By Michael Walker, Staff Writer
The Saint Leo Colony of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Incorporated will be hosting their very first Human Trafficking Educational, which is a campus wide event that will bring awareness to this hidden crime that is happening around us every day “I’m Not For Sale”: Human Trafficking Educational was hosted with The SLU International Justice Mission. Human Trafficking Awareness is one of the sorority’s colony philanthropies. The sorority’s focus was to educate their peers on the facts and statistics on this form of “modern day slavery”. Most people think human trafficking does not exist and that it is not a problem but hundreds to thousands of women, boys and girls are being trafficked this very second.
Human trafficking is an inhumane crime against our fellow humans. Abducting another human being and then selling them into sex and slavery is a crime for the buyer and seller. Would you believe that human trafficking happens in our very own backyard? “Florida ranks third in human trafficking in the nation… Three children in TAMPA were among 105 children rescued nationwide last MONTH during a FBI sex trafficking sting operation. “It is a crime that surround us every day. It is not just in underdeveloped countries but also within our own nation.
This stomach turning crime is sadly difficult to prosecute and very hard to find evidence for leaving an almost invisible field that allows the crime to continue. FloridaNOW Trafficking said “The U.S. Department of State estimates that about 600,000 to 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked across national borders annually. If trafficking within a country’s borders is included, this figure drastically increases to approximately 2 to 4 million people, according to official U.S. estimates.”
It is a known fact that children are now using technology at younger ages. There are using social medias and have the ability to network with millions of people around the world. These criminals are looking for young naïve children to take advantage of. This has become an added step for the modern time before offering candy to little kids. They get a feeling of friendship and trust and eventually try to meet in person where they are stolen.
Many women are drugged at parties and bars right in the open. They are constantly sedated and essentially used as mindless sex dolls who are unable to control their own bodies. It is a sickening crime that leaves many victims not only physically hurt with sexually transmitted diseases and whatever sick things they went through but emotionally scared. These victims will have to go through extensive therapy to try to get their life back but many do not recover. Many victims commit suicide or are killed never leaving the trapped and stolen life that they lived.
Human Trafficking Awareness Day is on January 11th. Many organizations promote the awareness of human trafficking in hopes of decreasing numbers of people being ripped away from their life and loved ones. Pray for the ones you love. You never know who could be gone tomorrow.
