A letter to my readers

Dear loyal readers and supporters of this all-important (yet not publicized) cause: 

I write to you all today to let you know that the frequency of my updating could - and most likely will - significantly decrease. I am increasingly busy at work, and will have more work to complete for my master's degree. 

I don't want anyone to be under the impression that I am abandoning the cause, especially when it can be construed that I have smited others for doing the same thing. I am not abandoning the cause or this blog - and I do not want anyone who reads to abandon it. The lives of trafficking victims cannot be abandoned any more than they have already. 

Please have a look at the Educational Links page of this blog - it will show you how to join others who display passion for ending human trafficking - many of whom I spoke about in posts. I encourage you to become involved - perhaps by starting a blog of your own. If you hear of a news story involving human trafficking - positive or negative - send me a note at marygrace.donaldson@gmail.com and I will write a post on it. 

While we may not end trafficking altogether, we have it in our power to work toward that goal. Always keep that in mind. Thank you for your readership. 

-- Gracie 

Well, it's about damn time.

More good news today out of Washington - and from multiple news sources, including Bloomberg and Fox News.

While members of the generations ahead of me are not always partial to the world of social media, I hope that this story could change their minds and help them to see one of its great benefits - according to an assistant FBI director Ron Hosko, authorities rescued 105 children from sex slavery on July 26-28 via a sting operation. One of the main resources used to locate victims? You guessed it...social media. Classified ads were also included in "the sweep," but both were clear components to the operation.

According to Bloomberg reporter Phil Mattingly, "the three-day operation covered 76 cities and 230 federal, state, and local law enforcement groups." In addition to the 105 children who were rescued, 150 pimps and "other people" were arrested.

The operation, titled "Cross-Country," has apparently been "the seventh of its kind as federal and state law enforcement authorities have increased their focus on child sex trafficking in recent years," and is part of "FBI's 'Innocence Lost' Initiative."

I almost want to take back everything I have previously stated about government authorities prior to this post - but I don't want to go that far. Perhaps the problem in locating trafficking victims does not stem from the federal government, but rather from local governments not recognizing victims when cases are brought to their attention, as in Utah's SECURE Strike Force.

The other problem, other than governments, can relate to news coverage. We don't know about trafficking cases because they are not publicized. We have to search through Google "news" search results in order to find cases relating to human trafficking. This sting operation is quite the story - however, after visiting the Fox News homepage, it was nowhere to be found - it was only found after searching through the site and Google "news" search results. I am hard-pressed to say that I can find the story anywhere else except for local news outlets - even CNN did not carry the story.

I give a lot of credit to the FBI for pursing "Operation Cross-Country." I hope to see more of these operations in the future. I just hope that the public gets to hear about it without the aid of extensive Google searches. These types of stories could motivate everyday citizens to either donate to an organization like Love146, or the Not Today Coalition. They could inspire volunteer efforts and future building of safe homes. All we need to have is more publicity - I can only imagine someone who is not educated in the issue reading the story, and feeling amazed that human trafficking even occurs in the United States, notwithstanding the need for an FBI sting operation spanning 76 cities.

Update!

If you're interested in learning more about Mitch Moxley and his adventures, you can order his book, Apologies to My Censor: The High and Low Adventures of a Foreigner in China, here.  I know I plan on it!

Hell in Mongolia

My media professor passed this article along to me over the weekend, knowing full well that I would be interested.

In spite of the sad nature of the article, which is actually an excerpt from the author's book Apologies to My Censor, I need to acknowledge that I was truly captivated by Mitch Moxley's writing. His descriptions of what visitors may have no choice but to witness upon a visit to the Mongolian cities Erlian and Maccu. It made me wonder - are captivating, first-hand accounts by witnesses to this Hell another method of spreading awareness of trafficking? Surely, someone who has never addressed the problem previously could be intrigued by reading an article (or a book, for that matter) of this type.

