Latest News - Page 113 of 120 - Shared Hope International

February 24, 2011 by webdesigner

Sen. Reid Stirs Up More than a Little Dust

On Tuesday, February 22, legal prostitution looked death in the face. On that day, Harry Reid, US senator of Nevada, spoke to Nevada state legislature about education, clean energy, term limits, and outlawing prostitution. Although this final subject only amounted to about 6.5% of hisentire speech, it exploded into news coverage, chit-chat, the blogosphere, and heated debate across the country. While Sen. Reid was concerned that this portion of his speech elicited so much attention, he deserves public support for the strong stance he took, stating that “the time has come for us to outlaw prostitution.”

Why would Sen. Reid risk saying such a bold statement? He insisted it was because he wanted to “prove that we’re [Nevada is] a 21st-century state” revealing that he believes legal prostitution mars the reputation of Nevada. He followed with an anecdote about meeting a company who chooses not to move to Nevada over this very concern. Sen. Reid reasoned, “Nevada needs to be known as the first place for innovation and investment – not as the last place where prostitution is still legal.”

Sen. Harry Reid is correct. Legal prostitution does give Nevada a bad name, but that is not the only effect this industry has had on its state. According to Shared Hope International’sresearch, Las Vegas, only 60 miles from a legal brothel establishment, is a major destination for trafficked children in the United States. But how do we know that legal prostitution actually encourages illegal human trafficking? The truth is that Las Vegas has become America’s capitol for prostitution and trafficking. This is supported by the fact that while brothels do not set up shop in the city, they and other escort services pay hefty fees to advertise in Las Vegas, creating a culture that accepts and supports the sex trade, and ultimately paves the way for illegal activity. Vegas residents and tourists are exposed to legal prostitution through advertisements and encouraged to participate in the industry. As a result, demand for commercial sex increases in high population areas. Where there is demand, there is supply.

In response to Sen. Harry Reid’s comments on outlawing prostitution, many brothel owners have either reacted in anger—like Dennis Hof who was interviewed by CNN—or dismissed the position entirely in hopes that Reid’s words will not inspire Nevada residents and legislators to institute a ban on prostitution. Lance Gilman, owner of the Wild Horse and Mustang Ranch brothels in Storey County said, “It is one thing for Harry Reid to say we ought to outlaw brothels. It is quite another for our Legislature to decide to take up a bill. If that happens then it is a whole different scenario.” Lance Gilman bluffs that he feels no threat.

Mr. Gilman created the opportunity for us to prove him wrong. And now we hold the power to perpetuate change and make a difference. Reid took the first step in sparking discussion, and we the people can unite taking the next step by creating legislation that outlaws prostitution in America for good. Spread the news to those in Nevada. Tell them to pick up their pens and write their legislators about the issue at hand. If lawmakers are ever going to make change, they’ll do it by the sheer will and determination of their constituents.

February 23, 2011 by SHI Staff

An Earnest Request: Survivor letter to 2011 Super Bowl Host Committee

After working on this issue for over a decade, we’ve read through countless touching letters, describing the horrific events of being sold for sex. This letter hits close to home as the author describes how she was forced to travel to Dallas against her will, in the very same area which will host next week’s 2011 Super Bowl. In hopes of persuading the Super Bowl Host Committee to endorse the I’m Not Buying Itcampaign, A.H. has shared her experiences in an open letter to both the committee as well as the NFL. Should they hear her request, both recipients have the power to discourage the buying and selling of girls who have been victims of sex trafficking during the Super Bowl celebrations next week.

Dear Super Bowl Host Committee & National Football League,

My name is A.H. and I’m a survivor of sex trafficking. I’m not a big football fan, but I’ll never forget my first trip to Dallas/Fort Worth several years ago. It was 2006 when I was dragged there against my will by a pimp. I was forced to dance, strip and sell sex (along with five other young girls) for over a month while he pocketed the cash ($1,000-$3,000/night from each girl) and planned our next gig. I was trapped in a life I never wanted without any hope of escape.

You might be shocked to know that I come from an upstanding, supportive and loving family. I’ve been an excellent student my whole life, earning a scholarship to college. I had dreams, ambitions and the courage to make them happen. Everything changed the day I met the man who would later become my pimp. He was intelligent, attractive and seemed to genuinely care about me. When I lost my scholarship due to an injury, he offered to help me and I believed he would. As soon as I realized what he had in mind, I tried to leave. He grabbed me by the neck, threw me down and almost choked the life out of me. When he threatened to hurt my family if I didn’t cooperate, I knew I was trapped.

