Sex Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery

"I was in high school when it started. I was involved in sports, getting good grades, and just enjoying life. Then he showed up. He was very kind to me, accommodated to my needs, and showed me 'love'. We started dating and that all changed. He was no longer the person I thought he was. It was a cycle of breaking up and getting back together. Every fight he made me think that it was my fault, so I would come crawling back to ask for forgiveness. School was no longer a joy for me, and I started doing poorly. I didn't even graduate from high school. We soon got married under his command but there was no joy in this commitment. No white dress, no family or party, just a court room marriage with nothing else. Life at our house was no better, he would keep me locked up in a closet until I agreed to have sex with him. He would yell and threaten and abuse me till I was too afraid to argue. I wasn't ever happy anymore. People at my work could notice something was wrong and would ask, but I would only reply with, 'I'm fine, I'm just tired.' My dad would call me and ask when will be the next time we could visit each other. I could only say, 'I'm really busy dad, maybe later, bye.' And I would be left alone to deal with my pain."  

Jenna McKay endured this life far too long. Her encounter did not take place in a far away land, it was local and came from an unexpected face. Unlike a lot of victims, she has been freed from her prison and is sharing her story and restarting her life by going back to school. There are millions of men and women just like her that are forced into this lifestyle of being sold or trapped for sex. With the growing sex trafficking industry, it becomes even more vital to end this suffering and enslavement. 

Trafficking has been in existence since the first person was willing to use other humans as sex slaves. That idea caught on and has spread across the globe.  It can come in forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs. There are nearly 21-30 million enslaved globally ranging from pre-teens to older adults; two million of which are children while women and girls make up 98 percent of sex trafficking. The country with the highest sex trafficking rate is Bangladesh. There, approximately 400 women and children are victims of sex trafficking each month. With nearly 300 thousand victims per year in the United States alone, many will start at the entry age of 12-16 years. According to multiple sources, nearly 600,000 victims will cross international borders. Globally, the average cost of a slave is $90, making sex trafficking a whopping $32 billion dollar industry. That’s more than Nike, Google, and Starbucks combined! And out of the money made by pimps or sellers, the victim gets nothing.  

California has the most cases for sex trafficking than any other state in the United States. There are around 804-840 cases reported annually; this is apart from the other 172 trafficking cases that involve labor or other forms. Where it seems to appear unexpectedly is at home. Yuba City doesn't strike me as a crime-infested town like I would think of Los Angeles or Chicago, but it happens more often than one would imagine. In an investigation not too many years ago, there was a fake ad for a prostitute sent out on Craigslist by local police and Restoration Railroad. After it was sent out, men responded to "her" and were instructed to meet her here in the Yuba-Sutter area. Men came as far as Sacramento and Chico to come for this "lady" and the police ended up with 35 arrests.

 I questioned that race could possibly be a factor in who becomes a victim of trafficking and would they be treated differently? Back in 2013, a residential brothel was found here in Yuba City; it served Hispanic men and the victims were Hispanic women. Generally speaking, pimps and traffickers don't discriminate because if they can get their hands on anybody, it's more money for them. Age does not discriminate either for a pimp. Many teens are kidnapped right from their local neighborhoods and malls because they thought they were going to meet a new 'friend'. According to Meredith Curry, back in 2006 the youngest case she has seen locally was a student who was seven! And if can go that young here, imagine how much worse it can be overseas in third world countries.                                            

(https://oag.ca.gov/transnational-organized-crime/ch2) 

A more recent investigation in December of 2016  involved three Yuba City teens, Madison Gonzalez, Jamie Bobb, and Malcolm Lartigue, who were accused of forcing a woman into prostitution. The woman claimed she was offered a job by giving massages but instead was told she would be having sex with clients. She escaped and the police have arrested the teenagers while one other accomplice is still on the loose. This goes to show that the most unexpected person can trick or be tricked into trafficking or perform heinous acts, this is why it is so important to be aware and protect those around you. "Since June 2013, Restoration Railroad has received 21 calls requesting assistance for people being exploited in our community. Thirteen of those 21 calls were for human trafficking and 12 of those 13 were for sex trafficking; six of those 12 were minors." After someone has been put in distress from being sold into a brothel or forced to do lewd acts, he/her is scared, shaken, and not likely to just go back to how they used to live. Many trafficking victims develop depression post escaping their enslavement. In fact, they can have the same level of PTSD as a war veteran. Their levels of anxiety go up as well, almost like they are constantly looking over their shoulder and always on edge . 