Moxley and his former co-worker Tom Mackenzie had worked together on Asia Weekly magazine, and were now looking for freelance work since the magazine had gone under. After their former boss gave the tip of "sex sells," they initially thought about writing a story on the night club, housed in their home area of Beijing - "Maggie's, the night club frequented by lonely expat businessmen, certain China Daily foreign experts, and Mongolian prostitutes."

The former co-workers did their homework, and discovered that "between 3,000 and 5,000 Mongolian women and girls [are] lured and forced into prostitution in foreign countries each year." They next surmised that they would have to visit the cities of Erlian (apparently, a "thriving oil town" as well as a "major human trafficking hub") and Maccu ("the Las Vegas of Asia").

The trips proved difficult, but for the sake of spreading the word, they were worth it. Moxley recounts walking through the streets of Erlian with Mackenzie and their photographer - they hired a driver to essentially give them a tour of the old city. Even the hotel had condoms and sex toys in the dresser drawer - what Moxley refers to as "the first signs of Erlian's sex trade." The center of town is occupied by a statue of a woman, and Moxley discusses just how foreign he and his cohorts feel walking through the center street lined with nondescript brothels - "in glass-fronted rooms, women of varying ages were curled up on couches, yawning and watching television."

The cohorts even had the opportunity to speak with some of the girls - one who they interviewed in a brothel in Erlian stated that "they took us to different rooms in a hotel and and showed us Chinese girls who had been raped. They said, 'Take a look, this is what will happen if you don't do this.'"

The situation in Maccu, as Moxley describes it, was worse. Moxley makes sure to mention that the hotels lining the "strip" in Maccu are the same name brand hotels that line the Las Vegas strip - the Wynn, the Venetian, just to name a few. However, while they were "just as impressive as their Vegas counterparts," they "felt soulless." The cohorts, disguised as clients, even had the opportunity (if we can even call it that?) to attend an auction involving women being used for sex.

I do not want to use this post as a complete paraphrase of Moxley's work - it would certainly not do it justice, and I certainly recommend that you read his complete text (maybe I will too!). Perhaps a story like Moxley's - and the work put in by him and Mackenzie and their photographer - will make front page news and assist in spreading awareness. We are so far away from the problem (at least in this particular case), and such a vivid account can have the potential to bring the problem further into our consciousness.

This is not a movie, folks. This is real life. The only way for Moxley and Mackenzie to get into the auction was to pose as the very thing they were (are) trying to fight. The market is so secretive (though Moxley does recall solicitors coming up to his group in the street and very secretly asking if they wanted girls) that the only way in, to rescue or to spread awareness, is to go undercover. The courage of this group goes beyond comprehension.

A response to a fellow blogger, and his idealism

It appears I'm not the only cyberspace writer who is discussing human trafficking and sex slavery - a member of another anti-slavery coalition/foundation has contributed a blog post to Fox News, and he makes some fair points.

Brent Martz produced a film titled "Not Today - The Movie," promoted by the Not Today Coalition. The coalition, as does Martz' contributing post, focuses on the problem of human trafficking in India, specifically Dalit women (see "Who are Dalits?" for more specifics) . The title of the post is actually "Human trafficking will not end until it ends in India." My first response (prior to actually reading the post): Why?

Turns out Mr. Martz essentially knew I'd be coming up with the question, as he raises the question himself: "But with 27 million modern-day slaves around the world, 100,000 of which are child prostitutes in the United States, why do the Dalits matter?" I'm glad he could essentially read my train of thought - I don't feel so ignorant anymore. 

Martz goes on to say that "the Dalits matter because human trafficking will not come to an end around the world, until it comes to an end in India." Yeah, okay, so it's a big issue in India...but what else? It's a big issue in the U.S., Russia, and Kenya too. However, Martz backs up his hypothetical questions with facts. He cites statistics direct from the U.N., which indicate that "India is the epicenter of human trafficking - including 100 million people, with 1.2 million child prostitutes." These statistics alone lead to a statement of fact from the U.N.: "the most dangerous place in the world to a girl or woman is India." 

