Human Trafficking in the United States

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In 1865 the United States passed the thirteenth amendment of the constitution which formally abolished the practice of slavery in the United States. Over a century has went by since this day, and yet somewhere behind the mask of freedom that our country holds with such pride lingers a hidden trade. This is the trade of modern day slavery that remains prevalent in our country. Despite the freedoms we are granted as a citizen of the United States,- human trafficking is an enormous issue that is often overlooked. In fact very little light is shown on this topic, but the awful reality is there. Every day women, children, and even men are kidnapped, taken from their families, and forced into free labor and sexual exploitation. According to a new report from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center as many as 9,298 cases of human trafficking have been reported in the past five years, but these are only the instances in which it has been reported. Furthermore the report also shows that from December 7th, 2007 to December 31st, 2012, cases of human trafficking were reported in all 50 states. Just how many more stay under the radar? One of the definitions given for slavery is the state or condition of being a slave; a civil relationship whereby one person has absolute power over another and controls his life, liberty, and fortune. Life and liberty, these are paired along with the pursuit of happiness in the preamble to the constitution. Slavery emphasizes the idea of complete ownership and control by a master. This is exactly what these slave owners do. They take away an individual's alleged God-given rights as a human being The legal definition of trafficking does not require elements of physical restraint, bodily harm, or physic... ... middle of paper ... ... girls or boys, women or men. These innocent people are deceived and bought and sold like property. There are so many American based organizations with the fight against modern day slavery in third world countries, but yet the issue seems overlooked in the U.S. Whether it be a matter of turning a blind eye or simply not knowing human trafficking takes place every day, in every state in the United States of America, home of the free. These issues must be brought to light so that more efforts can be made to put an end to this terrible trade. Works Cited Kara, Siddharth. Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. New York: Columbia UP, 2009. 5. Print. Lerner, Sara. "Human Trafficking In The U.S.: One Woman's Story." NPR. NPR, 31 July 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2013. Unknown. "Human Sex Trafficking of U.S. Minors." WND. N.p., 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

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