Slavery Still Exists

Last Wednesday I flew home from four days of fighting human trafficking in New York City as part of the Price of Life NYC.  Friday we watched Journey to Freedom at Large Group to introduce the topic to the Fredonia campus in preparation for our own Price of Life campaign in March.  Today, as I enjoyed the quiet of my own home, I've had a chance to reflect on what the human trafficking trade means for me and wrestled with the hard subject.
There 27 million individuals in slavery now.  Women and children make up 80% of the industry.  As I see these facts, I am thankful that I have been able to live without free of being trafficked so far in my life.  I know that no one is truly safe though and I hurt for those children who have lost their childhoods.  As a teacher, I know the importance of education and I have built strong bonds with some of the students, including many who are between 11-14 (the average age to enter prostitution in NYC).  I can't imagine these students living the lives that I saw through the movies, pictures, and events in NYC.  My heart aches for the families of those involved, knowing many of them are runaways.
My own childhood was filled with many great memories and in reflection and comparison, very little hurt.  I had and still have the freedom to go where I want to go, buy what I want to buy (within reason), and do what I want to do.  Those who were telling me what to do had my best interests at heart and wanted to see me grow up to succeed.  Now as I hear of the sexual exploitation of minors and women, I'm sickened.  What must go on in someone's mind to think that having sex with a fourth grader is ok? or an 8th grader?  Adults need to learn to control their bodies and to not abuse the future generation or other individuals.  The fact that slaves can be bought for as little as $90 or even $200 is disgusting.  Can't they see that those are the boys and girls who live right down the street?  They could be their siblings or cousins?  They are innocent children and that no one deserves to have their freedom taken away to be sold, especially not repeatedly to strangers.  One of the most disgusting things I heard of was sex tourism.  In some parts of the world, you can ask for a girl or boy, any age without questions.  Usually from an orphanage these children who already don't have families to show them the love they deserve, are picked up and given to the men for money.  (Note: Other places on the top 5 destinations for sex tourism have legalized prostitution.) Regardless, I can't even fathom how this could be ok in someone's mind.
Now before you think that I'm all innocent and haven't contributed to human trafficking at all, you're wrong.  No, I have not contributed to the sexual exploitation of anyone, but I have contributed to the labor exploitation of men, women, and children.  See I (like many of you), own a smart phone, wear clothes made of cotton, and eat food imported from other countries.  Some of the raw materials are mined by children or are picked from the fields by workers who aren't paid and have no choice to be there.  As York Moore said at a Price of Life event at NYU "There is not a single person who hasn't contributed to the exploitation of marginalized people."  This hit me hard as I realized that I wasn't innocent, but I was part of the problem.
I want to be part of the solution.  It's not an easy thing to end slavery, but as I sit in my apartment, close to where paths on the Underground Railroad led slaves to freedom in the 1800's and today roads that move slaves into continued bondage, it's time to change.  I am choosing to LoGOFF: To buy local, green, organic, and free trade whenever possible.  I'm blessed by being surrounded by local farms and gardens so I can know where my produce comes from.  I am going to continue to share information about the human trafficking problem as awareness is key to fighting it.  Many are still unaware and some choose to not believe, but the problem exists anyway.  I want freedom for the children to be children and the women (even college students and internationals) to learn and choose where they want to be.  Freedom is something worth fighting for.  "None are free if any are slaves."
Join with me for a community is needed to fight and faith is needed to win.