I don't usually tell personal stories in my posts - or write about tangential topics - but before I continue to discuss statistics, I have a relevant experience that I need to share. Upon my graduation from college I worked for four and a half months as a crowd control worker in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World in Florida. Around mid-fall (November, prior to Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season) I'd noticed an influx of tourists of Indian descent coming to visit the Magic Kingdom - all of who came toting toddler-age or younger children. The parents had a different urgency about the manner in which they monitored their children that was different from the parenting of their American counterparts. In one particular case, an adult of Indian descent approached me about getting first aid for her child who was suffering from asthma. I directed her and her child toward the first aid pavilion, which seemed to be a workable solution at first. On our way to the pavilion, the mother questioned me about if her child would be supervised while receiving care, if the child would get lost while waiting for first aid, and other questions about her child being lost - that at the time, seemed irrational to me, especially since Disney World is so well-staffed.

I asked a friend of mine who I know from high school, who is of Indian descent, why parents who share her culture are seemingly obsessed with making sure their kids don't get lost - and she had an answer that makes even more sense now (after reading this blog post) than it did at the time. The parents are afraid of kidnappers.

However, Martz' story goes on to state that Dalits give up their children to slavery "for a mere $17." He also makes another excellent point - that Dalits are not well trained in self-esteem as members of the lowest caste in India's former caste system. The caste system is long since outlawed - but government officials do not even have the decency to inform the Dalits that they no longer have to worry about castes.

Martz' does go on to give what ultimately turns out to be a commercial for the Not Today Coalition; however, he is quick to offer solutions to the trafficking problems among the Dalits. He discusses education, "teachers who believe in them [Dalits]," and "community" before going to details of his Not Today Coalition. The coalition's goal is to "fund 1,000 schools, affecting 25,000 communities, impacting 500,000 Dalit children per year."

Clearly Mr. Martz has done his homework. The numbers seem idealistic, but his type of idealism is what is needed to combat the worldwide problem of sex slavery. Maybe it does start in India and it will grow - it certainly has to start somewhere. Idealism - rather than half-assed legislation - is what will spark what Mr. Martz calls "doing" rather than "shouting." 

New Legislation in Nevada!

If you've been a faithful reader of my blog, you'll note that many of my posts - or at least parts of them - contain elements of sarcasm, especially in relation to the United States government as well as foreign governments and their attention (or lack thereof) paid to the worldwide problem of human trafficking.

I am happy to report that I have finally found a state government that is working to create stricter legislation to assist in combating trafficking, and what's more, they are even involving a charity to assist in its work. As I read the story from USA Today about new anti-trafficking laws and harsher punishments for traffickers in Nevada, my heart soared. Finally, some hope. Finally some relief to know that foundations, such as the Reno, Nevada-based organization Awaken, Inc. are bringing the problem to the attention of the government - and offering potential solutions to it. These organizations such as Awaken, Inc. have done their homework. They know how trafficking victims have a chance to be saved, and the systems that need to be put in place to save more victims. It makes sense that they are being called upon to assist government officials in Nevada with their legislation.

Martha Bellisle of the Reno Gazette-Journal originally covered the story - but here is one more positive point: USA Today actually picked it up. National coverage on a local story about sex slavery and human trafficking. I have one word: finally. 

"A bill passed by the Nevada legislature and signed into law by Gov. Brian Sandoval in June [2013] toughened penalties for pimps and created new opportunities for the treatment of victims. The next step will be a change in the public's perception of the crime as well as the prostitute's perception of herself and her predicament, experts say." I am glad to read all of this information - but what caused the sudden urgency for increased legislation - in Nevada in particular?

Well, the answer to the Nevada related half of that question should be obvious - the legislation came as a result of research conducted in Reno. It started with an apparent "steady increase of sex trafficking in Northern Nevada," then leading to this "increased effort...to try and save the exploited girls and prosecute their pimps." Pimps, who are requiring the girls they pick up for the purposes of sex slavery to get identifying tattoos. Seems awfully resemblant of Auschwitz.