In the mid-1900's, parents used to let their children run around during the summer with their friends without a worry in the world. The term 'pedophile' wasn't often used nor was it common to be afraid, until a boy, Johnny Gosch, was kidnapped in 1989. His disappearance, as well as other boys', started an epidemic fear of what we call now trafficking. Throughout the course of time, parents became more aware of what was going on around them and the struggle to keep their children safe increased. What is the price we have to pay to keep the ones we love unharmed? 

Amidst this terror of unfortunate circumstances, God has not forgotten his children. It is known that "He will get His justice" and we are not to fear because He is with us. Even in Biblical times, there were stories of prostitutes and slavery amongst nations. Those women were shunned and ridiculed by fellow Christians, but not many churchgoers stopped the horrible acts. Joel 3 talks about the nations judged, and the sins they committed. "They cast lots for my people and traded boys for prostitutes; they sold girls for wine to drink." Not much has seemed to change between then and now in the sense that trafficking is still an active crime. The world is an even more terrible place to be. Slavery in the book of Exodus, God clearly states "Let My people go!" through the mouth of Moses; you could say he is an advocate against trafficking. The Bible is aware that kidnapping is evil, that is why Deuteronomy 24:7 says, "If someone is caught kidnapping a fellow Israelite and treating or selling them as a slave, the kidnapper must die. You must purge the evil from among you." Another verse that is in scriptures, is that God hates abuse. Psalm 11:5, "The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence." And most importantly, His business is freedom. We are bound by the chains of sin but His grace and love break that barrier. Isaiah 61:1, "...He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..." When we do the work of God, it pleases Him. We are called to perform service to the poor and hurt, and that is honoring Jesus. 

Sex trafficking is a horrendous act against God; in fact, it insults his work of our bodies. We were meant to belong to Him and to Him only; He is a jealous God who fights for our hearts. Christian churches have always been against this issue and it has never changed. I would say that their response toward this subject has slightly changed though. In the times of Jesus, it was a sin to be sleeping with a man/ woman without being married to him/ her and would get looked down upon by the church and religious leaders, now it is not as big a deal. But on that note, people were greatly judged and even persecuted because of such an act. The people involved in sex trafficking would be greatly ridiculed and maybe no one would look upon them to help, instead, they would turn their heads. Today, I believe that churches are more open to helping, some even have ministries to help prevent sex trafficking or to help the victim post-trafficking. Some still judge the fact that a member of their church was a trafficking victim or someone involved. Let God do the judging, and let us be the ones to shine a light on the hearts of the people and do His work.

The Roman Catholic Church strictly forbids trafficking. The church teaches much on the degrading of trafficking another brother for labor, sex , etc. As well as encouraging helping and looking out for victims, not turning away from them. Pope Francis said, “Human trafficking is an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ…It is a crime against humanity."

In the United Methodist Church, they recognize that each person is of equal value in the sight of God. They want to spread that message to others and to make an impact on the world of sex trafficking. “We deplore all form of commercialization and exploitation of sex… to lose freedom and be sold by someone else for sexual purposes is a form of slavery, and we denounce such business…”

The Orthodox Church proclaims that prayer is the best solution to help stop trafficking, but they know that actions will also help abolish it. One quote is stated that “God brings the victory. He invites us to join him, to be the answer to our own prayers.” Praying along with actions will equal a safer world to live in. "We must be His hands and feet among men, which means getting dirty and coming into contact with the darkness we wish to abolish." 

