Callie Hagen
Human Trafficking
Edmund Burke once said, “Evil
flourishes when good men do nothing”. This truthful statement is applicable to
many different social and criminal issues in today’s world. Starting in Africa in
the 1600s with the slave trade to America, the enslaving of people has always
been an issue. However, it has taken a turn for the worse. Human trafficking is
a rising issue and some say, is the modern slavery. Human trafficking is, as
defined by Merriam-Webster, “organized criminal activity in which human beings
are being treated as possessions to be controlled and exploited (as by being
forced into prostitution or involuntary labor)” (Merriam). There are over 27
million women and children who are trafficked each year worldwide (The Issue). It
is a rather unknown issue in the United States and it is common among Americans
to think it is only a problem overseas. However, in 2012, Lexington had a first
human trafficking case that hit home and brought the issue to people’s
attention. Human trafficking, the modern day slavery, is a worldwide and
national issue, but it has impacted Lexington and can potentially spread to
other parts of Kentucky if it is not brought to the public’s attention.
Worldwide, human trafficking is
enough of an issue that it has its own list of the worst countries. However, it
is important to remember the statistics of human trafficking are loosely based
because the large majority of cases abroad will never be reported; also, that
every statistic is of lives deeply affected by cruelty and crimes against
humanity (Knight 2). There are fourteen countries on this list, which are
primarily in the Middle East. Unfortunately, there are fourteen more countries
then there should be. Of these countries is Syria, who is actively trying to
combat the human trafficking that is occurring on the Iraqi border. There is an
anti-trafficking law that is currently moving through Syrian parliament, which
will be the first law against human trafficking in the Middle East (14 Nations).
It is estimated that 50,000 women and girls have fallen victim to this
prostitution ring as they are lured across the border in search of jobs but are
forced to be sex slaves (Davenport-Hines). These women are in extremely vulnerable
situations to begin with, often in poverty, before being offered a job abroad,
which they are desperate for (Knight 3). Without this law, women arrested for
prostitution without a passport will be convicted regardless of prostitution whether
she was trafficked or not. Women and girls are also brought across the border
to be sold as wives. The prices for young wives can be up to an astonishing ten
thousand dollars. It is even common for the man of a family to rent out his own
female family members as prostitutes (Davenport-Hines). This is a world where
you have to people are skeptical to accept a job in another country in fear of
their human dignity. Events like these are so common in places like Syria that
they are no longer covered by the news. One campaign against worldwide human trafficking,
which brought a lot of media focus, was Kony 2012. The campaign was run by an
activist group called the Invisible Children. The group released a thirty-minute
viral video in March of 2012 that quickly became a national phenomenon. In
focuses on Joseph Kony who in Uganda and adjacent countries kidnaps children,
forces them to kill their parents; he makes the girls become sex slaves and
boys become child soldiers (KONY). These boys are forced to fight for Kony and
do such horrific deeds such as disfiguring people’s faces. These intense crimes
against humanity landed him first on the world’s worst criminals list of the International
Criminal Court. The video informed the
American public of the injustice that was taking place in Uganda (About).
Previously, the issue was completely unknown but once informed, people took
action. The same exact thing can be the done across the world to put an end to
human trafficking.
As previously stated, human
trafficking has made its way to the United States. There is an estimate of
100,000 children across the nation in the sex and labor trade each year. Thus, it
can also be presumed that the number of total human trafficking victims, both
children and adults, must be twice this number. Overall, the state with the
highest percentage of crisis calls reporting trafficked victims is California
receiving almost sixteen percent of the nation’s total reports (Polaris). States
that are along the Mexican and Canadian borders are more subject to trafficking
because the victims can be smuggled across the border (Polaris). Although sex
trafficking is most well-known and common type of human trafficking, labor
trafficking is also becoming a large issue. The Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 defines it as “The recruitment, harboring, transportation,
provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of
force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary
servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery” (Polaris). Trafficking is the
modern version of slavery in both of its forms, labor and prostitution. People
are treated as possessions and are forced into prostitution rings or unpaid
labor, just as slaves brought from Africa were treated as property and then
used as a business asset, being sold from plantation to plantation. In this
way, slavery is still very present in the world, but is now called human
trafficking.
