For years we have struggled against the oppression and bondage of slavery. We were told as early on that slavery has been abolished. We have heard the words “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”, engrained in our minds. But is that statement true?

We know about human trafficking because we have been made aware through the many great organizations that come on campus and talk to us. We are made aware of human trafficking in other nations but do not hear enough about those who are trafficked here in the United States.

For years America has initiated war against human trafficking. We have pledged to end all those who suffer from human rights abuses and have asked other countries to do the same. However, we are failing to seek out the thousands who are victims and help them.

We talk about one part of human trafficking but we have to understand that there are two different sides to this violation of human rights. There is “Labor Trafficking” and “Sec Trafficking”. We know about sex trafficking but labor trafficking is slightly different.  Labor trafficking is recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for labor or services using force.

According to the FBI there are well over one hundred thousand children and young women being trafficked in America alone. The ages for those who are forced into this lifestyle range from as low as nine to nineteen. The average age for those who are trafficked is age eleven.

Coming from a family of six kids with the youngest being eight,  to think that she could be labor trafficked or sex trafficked is a revolting thought. The thing is, this could happen to any one of us or someone that we know.

The FBI says that predators are no longer snatching runaway children and kids who have been abandoned. Instead they have developed more sophisticated and intelligent ways. . They prey on children and teenagers weaknesses and they use people they know.

Human trafficking in America is a scary subject that we would rather overlook because we don’t want to acknowledge that it could happen to us. Now is the time to open our eyes and realize that once we get beyond our denial, we can decide to change.