Become the Watchman Against Human Trafficking

Most of us have studied in history about the heinous activities during the early days of this country when people were taken from Africa and brought to the United States and sold as slaves.  Many lives were given to stop this act, the Civil War separated families, and the civil rights movement spanned decades of struggle, and the work is still not done.  It has been a long road, but unfortunately there is still so much to be done.  Much of what is happening is happening today in our country and we are often unaware of it.  The issue of human trafficking is larger now than at any time in history.  Children are being stolen, sold and transported constantly in the United States, but for the most part, we are unaware. About 3/4 of human trafficking today is for the sex trade, which is why it remains behind closed doors.  Adults and children are both taken, raped and abused and put in a live of slavery.  There are currently more slaves in the world today than any other point in time.  Slaves are sold for sex, labor, organ harvesting and for criminal activities.

Human trafficking has occurred in all 50 states.  It happens on our interstate systems, people are taken from other countries and brought through the US.  Some are taken from the US to other countries, it's become an international issue.  The rise of orphans in Africa due to the AIDS crisis gives great opportunity for these criminals to take advantage of the situation and traffic children all over the world.

This issue came to my attention as I read and reviewed a book by Jennifer Pitkin called Watchmen for Morning.  This is a great book about a young girl studying in Italy who meets the man of her dreams but ends up involved in a feud that involves organized crime and human trafficking.  This is a great story and blend of story telling, but also educating us to the reality of organized crime involved in human trafficking.  I knew of some of the issues that came from Mexico from human smuggling into the US and human trafficking, but I was unaware of the global crisis.  Jennifer Pitkin helped to shed some light on the issue, especially the plight of orphans in Africa being sold and smuggled with little care given to their well being.

You can check out some Little Know Facts about human trafficking, and I recommend you check out Watchmen For Morning.  Jennifer and her husband are parents of an adopted child, knowing first hand of the international issues overseas and the plight of the orphan as well as the desperate situation for women globally.  As a father of a daughter, my heart breaks and cries out to God for His people to stand up for the abused and repressed.  Please join me to pray against human trafficking.