The Nazarene Church, along with many other Evangelical churches, is against trafficking of any kind. Sources from the church say that if they knew a victim of sex trafficking was in the church, they would put in mind that they are God's child and they would respond how He would. They even said that they (and everyone) should be aware and look for signs of trafficking, and put research into the topic. 

 In pre-Islamic Arabia, slavery was common and not considered horrible. It was regarded that having a slave was good, but it says in their religious practice that, "Your slaves are your brothers. Allah has placed them under your authority... if you burden them then help them." It seems that the slaves were treated with some respect for fear of upsetting Muhammed or their god. Islam does not have the rule to say that trafficking is not allowed, but in their faith, it is clear that it is forbidden. This simply goes against what the Muslims say and what they do. 

 The Mormon religion is very different from Christianity and Islam. Mormons are well known for being supporters and doers of polygamy, although this is not as popular as it was when it began. It was/ is definitely possible that they marry multiple women for the sake of money or for pimping reasons.  It must be hard for a woman to live with a man who has multiple wives, so maybe some women did not want this life or hoped that their child would not enter this lifestyle. They also recruited many people from England and other countries to become Mormon. Not all were happy but some were ecstatic to live a new life. This type of recruitment is also commonly done by pimps and traffickers. 

There is a way that we can stop trafficking, be aware. The more we are alert, the more lives that we will be able to save. Anyone can look for red flags in a sex trafficking victim. Change in behavior or something seems off, being aware of travel to other areas, distant, physical injuries, emotional change, etc. It is better to be safe than sorry, so if you are curious about something, do not hesitate to tell authorities. Brothels can be spotted as well, and maybe you've seen or heard of one such as a massage parlor with blocked windows and suspicious activity around it. Or even a mall is a perfect place for pimps or recruiters to kidnap women. When we come together, we make it harder for the traffickers to do their job, and that’s what we want. One example of awareness is the Uber driver, Keith Avila, who saved his passenger from sex trafficking. Listening to the two female pimps' conversation with the 16-year-old girl, he deducted that she was a prostitute. One yelled, "You need to get your priorities straight. We need to make this money." The other told her the protocol of what to do upon entering the hotel room they were going to enter. When they exited the car, Avila drove down the street and called the police. They arrived and arrested the two women and the man whom they were meeting. If you know of someone who needs help, the trafficking hotline is 1-888-373-7888. Connect with Restoration Railroad in Yuba City, they will not stop until you are safe.   

Sex trafficking can happen to anyone, literally. So many victims were just walking down the street, going shopping, planning to meet some 'friends' from online or even caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Trafficking does not discriminate and it does not care. After getting back surveys from seventh graders at FCS at least 50 percent did not know what sex trafficking is. I believe that just from that we need to educate our kids on staying safe and taking precaution. What we do is crucial to the survival of victims and the betterment of the world. The next steps toward freedom is the help of you and me. 

(Sex Trafficking Video)

https://vimeo.com/142152603

Human Flourishing = Happiness

We see a new perspective on human growth and overall flourishing in Ryan Hanley's 'Adam Smith and Human Flourishing.' The main point of Smith's concept of flourishing was happiness, something we definitely need more of in this world. But his argument went to say that in order for us to flourish economically, politically, and morally we need to put into consideration the well-being of everyone else as well as the being of ourselves.

Flourishing, you could say, was a popular word among Smith's writings. Its traditional meaning refers to the healthy state of a society or individual. This definition is the founding point of his steps towards human flourishing.

The first topic is economic flourishing. Smith shows that he wants to help the people of lower rank by improving their circumstances. This was not a 100% participation by the people though. One problem he faced was the argument that increasing wages for workers would equal new taste for luxury and eventually lead to incentive laziness and dissatisfaction with previous conditions. Smith was not fazed and continued on his claims of human flourishing. But how could society be happy and flourishing if the majority of it is not? The working class who provides everyone else can barely care for themselves or their families; that is why Smith created this. To put those who do the most at equal with everyone, therefore making everything work together. 