This nightmare was my life for over a year. During that time, we traveled to several states where I was sold at nightclubs, bars, and parties — fulfilling a demand for sex nationwide. He was always there, always watching. If I refused to work, I was beaten and tortured.

We spent an entire month in Dallas/Fort Worth, where my pimp said the “real money” was. We were all young (some as young as 14-years-old) and that’s what the men wanted. No one asked if we were being forced to work, or if we enjoyed it. No one cared. While we were being sold for sex every night, our pimp was recruiting other local girls – from the Galleria, the clubs, concerts, and even McDonald’s.

I lived in fear every day, hoping I’d survive to see the next. It wasn’t until I heard him loading his gun to kill me that I finally mustered the courage to escape. Today, I’m a survivor. I share my story with you in the hopes that you’ll realize sex trafficking is real. It happens to young girls across America every day – girls as young as 13. With the Super Bowl quickly approaching, you have a choice to help stop it. Dallas/Fort Worth will soon become the nation’s biggest party – and every pimp’s center for business.

Please join me, Dallas Cowboy Jay Ratliff, and 65,000+ fans who’ve signed the Change.org petition in taking a stand against the exploitation of women and children during the Super Bowl. Every victim deserves the chance to become a survivor. And every young girl deserves to be protected and live a life free from slavery and exploitation.

I’m asking you to endorse the I’m Not Buying It campaign. By placing posters and billboards in and around the stadium you can deter men from engaging in the commercial sex market and save the lives of countless victims. You can make a difference – please, what would you do if it was your daughter?

Thank you,

A.H., Survivor of Sex Trafficking

A.H. was provided support and assistance through the anti-trafficking organization Courtney’s House, and her letter is supported by Courtney’s House and Shared Hope International. You can support A.H. and the many other trafficking survivors who have been sold in Dallas/Ft. Worth by joining the campaign to fight sex trafficking at the Super Bowl.

February 21, 2011 by webdesigner

Here Comes the Bride….Russian, Obedient, and Young…All Dressed in White

Two thousand, two thousand, do I hear two thousand? Sold! One, Russian, obedient bride to the man in the black hat.

Forget the nice dinner, awkward small talk, dropping her off at the end of the night and hoping for a call later. That’s too old fashion. Most are looking for the next new thing, whether it is technology, fashion, or even dating. The University of Alabama Health Sciences would argue that dating has evolved from colonial era courtships to modern day online matchmaking. Sites like Match.com and eHarmony boast successful industry records as online dating receives greater acclaim as an acceptable dating norm. A research article published by PR Newswire states “Recent studies of more than 11,000 people revealed that one in six marriages are now between people who met through an online dating site.” Moreover, 1 in 5 committed relationships were initiated through online dating sites and the same odds apply to number of singles who have taken advantage of these sites. These statistics show the achievements of online dating and why it is the third most popular way to meet people.

However, with every triumph there is failure. In this case, that failure is seen in the often oppressive and exploitative practice of mail order brides.

Google produced 1,740,000 results for the term “mail order bride” – many advertising the perfect lifetime servant, a future wife, and of course fast service. The normal profile of a mail order bride is an Asian, Eastern-European, or Latin American female motivated by social and economic reasons, and sometimes by her family. The typical profile of the buyeris a western, educated, and financially stable male.

Bloomberg Businessweek published an article on the subject, and according to the non-profit organization, Tahirih Justice Center, the number of mail order marriages doubled between 1999 and 2007 in the U.S. In 2010, this market reeled in more than $2 million in revenue. Business seems to be booming in this industry; however, organizations such as the National Human Trafficking Resource Center argue that it’s not so different from human trafficking.

Sonia Ossorio, the executive director of the NYC chapter of the National Organization for Women, cites it as a softer version of human trafficking, attracting customers who are looking for a “docile and obedient” woman. One mail order bride company, Hand-in-Hand, proudly markets its women as “unspoiled by feminism.”

Human Trafficking.org posted a 2006 study by Jen Marchbank at Simon Fraser University that exposed a hefty number of the mail order brides coming to Canada lack knowledge of their rights and face immense peril of being exploited. In 2009, Change.org also proclaimed that mail order brides are susceptible to human trafficking, exploitation, abuse, rape, and domestic violence.

Though certain countries have legislation regulating this practice, such laws are often limited and not well enforced. This leaves thousands of women vulnerable to be exploited by illegal marriage brokers who trade their freedom for cash.

