Believe it or not, there is human trafficking occurring in the United States. Every year, between 14,500 and 17,500 human traffic victims are brought to the United States. There are so many stories about the FBI bringing down a major human trafficking ring in rural areas. However, no one talks about them. No one looks for the signs of human trafficking victims, or looks for traffickers of those victims. We need to take this problem more seriously. Just because we live in a small area does not mean that human trafficking does not take place.
It is a hard subject to acknowledge, but it is something our communities need to talk about. Human trafficking is a violation of human rights. We should try to look for signs of trafficking in our communities. We have the ability to help victims of human trafficking. The way to do that is talk about it with our friends, family and neighbors. We can start local groups in the community to help raise awareness.
There needs to be more news on the rescuing of trafficked victims. I believe that people feel like it does not happen that often because we do not hear about it. Major news outlets do not cover it; there are some local news stories on the subject, but it does not make national attention. In order to help a situation, we must acknowledge its existence. We must discuss ways to change it. The problem does not go away by choosing to ignore it. It does not get better when we do not open our minds to the harsh realities of the problems of the world. It is existential to our lives to speak out against this injustice in society. Any one of us, or someone we know, could be forced into human trafficking by someone at some point in their lives.
We need to talk to our representatives about this issue. We need to talk to our local law enforcements about this issue. We need to express our concerns to let local officials know we care about this problem because it is one that needs more attention. We need to know what policies are in place for this situation so we can be informed if it ever comes across our path. We should know what victim services we have for those who have been trafficked.We can volunteer at shelters for victims, fundraise to make shelters or give victims clothing and food. We need to strengthen the bonds between us so we can help each other, especially in the darkest hours of people’s lives. Even though the numbers seem small, they are not just numbers. They are human beings who have feelings and wants and needs. They are just like us; they have only been placed into a bad situation.
I firmly believe that we can help lower the rates of human trafficking in the United States. I believe we can do that by talking about it, knowing what the signs of trafficking look like, and by contacting local leaders and authorities to help address the issue. Just because there does not seem to be many victims does not mean they do not deserve our attention. Just because it is a very sad situation does not mean we should ignore it. We need to advocate for them and try to raise awareness about the situation of human trafficking because it does exist in small communities, and it does not have to be someone from another country that it is happening to, it could be someone from our hometown. That is why it is important to discuss it and open our minds to the harsh realities of it, because it can happen anywhere at any time to anyone.