Next we see Adam Smith's stance on political flourishing. In his book, 'The Theory of Moral Sentiments', he writes on how human flourishing is related to economic liberty, and how "one thing promotes the flourishing society as a whole." His book interprets a world where exchanges of sympathy encourage the people in that society to go on and grow to navigate life in a modern market society. Though this is more complicated, his plan would indeed create the world he was imagining. He goes on to compare two societies, one happy and flourishing, and one where there is no mutual love. The seemingly sadder society does not look like a place where you would want to live and grow. In fact, you couldn't grow. Although he says that one could indeed live in this society and it would be among different men, the society that 'flourishes and is happy' is "bound together into one common center by love and affection." Smith did realize that the difficulties were too great to even attempt the best society because, again, we are human.

His last point focuses a little more on self and individuality in the topic of moral flourishing. With such different challenges and problems in this world, it was very important to Smith to define the virtues necessary for success in order to create the happiness in our own world. He stated, "How selfish soever man may be supposed.. interest him in the fortune.. (and happiness).. of others.. though he derives nothing from it except the pleasure of seeing it." His fact that individuals that are happy and flourish, make others want to do the same. This is the truth, we see it everywhere and with people we are connected with. When someone is prospering, we want to chase after it; we dream of becoming successful like them. In a sense, their happiness is our happiness. Isn't that what makes the world go round? 

"What defines the flourishing society is not the condition of the few but the condition on the majority..."

                                                     

Villainous Business

Alexander Hamilton is famous for his Report on Public Credit, the speech that told the government and the new states how they could get out of debt. His words changed the tides and sparked controversies among people who did not know whether to trust him or to turn away.          

From the beginning of his career as treasury secretary, he was a hard working man. It did not take too much time for him to figure out that America was in serious money trouble after the war. His first vision was to create an alliance with Britain; after all they were just starting out as a new country. He thought that they could slowly but surely become less dependent on Britain and be self-sufficient. It was said that, "Hamilton had already staked out a position as the administration's most influential figure on foreign policy." 

At that time, they were in $79 million dollars of debt. The interest rates had increased and taxes were piling up on the citizens. Hamilton reassured the government that this debt was "the price of liberty." And indeed it was. The people trusted the government to do what they needed to get them out of debt. A lot of the money was going to war veterans payed in an IOU and many other people invested in bonds, but Hamilton was confident that these bonds would increase and return to their original value. 

"Hamilton laid the foundations for America's future financial preeminence."

He continued in his financial progress, insuring the survival and stability of the government. To pay back the debt, he knew that taxes must increase but not depress the people that it inflicted. Hamilton came up with a way to "entice domestic creditors" and gave them payment options to which they could fit to their liking and in result, have investors be paid and part of the debt problem relinquished.

In one last attempt, Hamilton proposed a 'sinking fund' which led to one of his main budget plans in his Report on Public Credit. It set up five percent of the debt each year until it eventually was paid off. When released, it would change the way the government would handle the debt and how the people would respond to Hamilton. One would think that his solution was simple. It was forward and direct, and was a well-oiled economic machine.

Some of his solutions, though, started some divisions between the north and south. He looked to his friend, Madison, for his support to back up his debt report. Instead, he attacked Hamilton's plan, thus beginning the two-party system in America. As the abolition for slavery movement became a bigger case, Madison was torn between his sympathy toward the slaves and the fear of an uprising from the southerners. Hamilton continued to fight, both for the abolition of slavery and for the continuance of his debt fund. He believed that with his plan, there will no longer be a need for slaves, as it was a horrible way to acquire their money.

Not all of this was good for Hamilton. Some of this publicity hurt his position as treasurer or made him the laughing stock of the people. He knew what was needed of him at that time and needless to say he accomplished the start of a new order to end America's debt.