Perhaps the notion of convenience should be left out of the love equation.

February 15, 2011 by Guest

Battle of the Sexes: The Debate for Equal Gender Representation

“No offense, but I don’t trust you,” said Wiveca Holst, a Swedish woman’s rights activist, in an interview with CJ Adams of Polaris Project. Holst explains that her history of working with male activists has been filled with men making honest mistakes, outright poor intentions, and the ‘occasional man who actually respected her as an equal.’ Unfortunately, Holst isn’t alone in her assessment of the male activist role in issues that are often dubbed as ‘women’s issues’. This leads me to wonder, do we need men working on this issue and what do they uniquely contribute to the movement?

As I man, I am ashamed to admit that I know plenty of males who won’t listen to a woman’s opinion, but they will listen to mine. I did not garner their attention based on any merit of my own, but simply because I am a man. There are male leaders combating trafficking; however, from my experience, our presence on the grassroots level is sorely lacking. If we want to effectively combat demand, then we need more active and educated male members joining the fight. Here are three recommendations to activate men to rise as leaders and defenders of America’s children.

Let’s begin educating our kids about the importance of equality. Vern Smith is the founder of The Defenders and the husband of Linda Smith, the founder of Shared Hope International. The Defenders is national initiative aimed at mobilizing 100,000 men in the fight to end the demand for prostituted children. He states the largest problem his organization faces in recruiting new members is ignorance. “So many men I talk to have no idea how big and how close this problem is,” he says. This ignorance might be attributed to the link between children viewing online pornography and how they view sex. One Dutch survey of 471 teens found that the more often young people sought out online porn, the more likely they were to view sex as a purely physical function. If a man views a woman simply as a tool to complete a physical function, can he also view a woman as an intelligent, valuable equal? Unlikely. If our goal is to garner active male support, then we need to combat ignorance toward the issue, and push for gender equality education at a younger age, before children are overexposed.

Prostitutes are victims; let’s change our rhetoric. “Ultimately, the sex industry has made sexual exploitation not only normal but respectable,” stated Janice Raymond Ph.D. of the University of Massachusetts. As Vern Smith states, “the word “prostitute” conveys the idea of willing participation in an immoral act.” By changing our language from calling victims “child prostitutes” to “prostituted children” we not only accurately acknowledge that a crime was committed against them, but support the termination of a damaging stigma.

If you want to become an activist on the forefront of the movement, join The Defenders. Defender’s pledge to not participate in any form of commercial sex, to hold fellow men accountable for their actions toward women, and to take immediate action to protect the ones they love. Take the pledge NOW!

February 4, 2011 by Guest

Vigilante Journalism Exposes Planned Parenthood

On February 1, 2011 a Planned Parenthood sting video was released by Live Action, a pro-life group known for its investigative journalism. The video features a man and a woman posing as sex traffickers inquiring about contraceptives, STD testing and abortions at a New Jersey Planned Parenthood clinic. They are explicit about their involvement in the commercial sex industry and their use of illegal immigrant sex slaves as young as 14 years old. The video showed the Planned Parenthood clinic manager explaining tactics to evade mandatory reporting laws, directing the traffickers to an abortion clinic that will ask fewer questions and giving them tips on how to receive cheaper birth control. In response, Planned Parenthood fired the New Jersey clinic manager who appeared in the video providing assistance to the traffickers.

This video is reminiscent of a similar video operation conducted at the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), an organization that provides housing assistance and services to low-income people. When the ACORN undercover video, produced by James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles, was released September 2009, many were shocked by the organization’s apparent willingness to aid pimps in the illegal commercial sex business. O’Keefe and Giles posed as a pimp and prostitute looking for help with their taxes and housing. The video shows O’Keefe and Giles receiving tax tips from an ACORN employee after explicitly telling the ACORN employee that they are involved in the commercial sex industry by prostituting foreign minors.

For ACORN, O’Keefe’s undercover video proved detrimental. Once the video was released, ACORN’s reputation was tarnished, causing huge losses in federal and private funding – forcing the company to close offices around the nation. Though Planned Parenthood has claimed its share of controversy over providing abortion services, aiding sex traffickers is a new strike against the group. According to a Washington Post article “Planned Parenthood receives tens of millions of dollars each year from the federal government to provide non-abortion family planning services to low-income people.” If the effects of the ACORN video are any indication of Planned Parenthood’s fate, the organization could suffer serious, and perhaps irreversible, damage.