when you speak to pimps or people actively trading other human beings for sex, you will never hear them say that this was their dream job growing up. In the same way, when you speak with rapists or pedophiles, they will always admit that they never thought they would get this far. I’m sure you can agree with me when I say that there are no children who dream about growing up, raping others, and having sex with children.
Then how do people get to this point in their life?
“…each of you is tempted when you are dragged away by your own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15)
In other words, it’s a progression.
When you ask pedophiles, rapists, and pimps how they got to that point in their life, they will all say the same thing – it started with viewing others as objects. In other words, when one views pornography, one isn’t looking at a human being anymore, one is looking, lusting, and fantasizing over an object.
You don’t believe me? Well, here’s a question to all of you who have looked at pornography before: When you were looking at pornography, did you ever stop to think about that person’s life story? Does that person have parents? Brothers? Sisters? Children? A spouse? Where does that person live? Is that person doing it voluntarily or are they also forced and chained into the sex industry? What if that person was your daughter? Would you still look at those images? The fact is, no one ever thinks about those questions when they look at pornography because those who view pornography have begun to see people as objects.
However, there comes a point when pornography isn’t enough. Therefore, those individuals go to strip clubs. The same thing happens in strip clubs. Even though one is viewing real human beings, one still doesn’t ask those questions or consider that person to be a human being. As a result, one will not treat the stripper as a human being, but only as an object that can be bought for one’s own entertainment. It’s dehumanization.
After that, strip clubs won’t be enough either. Therefore, those individuals will begin to buy prostitutes. And the same thing will happen again. After that, prostitutes won’t be enough either, etc. The cycle just keeps on spiraling down and down. You get the point, right? It’s a progression.
The fact is, sex trafficking exists because there’s a demand. Prostitutes exist because there’s a demand. Strip clubs exist because there’s a demand. Pornography exists because there’s a demand.
Are you fueling that demand?
If you are, you are fueling sex trafficking.
…the truth hurts sometimes…
How did we ever get to the point where we valued our own lives and selfish desires over another human being’s life?
*sigh…*
tell me about it…
In fact, my friend and I have been to Vegas just recently and it was our first time. I couldn’t react anyhow then disgusted when saw all those people ad-ing girls in 20 min-s. What is that?! I don’t think I’m in demand for that or any of my friends or majory of people here, but all I have been hearing since I came to US is that people are obsessed with sex, that the most important thing for them in this life. Cannot say that it’s unimportant for me, but it’s not all I think about.
Men say compliments like hot, sexy, etc. Why not beautiful, gorgeous and millions of other better compliments. Do they mean they want to have sex with you when they say to you that you are so sexy?? I don’t know. But there is one thing I will never understand- why we go to the movie theatre and see people eating people, killing, so much violence, I don’t know which is better for our kids and society- pornography or violence?
Both are not good, but do we have demand for violence? Then we are fueling all kinds of other crime….
Its extremely painful to see sex trafficking occurring. I thought that society had come so far from slavery yet, here we go again. I am really upset to hear about it in other countries that are not as advanced as the US, where there is nothing people can really do. But in the US, where technology is advanced and we have all of this surveillance to prove this, we still haven’t managed to stop it. History really does repeat itself.
Hey Sangi, it’s Sunny from old Philly. Just wanted to stop by, and say hi. I think it’s really awesome that you take the time to write about social justice issues like this one, and tie it in with the Bible. It is definitely to have an understanding of what is going on outside our safe haven. Have you heard of the documentary, Call and Respond? (or response?) it is a documentary on human trafficking, that gives you like a billion ways to respond to the documentary at the end. Its creating quite a storm here. If you are interested in these kinds of issues, and haven’t heard of it, I recommend it! I am going to see it myself on Wed.
Hey,
I’m curious as to where you got this statistic:
“The CIA estimates that between 50 000 and 100 000 girls, boys and women are trafficked annually into the United States to be pimped out or sold for forced sex. Worldwide more than 1 million people are trafficked across international borders against their will.”
You have it quoted, but a search of google only shows in on your site. Can you give me the link so I can search it out myself?
Hey Sunny,
Great to hear from you! I heard about the documentary, and my wife and I really want to see it. Did you see it yet? How was it?
colbystream,
I got the statistic from the movie Trade. They quoted it at the end of the movie.
Do you happen to know where they got their statistic?
hey daniel!
i appreciate this post. a few weekends ago, i ran in my city’s annual marathon (team relay) to raise awareness and money for love146 – an organization that works to abolish child sex trafficking and exploitation. have you heard of it? it’s based in Connecticut – love146.org
Dear colbystream,
I’m not too sure, but I do know that a lot of the movie was based on an article that someone wrote for one of the major newspapers in the States. If you rent the movie and watch the extras, they talk about it.
Here’s a bit more information that’s on their site: http://www.tradethemovie.com/get_involved.html
Dear danso,
Congrats man!! No i haven’t heard of it. I’ll definitely look into it more.
Blessings
Hi! I am grateful for the related info on human trafficking that I found here… I am part of an advocacy project here in Northern Mindanao, Philippines, it’s called awareness raising on sex trafficking. Should there be any materials on trafficking that you know of, I hope you can share as well. Thanks.
Hi!
That’s great. My wife has a lot of information on human trafficking. I’ll give your email to her.
🙂