Kentucky, as of 2012, has been the
setting of a very horrific human trafficking case. Marco Antonio Flores-benitez
is the first person in Kentucky to be convicted of federal sex trafficking
charges. Flores-Benitez, Roxana Serna-Olea, Adrian Lezama-Ruiz, and Roberto
Salias-Riviera ran an interstate prostitution ring based in Lexington, which
was busted in November 2011 (Kegley). All of the accused pleaded not guilty. Flores-Benitez
was the leader of the operation according to the courts, who scheduled the
arrivals and departures of prostitutes. The team also operated a brothel at
Cross Keys Drive, also in Lexington. Salinas-Riviera kept the women rotating to
different cities like Nashville, Indianapolis, and Atlanta to try to avoid
being caught (Kegley). However, clearly their efforts failed. As a result of
all of these charges, he was sentenced in July to fifteen years in jail. The men
brought at least one woman from Mexico telling them that she would get a good
job with a cleaning service but ultimately persuading or forcing them into
their prostitution ring. Serna-Olia was sentenced to four years on persuasion
charge, while the other two members await their trials and sentences (Kegley). A
case of human trafficking has been identified in every county of Kentucky,
proving that it is no small problem that can simply be tucked away under the
rug. The amount of trafficking directly corresponds with the demand within the
population, meaning that bigger cities like Louisville and Lexington are more
susceptible then a less populated smaller city (Knight 2). The problem is
magnified with a large increase of people to a certain area. In Kentucky’s
case, this would be during the Kentucky Derby. At this time, “human trafficking nearly
doubles in our state, as a large number of tourists / visitors come into town
and create a greater demand for products and services that exploit human
beings” (Knight 2). This brings human trafficking to a place that we can
control and that effects the residents in Kentucky and in the United States.
Putting an end to human trafficking
is, in original thought, quite simple; unfortunately nothing is as easy or as rudimentary
as it seems. Human trafficking is, from an economic standpoint, “a market-driven business that relies on
the aspects of supply and demand.
Simply put, human trafficking exists because we create the demand for its
existence” (Knight 1). This is clearly visible in the Kentucky Derby in
correspondence with demand. It is the fastest growing criminal enterprise of
the twenty first century, generating nearly thirty two billion dollars in
revenue every year, half of which is from western nations like the United
States (Polaris). It is also the second largest organized crime industry in the
world, next to the drug trade. It is estimated, due to its rapid growth, that
human trafficking is predicted to surpass the drug trade in growth in a mere
five years (Knight 3). This relationship between supply and demand can only be
stopped by the decrease or expiration of the demand. Thus, “We create the
demand, we create the problem” (Knight 1). Certainly, the issue needs to be
addressed in the public arena, which would illuminate the problem and shame the
perpetrator. However, to put an end to human trafficking, “there must be a
collaborative effort between governments, businesses, organizations,
communities and individuals. Together, they need to find solutions that work in
their community, and enact them everywhere” (Knight 1). This is the formal side
of the crusade against human trafficking which uses legislation and business
transparency. Although, the informal side is where the momentum will come from.
Awareness and action are what anti-human trafficking institutions are focusing
their efforts on. The founder of the Lexington based organization, Slavery is
Real, Austin Knight says that he first became aware of human trafficking from a
Frontline documentary that focuses on sex trafficking in Eastern Europe. The
documentary followed a suspected trafficker, talked to escapees, witness an
escapee return to prostitution, and a woman, Katia, being returned to her
husband. The documenters caught the traffickers on camera. Olga was videotaped
selling girls while Apo and Maria admitted to buying Katia. Both instances were
reported however, never pursued by the Turkish Police. This enraged him and was
inspired to work actively against human trafficking as a freshman, entering
college at the University of Kentucky and “witnessing the rampant verbal and
sexual abuse that I was
witnessing on both UK's campus and other campuses that I had the opportunity to
visit” (Knight 1). After relating his experiences with the documentary he had
seen, he was determined to stop the terrible things that were happening in the
world. This is what needs to happen, but on a national level by the combination
of informal and formal sides of the battle against human trafficking. Giving
the public a sense of awareness, will lead to action in the struggle against
modern day slavery.
As
previously mentioned, the Kony 2012 movement did wonders for the fight against
human trafficking, but there is still a long way to go. The largely successful
films Taken and Taken 2 have directed much attention. A teenage girl takes a trip
abroad with a friend and an outgoing man they just met offers them a ride from
the airport. After dropping them off, abductors come back to the apartment and
take them to be sold into a sex ring. Although they somewhat inaccurately
displays who the human trafficked people are, the initial idea is theoretically
possible (Knight 3). The point is that the public was shown the injustice of
human trafficking and also by the audience siding with Liam Neeson’s character,
it brought hatred and disapproval onto the people who run human trafficking
around the world. Films like this are a form of awareness that institutions are
trying to advertise and promote the issue of human trafficking as a way of
informing people. This is also done through website, speeches, awareness
materials, and charities (Knight 2). Their other goal is action. Activists try
to educate people about human trafficking and to do something about it. They
provide the public with ways to make a difference like donating, educating,
volunteering, and reporting any instances of crime (Knight 2). Another part of
the action goal is what kind of action one is participating in; a volunteer can
have a neutral impact and or a positive impact. Both are influential and help
combat the modern day slavery. Neutral Impact is making sure that as a
volunteer or activist, you do not want to be contributing to any form of human
trafficking (Take Action). This helps lower the demand involved with human
trafficking. Positive Impact is taking “direct action by creating a positive
change in the issue of human trafficking through donating, volunteering and
educating” (Take Action). This type of action is exactly what these organizations
are working to accomplish. It is possible, that the key to putting an end to
human trafficking may lie in these instrumental organizations.
