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| Image acquired from http://theinspirationroom.com |
I do not believe the question should be as to what should the government do to put an end to human trafficking, but it should b “What should citizens do to help put an end to human trafficking?” I feel this way for two reasons.
The government will never be able to put an end to human trafficking, or any crime for that matter. This is why we should be careful when recommending policies. There is no perfect society in which things that most people see as bad do not happen. For that reason, I changed the question to include the word “help.” Anyone can do things to help human trafficking. Nobody can end it, even the government.
Going hand and hand with the idea that the government can help end human trafficking is the broad notion that government has to do something to help it. Why does government have to step in? Isn’t that just giving the government more power, which it will inevitably abuse? The Bush Administration instituted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act which set up standards and offices to combat the modern slavery. After fours years of the instituted program, advocates for the program were disappointed. What I don’t understand is how they are surprised. Is the United States government supposed to step in other countries and regulate their abductions and kidnapping? If we are consistent in our opinions on foreign affairs, than that appears to be an absolutely dreadful solution. Trying to add government regulations will not solve the problem, but just add more trouble for the government and increase spending.
Thus, the questions still remains, “What should citizens do to help put an end to human trafficking? I must admit, I did not know very much about human trafficking before we watched the film and read the articles. This, I feel, is the very issues. Not enough citizens are aware of this problem. The solution to this is not in government regulations or foreign affairs, but in the action of the citizens. We must fight human trafficking from the bottom-up, not from the top. If we continue to make citizens aware of this modern slavery through films, charities, private companies aiding the fight against human trafficking, then it will begin to appear in the public eye more often. Just look at environmentalism. It is still a problem, admittedly, but multiple corporations have taken aim in making things such as vehicles and house cleaning products that are more environmentally friendly in the midst of the growing concern for the environment. What I’m saying, basically, is that if we want change, we must cause it ourselves, and not depend on the government to solve all of our problems.
Wow, I absolutely agree. We really cannot expect the government to step in and just put an end to this. The people need to step in and put a stop to it. And like you said, there really needs to be more awareness about this. I did not know that America was the leading cause in this problem. I think that the picture you posted (also the same one I posted :) can really influence people. It is such a good representation and people really need to be interested in stopping this. If we want to change this, then the best way to do that is doing it ourselves and working up from there. If more people would take a stand together to end big problems like this, the world will change dramatically. I also feel that more awareness should be given to children as well. I really enjoyed reading your blog post.
ReplyDeleteStephen, I completely agree with you. The government seems to fail us over and over again in most situations. If we want something to get done, we have to go out and do it on our own. I also knew little to nothing about sex trafficking (other than what I saw in Taken) before I saw this film. it’s scary to see how Americans are so easily targeted abroad, but at the same time you’d expect them to be more careful. That goes back to us as citizens doing something about this problem. Part of the solution is protecting ourselves and our loved ones from sleazy traffickers. It’s simple- keep an eye on your kids, and keep two eyes on them when you’re wandering around in a Philipino market place. I also agree that the American government shouldn’t have to step in and police other nations, even if they love doing it.
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