Take A Picture To Make It last

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Progressively, photography and design have become more popular over the years. There are more times where people are willing to pay well for a good camera, printer, stand, lenses, and so much more. The photography business is not a cheap one, that is why it is smart to invest in a company like Canon.

Canon originates in Tokyo, Japan, one of the most tech-savvy places in the world. Many great technological items have been produced and manufactured there. Who knew that their company would become a world wide sensation.
Canon does not only sell cameras. Many households use their printers, copying machines, surveillance equipment, etc. And who knows how much printer paper a school uses. A good quality printer can make the repairs less stressful.

Pictures can also make a great statement. With the worldwide rants for women's rights, LGBTQ equality, and all races equal, the average picture can become an inspiration to all. Canon embraces diversity in their company though the word 'Kyosei'. 'Kyosei' means “all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future.” This is very good for the current status of America. This will increase the popularity of Canon and more people will be prone to going there instead of Nikon or another company.

Another way Canon gets its money is by being accessible and having manufacturing companies in multiple countries such as United States, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. A main key to a successful business is to be open and spread your name out. Back in 2015, Canon released a new image sensor that had a 250 megapixel resolution. With the increased rise of smartphones, it is crutial for that company to invest in higher power sensors so they will eventually get more money. The total asset price for Canon in 2015 was $36,593,165 (4,427,773 Yen).

Canon is currently at Phase V of their 5 year initiative. This will help mark out the 2016-2020 years of sales, company growth, marketing, etc. They make changes that need to happen for their economic well being in the upcoming age of new technology. Their current phase has 5 key strategies to have a good start and finish to their year. 

• The first key encourages higher ratio of production in Japan. Being that Canon originates in Japan, this gives them an advantage as making the 'mother factories' set base and distribute more easily from there. 
• Second, to achieve more growth, they plan to distribute businesses to other areas as well as create future ones. By focusing on certain places, they can make a tougher 'shell' protecting the company but expand it at the same time.
• The third key involves reconstruction of their network according to the constant money changes. They "...reinforce direct communication with customers... and expand solutions to aim the solving of issues faced by customers." This puts the people as the priority and will help sales as a company.
• The fourth key is a very quick moving process; they have to keep up with demands and changing times. The customers always want more and therefore, it needs ti be a top priority to the company to research what they need.
• The fifth (and final) key you could say is about dominance. They need to achieve a successful industry by placing their main businesses in America, Europe, and Japan. All these keys together can help "Canon realize a new growth."

Canon is a very strong and growing company. Their focus is to be on top and to keep getting better. That is why I believe it is good to invest here, they won't give up. They are already laying new foundation for the company in the future. My personal interest in Canon is for photography as it is for many others. In a changing world, Canon is here to adapt. 

The Shack VS. The Chronicles of Narnia

                

The Chronicles of Narnia written by C.S. Lewis is a famous novel known to tell the story of Jesus and His death on the cross but with a twist on the story line and characters. Now another christian book, The Shack by William P. Young, turned into a movie and has taken over the theaters with its depiction of The Trinity. So many other movies, such as Noah, have been made to portray Bible times and tell well known events that happened. But none seem to tell the Bible accurately. Hollywood has to put its spin on the film of course because the miracles of God are not interesting enough. I wonder if these movies hurt the Christian religion by being that way. I know they are depicted wrong, other people who have read the Bible know they are wrong, but do others care to know the truth or just enjoy the lie Hollywood is feeding them?

