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the majority of us [U.S.] children who are being trafficked for sex sleep in their own beds at night, and their parents are oblivious
Sarah Holliday | The Washington Stand
One of the first striking realities I faced upon entering the political public square was the fact that it’s unbelievably easy to ignore what’s happening around the world. It’s easy because, in many (reasonable) cases, it’s what we prefer. We’d rather not be bogged down by the reality that there have been over 63 million aborted babies since 1973. It’s unpleasant to consider the children who will never be able to grow up and get pregnant or have their natural voice due to irreversible transgender hormones and surgeries. I can’t say I blame anyone for wanting to keep their conscience clean of dirty, messy politics.
But the thing is, these issues are more than just politics. We’re talking about real people. These issues are rooted in the sanctity of life. As believers, we have an opportunity to evangelize in the public square while defending biblical mandates and fighting for them to have their rightful place in laws and public institutions. And while it is easier to not engage in these exhausting conversations, they’re utterly important, and someone has to join the fight. All this to say, one topic I realized many are oblivious to regarding its gravity and vastness is that of human trafficking.
It’s sad and horrific to think about the children who are enslaved as sex-workers. It’s nearly impossible to fathom. But it needs to be discussed. It needs to be fought. The 2023 film “Sound of Freedom” effectively and emotionally conveyed the reality that human trafficking is not only a problem, but it’s an underestimated problem. Children being pulled from their families, shipped to undisclosed countries, and abused by this heinous and criminal system is not only common, but “these things happen every single day,” said Paul Hutchinson, the executive producer of the film, in an interview with The Washington Stand.
Hutchinson, who’s led over 70 undercover rescue missions through identifying kidnapped and trafficked children, urged that what’s truly shocking is we’re witnessing “the first time in history that U.S. taxpayer dollars are being used to fund child trafficking.” That’s “because our taxpayer dollars are being used to pay for the plane ticket or the bus of that child to its new trafficker, because they can make a significantly higher amount of money selling that child there in the U.S., closer to the demand and where the bigger money is, than waiting for an American to come down to Guatemala or Honduras.”
As evidenced by recent testimony from a round table discussion last week, America has a real problem on its hands. Recent data unveiled that “464,922 [unaccompanied] children have been encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection police nationwide,” and at least 85,000 of them have gone missing. Whistleblowers have exposed the fact that the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor are to blame for this. While it’s already concerning that many of these children have been sent to “dangerous locations,” a major motivation behind the whistleblowers testimonies is that many of these children are now victims of human trafficking.
It appears this issue has been significantly exacerbated by the crisis at the southern border. As Hutchinson explained, “I believe that the open border is so much more dangerous than we can imagine. There’s child trafficking going on everywhere.” But it’s not just that trafficking is happening at the border, but that traffickers are coming in at the border.
Hutchinson argued there are many reasons to believe that “there’s an alternative agenda” coming from within the government to “let in millions of undocumented immigrants and … get everybody to go to the polls,” which then gives “some degree of chance of swinging an election.” But concerning how trafficking relates to “the border crisis right now, it’s not only the massive influx of immigrants that could potentially try to swing an election. It’s not only the 85,000 undocumented children … that are unaccounted for right now. It’s also the massive number of military aged males that are coming across the border.”
He continued, “This is an invasion, and it’s being very strategically placed throughout our country, and we need to be aware of that as good Americans that we’re in a very precarious position.” And the fact is, for many, this is news. It’s information not known by the everyday American — and even those in positions of authority, it would seem. And “the reason why we’re so unaware,” Hutchinson explained, is because “we have been force-fed a narrative that has been designed to take us away from the truth.” Alas, here is the problem, and it’s a very real one. So, what now?
From what he’s experienced, Hutchinson said it’s common for people who learn about just how bad human trafficking is in America and around the world to want to help. Which then begs the question: What can be done? “Well,” he stated, “the worst thing you can do is go to Columbia and try to go rescue children. You’re going to get arrested. You’re probably going to get shot.”
For parents, “The best thing that you can do is go home and hug your children.” The harsh reality, as Hutchinson explained, is that “the majority of us [U.S.] children who are being trafficked for sex sleep in their own beds at night, and their parents are oblivious.” In America, he went on to say, “[I]t’s very seldom that a healthy family is going to have their child just taken and put on a container and taken to another country. That’s very seldom.” And yet, regardless of where you live, “if you walk out in your front yard … and you look left and you look right, there’s a very high chance that one of those houses is a very dangerous place for children.”
Because of this, Hutchinson urged that the best way to protect children as a parent is to have “a relationship with your kids where they can very comfortably come to you” and tell you what’s happening if they’re ever engaged by a predator. Kids who become victims are often “controlled through manipulations,” but if you have good relationships, it’s far more likely for them to come to you if they experience what Hutchinson called “grooming behaviors.”
It ultimately boils down to the fact that “we need to be paying attention … so that we can keep our children safe.” But even if you’re not a parent, there are plenty of ways for anyone to take action and help fight against human trafficking. In his upcoming book, “The Sound of Freedom,” Hutchinson outlines more of what can be done in greater detail. But regarding first steps, anyone can plead with their local governments and their states senators and representatives to create laws that combat human trafficking and protect children from these criminals.
“Tougher laws for pedophiles,” Hutchinson noted, is a good place to start. Additionally, we can work to put “better policies in place to keep track of these [migrant] children and make sure that they’re not in these susceptible positions. That’s super important.” And lastly, to echo what Family Research Council often reminds us of, elections have consequences. As he implored, it’s crucial to be “paying attention when you’re going to vote.” It’s up to us to be “very aware of the policies of the people” we vote for. We can’t forget, Hutchinson concluded, “how many vulnerable people, especially … children, are going to be affected by” our votes.
So, yes, it may be easier to ignore these glaring realities. But these children need our help. Even if all we can do seems small, it doesn’t change the fact that we can, indeed, do something. And to fight this blatant, toxic, and widespread evil is worth our every valient effort.
SOURCE: THE WASHINGTON STAND