Here
in Kentucky, as well as all over the country, efforts are being made by
organizations to help put an end to human trafficking. Based in Louisville,
Rescue and Restore Kentucky has been actively working toward a human
trafficking free future across the state. They have a branch in Lexington,
which is called Slavery is Real and is run by University of Kentucky student,
Austin Knight. Recently, Slavery is Real teamed up with “Jessamine County Educhasers to
compete in the 200 mile long Bourbon Chase, an overnight relay that runs
through the beautiful state of Kentucky” (Events). This event was called
Strides for Freedom. Prior to the race, they raised five thousand dollars to be
put towards the end of human trafficking. These are the kinds of efforts that
organizations like Slavery is Real are doing across the country as well as
internationally. Human Trafficking was the platform of the 2010 Miss Michigan,
Katie Lynn LaRoche (Michigan). Miss Michigan has her own charitable
organization that works directly with an anti-human trafficking organization
called Mati Nepal. During her work after winning her title, she raised money
for her charity in Nepal, with a very unique fundraiser. One school in every
district did a fundraiser on May 1 2011 for human trafficking. However, all of
the schools competed against each other to see which school could raise the most
money for One World One Future and the winning school will receive both a
trophy and a cash prize (Michigan). It was highly successful at raising money
and awareness for human trafficking in both Michigan and Nepal while her
presentations to the student bodies helped inform the younger generation. Through
these examples, clearly there has been a lot of time and effort being put forth
to educate people of the modern slavery and to stop human trafficking in
Kentucky, in the United States, and in the world.
It is now evident, that human
trafficking has become a very relevant issue in the World, the United States,
and even here in Lexington. Slavery has shaped itself into another form and is
once again threatening people’s freedom. It is a right that we need to stand up
for and protect. In human trafficking,
statistics aren’t just statistics; they are people who’s “lives have been
utterly destroyed by this crime, beyond the point of any hope for recovery”
(Knight 2). However, using tactics such as the Kony 2012 campaign, we can shine
enough light on the issue for more laws to be made against it and for an
eventual expiration. Human trafficking is real and just like slavery in the United
States, needs to come to an end.
Works Cited
"About."
LRA Crisis Tracker. Invisible Children, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.lracrisistracker.com/>.
"
Davenport-Hines, Richard. The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics.
1st American
ed. New York: Norton, 2002. Print.
"Events."
Slavery Is Real: Fight Human Trafficking. Slavery Is Real, 2012. Web. 12
Nov. 2012. <http://www.slaveryisreal.org/>.
Human
Trafficking." Def. 1. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Web. 30 Oct.
2012. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/human
trafficking>.
"Human
Trafficking in Kentucky." Public Broadcasting Service. PBS. PBS, 10
Feb.
2010.
Video.ket.org. Public Broadcasting Service, 10 Feb. 2010. Web. <http://video.ket.org/video/1409927026/>.
"Human
Trafficking." Polaris Project. Polaris Project, n.d. Web. 01 Nov.
2012. <http://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/overview>.
"The
Issue." Slavery Is Real: Fight Human Trafficking. Slavery Is Real,
2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.slaveryisreal.org/>.
Kegley, Josh.
"Kentucky.com." Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal
Sex-trafficking Case. Lexington
Herald-Leader, 25 July 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.kentucky.com/2012/07/25/2270482/man-sentenced-in-federal-sex-
trafficking.html>.
Kentucky.com,
26 Sept. 2012. Web. 23 Oct. 2012. <http://www.kentucky.com/2012/09/26/2351739/university-of-kentucky-
student.html>.
KONY
2012. YouTube.
YouTube, 5 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc>.
Knight, Austin. Personal Interview.
9 November 2012. "Take
Action." Slavery Is Real: Fight
Human Trafficking. Slavery Is Real, 2012. Web. 12
Nov. 2012.
<http://www.slaveryisreal.org/>.
Michigan
Human Trafficking Task Force Video Contest. Dir. Freedvideo. Perf. Katie Lynn
LaRoche. YouTube. YouTube, 27
Apr. 2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYimh9TVFRs>.
"Victims
of Human Trafficking." KY Rescue and Restore. KY Rescue and
Restore
Coalition Partner Agencies, July
2012. Web.
"14
Nations Named Worst Human Trafficking Offenders." Futures
Without Violence. Futures Without Violence, 24
Nov. 2008. Web.
12 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/content/news/detail/871>.
Further Exploration:
No comments:
Post a Comment