Out of the two books, The Chronicles of Narnia connect to the Bible more accurately. The four Pevensie children wander through their wardrobe into the world of Narnia only to meet many creatures, one being Aslan (God). Edmund has already met the White Witch (the devil) who tricked him into eating an enchanted dessert. His gluttony (our sin) proved to make more trouble for them on their journey, but Aslan promised to save him. In the end, Aslan was killed to appease the wrath of the Witch and to save Edmund's life. But he comes back once again to defeat the Witch and those she turned to stone. 
This story is much like the beginning of the Bible where Eve was tempted with the forbidden fruit which she then gave to Adam. Then it jumps forward to the time of Jesus and his disciples; some of the Pevensie kids were loyal while Edmund sided with the Witch. But God still went through the horrible death that saved all our lives. The book and film were great metaphors for showing the kindness and purity of Jesus Christ and how when we get caught up in our sin we don't want to stop. The next books show some progression in the Biblical relm, even to the point where Aslan tells one brave creature that he shall be in his kingdom one day. The Narnia movies have caught the attention of thousands or millions in our country, that is why I believe it is crucial to portray the Bible correctly to people who may not know God. 

The Shack on the other hand is not as much hidden in a metaphor. It clearly shows the Trinity as an African American woman, a Jewish man, and an Asian woman as God The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In this book, Mack's daughter was kidnapped on a camping trip by a serial killer. They could only find her bloody clothes laying in a shack in the woods. Mack's life spirals downhill after he cannot cope with his daughter's death. He receives a letter from "Papa" who says to come visit him in the shack. That is where he meets the Trinity. Much like people now, Mack has problems without the answers to find the solution. But his growing relationship with "Papa" and the other two allow him to come to terms with what happened and he matures in his spiritual well-being.
Of course the Trinity is not an African American woman, a Jewish man, or an Asian woman. They are all one person, that is God. But each one played a specific role in Mack's visit at the shack, just like they should be in our lives. The overall message of this story is to get closer to God because He will not leave you in times of trouble, He is there all the time ready for you to come to Him. 

Some of the twists on the spiritual aspects in this book/ movie might confuse people or question what the Bible is about. Can it not lead to someone wanting to know more? Movies and media have so much influence on our world it's insane; The Shack might put a positive perspective on Christ just like it did in Narnia. But Christian movies can make a bold change in our lives, it all depends how we see it. 
                       

Good Pay for Incompetent People

Raising the minimum wage can have an unintended result: the loss of men and women's jobs. Usually when you're getting payed the lowest amount, it's probably because you have a starter job. The point is to, sooner or later, get out and start pursuing a career or a higher paying job to fund your needs. But with the increase, teens and adults alike can live off the minimum by doing the minimum. 

A raise in the average amount of money increases the money that we have to pay in tax. Therefore we are funding and encouraging the workers' laziness which is not doing them any good. Some lifeguards that I work with at the pool, complain for being payed so little for such "hard work." And I know for a fact that those people were the ones that didn't take much regard for being on time or forgot about their work schedule. They expected more out of their paycheck by scraping by and doing a half-assed job. 

According to the New York Times, and increase on the minimum wage will not hurt anyone. That it will, in fact, help reduce the number of people in poverty. In this article they do not address the issue of how the government plans to pay for the increase nor the factor that some people will be lazy during their work hours. Their words are that good of the pay increase results in "strong earnings effects” — that is, higher pay — “and no employment effects” — that is, zero job loss." If this is what the government encourages, then it is alright for you to stop your education because your fast food job is the holy grail of American society and the envy of all your friends.

Unfortunately, some people or students have to stay in a low paying job in order to pay for their education so that they can get a higher paying career job. It's crazy how that works. So maybe for the students who want a successful life, being payed the minimum is hindering their goals. And its hard to think about it this way when nobody is helping you out. Or maybe a family member has just been laid-off. How are you going to pay for groceries, get gas, pay the bills, and also get the kids to school while you look for a job that can manage for a while? This is definitely a problem that needs to be solved and sometimes it's just a pain in the ass to get a job even when you try your hardest.

I do believe that a job is important and being payed little sucks sometimes. But the point is to get sick and tired of doing so little and to want to get a real job that benefits you and your community. Because lets be honest, would it be better to have another mindless drone in the lower jobs of society or to be creative and have initiative in your pursuit of a job that could help others? You have to start somewhere, now take the next step.