However, Awaken, Inc. seems to truly have identified a problem in Reno - and further into Las Vegas. The organization's staff has started a new project - to create a home for former trafficking victims right in Reno. Such a home exists in Sacramento, CA, but victims who are rescued in Reno currently have no place to live once they have been rescued.

Awaken, Inc.'s founder, Melissa Holland, is currently leading the Reno effort - her organization is actually based in Reno, and "has been raising money through private donations and a grant to build a transitional home for sex-trafficking victims in Reno."

And that's not the only good news out of Nevada. Assembly Bill 67, which went into effect on July 1, "made trafficking an adult a category B felony that carries a three-to-10 year sentence. Exploitation of a child is now a category A felony that carries a maximum life sentence."

While I cannot be certain that this new legislation, as well as the diligent effort made by Melissa Holland and her contemporaries will reduce trafficking cases across Nevada (the article also states that trafficking numbers are even higher in Las Vegas than they are in Reno - unfortunate, but not a surprise), I am pleased to see that there is a focus on trafficking, and only on trafficking (not to say that other crimes are not important). We need more Melissa Hollands.

Trafficking: No minor problem, even for minors. Or for Utah.

Every time I look for a new story to post on, my mind actually plays a game with itself. My first thought is "ooh, am I going to be able to update the blog? Is there a current, relevant story on human trafficking that I can write a piece on?" My second thought is, "isn't that sad that I actually am hopeful that I will find a story on human trafficking?" However, I am always successful in finding a new story to base a post on - and to some degree, that's sad. It means that there is always a current event in the world of human trafficking - that doesn't nearly receive the coverage that it should. It requires a Google search to find, but it is still entirely current.

This post was no exception - I clicked on the "news" tab on Google after typing in "human trafficking" and sure enough, here was this story from a metropolitan area paper in Utah, the Salt Lake Tribune. Reporter Jessica Miller tells the story of a 17-year-old girl - who, unfortunately, follows the pattern of being trafficked to the U.S. from another country - and was forced into sex slavery.

Stop for a second - 17. A minor. I don't think I knew what sex slavery was at age 17.

The story goes on to indicate how the girl (who only goes by her initials, M.R.) was recruited by the leader of a Utah prostitution business, Luis Daniel Arano-Hernandez. He had "threatened to harm the teen's family and have her deported if she failed to participate in prostitution."

Wouldn't you know it - there is legislation in place in Utah, too - but it is not directly anti-trafficking legislation. The article states that "the SECURE Strike Force started in October 2009 to target major crimes by and against undocumented residents." Apparently, there has been some success with the legislation in question, too; "The Utah District Attorney's Office reported that during the past two years,  the strike force has investigated 338 cases and arrested 120 people for crimes including human trafficking, identity theft, illegal drugs, guns and other violent crimes" (see the 2009 press release on the SECURE Strike Force).

The issues here are all important. We should be cracking down on identity theft. We should figure out whether or not we want to legalize weed, and if we do decide to keep it illegal, to work toward an end to drug trafficking. We should decide where we stand with regard to gun control. But...wouldn't one hope that all of these issues would require separate legislation, not just some broad task force designed to stop all the crimes...but wait...only those committed by immigrants?

I certainly know nothing else of the laws of the state of Utah, so I'm really not going to pretend like I do. However, while it is true that there is a pattern with human trafficking and immigrants, shouldn't the legislation put in place to stop trafficking be concerned with all possible suspects of trafficking? I understand that immigrants need to be further investigated in trafficking cases - the numbers don't lie. But this SECURE Strike Force seems more like broad legislation put in place to stop immigrant crimes - and not concentrated legislation that is designed to stop all cases of these crimes. I would be saddened to find out that the SECURE Strike Force is the only legislation in the state of Utah that is concerned with human trafficking cases (there may be an update on this later...).

Luis Daniel Arano-Hernandez received five years to life in prison for keeping M.R. and other girls as sex slaves for his business. His four cohorts decided to cooperate with the police in exchange for reduced sentences. I guess none of the perpetrators were entirely intimidated by the SECURE Strike Force.