Why is modern-day slavery so rampant??
Why can't sex trafficking just slow down and stop altogether?
What's the common denominator between sex trafficking and today's culture??
It's honestly tough because sometimes it would be so easy to simply let our minds remain untaught and be led to believe that slavery isn't actually that bad. Because, would it be so hard to think that it only happens in other countries and hope that it will never affect the ones you loved?
But it isn't true. It happens in small towns. It happens in big cities. It happens in third-world countries. It happens in contemporary areas. Slavery is everywhere. But why is it such a big issue??
Sadly, we are the problem.We are the common denominator. Slavery continues because of the ramifications of our actions.
But how????
Simply put, we live in sex-crazed culture. Our society promotes objectifying others.
It all starts with education.
Our young men are taught from an early age that it's permissible to look at a woman and see her as nothing more than an enticing figure. Our young girls are encouraged to show 'what they've got' and flaunt all their assets. This continues an unhealthy cycle of promoting the acceptance of objectification. In our society, if women so choose to be scantily clad, men are then given permission to ogle them.
Interestingly enough, according to the thesaurus, the word 'ogle' can be replaced with the phrase to 'undress with one's eyes'. Taking a step back, it's sickening that as a culture our children are taught early on that people can be viewed as objects.
But what next? What happens when these young children grow up into adults? This educates our next generation that looking at somebody with the intent of admiring their body is acceptable. Eventually, this is a stepping stone for viewing images online.
But how does this all connect?
Think of it this way, you're on the internet right this very second. You clicked on the link and started reading this blog. Your computer remembers this site, and related domains will appear for suggested websites.
Every time a link is clicked, your computer remembers and keeps track. Likewise, websites that exploit victims are visited and the numbers escalate. Porn sites advertise the exploitation of individuals. Research has shown that, in astounding reality, upwards of 100% of sex trafficked victims had their abuse documented and filmed. These recordings often show up as porn. Survivors of sex trafficking have reported being tortured and abused when being recorded, even having a physical gun pointed at them from behind the screen.
A survivor once stated, "Porn is nothing more than documented abuse."
People become addicted to the enticing images dancing across the bright screen, not seeing the invisible chains and silent cries for freedom. Disregarding the exploitation, they start longing for more. One video turns into five. Five becomes fifty. Fifty grows into an infinite amount.
But, this creates the demand.
How can people watch porn if no new material gets released?
Thus, the supply must be met.
Innocent victims living their normal lives get dragged into the mess. Traffickers, also known as pimps, search out vulnerable individuals. Through many intricate and methodical processes, these victims get tricked into trafficking. Ruthless and money-hungry, these traffickers will manipulate, coerce, or use force and fraud to acquire their victims.
Sadly, people watching porn often think, "I'm not hurting anyone," as they continue to click, click, click. What they neglect to understand is that with every single click, more innocent victims are being pulled into sex trafficking to meet the excruciating demand, known as porn.
It's a lie that viewing porn isn't harming anyone.
It's a lie that the girls in the videos want to be there.
It's a lie that men can ogle women without any repercussions.
These are some of the untruths that are woven throughout our culture's teachings.
It's heartbreaking that these lies destroy lives.
But what can be done?
We can choose to stand against society and view others as human beings, not objects to be ogled. We can decide not to click on sites that exploit others. We can make a stand for the freedom of the ones with no voice. We can educate the truth, rejecting the lies told by society.
The truth is that people are valuable and not objects.
Let's decrease demand together and help free the victims and stop clicking!
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