This month, I urge all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. Together, and in cooperation with our partners around the world, we can work to end this terrible injustice and protect the rights to life and liberty entrusted to us by our forebears and owed to our children.
The above is an excerpt from President Obama’s proclamation of January as Human Trafficking Prevention month. As many of you know, the issue of modern day slavery is one I very passionately care about. Many of us actually believe that slavery has been abolished, when in fact more slaves exist in the world today than ever before in history. What is worse is that most of them are children. It is estimated that 100,000 children are trafficked in the sex trade in the US each year. Labor trafficking (forced labor) is also being identified in various places throughout the US, where men, women and children of all ages are forced to work for little or no pay. This is not just a foreign problem. It is happening right in our own backyards.
Imagine yourself a slave. Imagine being sold over and over in a single day, forced to give your body to strangers for them to do with as they please. Imagine being forced to work all hours of the day for no money. Imagine being someone else’s property, being told what to eat, when you can eat, when you can use the bathroom, that you cannot go outside or have relationships or have any say at all about what happens in your life. Now imagine knowing that all the while there are people in the world who are aware that this is happening to you, but are doing nothing to help you.
Everyone should be an abolitionist. I don’t often insist that people should do something, but I do insist that any free person; any person free and able to choose for themselves and exercise the basic liberties inherent to every human being; take action against this inexcusable crime. I insist that it be found intolerable by every person who becomes aware of its existence. I insist that each person get involved immediately in works designed to put an end to slavery, once and for all. I hope there is no need to insist that one cares. With regard to this issue, I believe there is no neutral ground. There is no excuse to standby and be uninvolved. There is no more loathsome act than the enslavement of one person by another. NO free person should be willing to accept the existence of slavery without vowing to help end it. My opinion of people who continue living there lives as though this is not a reality that affects them is very, very low. We should all be affected by this reality. Deeply disturbed and outraged. If we are not disturbed, if we are not outraged, if we are not moved to do something we should immediately call our own humanity into question. Something is seriously wrong.
If, on the other hand, you find yourself having a normal and healthy response to this issue, then I expect you are anxious to identify sources that will put you on the track to becoming an abolitionist. I recommend the following organizations to help you learn about what is happening and what you can do to help.
This month is the perfect month to turn your attention to modern day slavery. If you have not already, choose right now to become a part of the fight against it. Become a voice for those whose freedom has been stolen. Stand up for those who are being bought and sold. Make the statement loud and clear that you agree, People are Not for Sale! And that you won’t sit back and let it happen.
Death is better than slavery. -Harriet Ann Jacobs
Be you and enjoy it.
