If you've been watching/listening to the news this past week, you've probably heard of the FBI sweep that rescued hundreds of human trafficking victims and arrested 150 pimps recently. This is an issue near and dear to my heart, and one that has been swept under the rug for far too long.
As I approach my wedding day, occurrences like this break my heart even more. These young people come from homes where they feel unloved and unwanted, and they will deal with the repercussions of what has happened to them for the rest of their lives. More than likely, they will feel used, dirty, and unworthy for years, even if they are lucky enough to receive counseling and treatment (which isn't all that likely, since laws for human trafficking are only now being brought up and enforced like they should be, much less funding for after-rescue treatment.) Will they be able to love themselves enough to allow another human being to love them, to tie their lives together? Will they be able to find one who will look over their terrifying past and be strong enough to take on that burden?
It breaks my heart.
What breaks my heart more is that by doing nothing, we are the perpetrators. By turning a blind eye, and by perpetrating an objectifying culture, we are responsible for letting this happen.
It's unpopular to point out because it has become so mainstream, but the porn industry is one of the biggest components of human trafficking. For every "star" who is willingly making a living through pornography, there are two people who have been forced or coerced into appearing in this "entertainment." When did entertainment become more important that human freedom? When did this complete objectification become okay to the point where the broken families and broken people became just another unfortunate side effect?
My friend Sindy wrote a post about this that says more than I could on her blog (here.) I encourage you to read it, and I hope that as this issue becomes more visible, our eyes as a society will be opened so that we can take steps to eradicate this horrifying crime.
