First Presentation: Human Trafficking

     I have to say that I was very impressed with the first group presentation. It was informative as well as creative and fun. I particularly liked the game that we played at the end, "CandyLand: Human Trafficking Edition." It seemed funny while we were playing but I think the message was very clear. The path of human trafficking can be very much like a game. Your journey is utterly out of your control and you never know what card life will deal you. Some get lucky and are rescued and their struggle is short while others are dealt hands that lead to death. Physical, mental, and emotional abuse, the risk of sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy are just some of the negative effects that sex trafficked women go through. 

     It amazes me sometimes how major problems and human rights violations go on like this all of the time and how little most people are informed about them. Most Americans think that in our perfect little bubble world nothing like this can happen but as the group pointed out we import many trafficked humans into THIS country. The American public is in many ways sustaining this terrible and profitable crime. In a modern world where slavery has supposedly been abolished people are being bought and sold like animals and forced against their will to do dangerous and degrading work. It is sad to see that not enough is being done to stop this terrible industry from progressing further. Instead this criminal industry grows larger while more people's lives are being lost.