I
have been aware of the atrocities of human trafficking for the past few years;
in fact, it is the reason that I am on a trajectory to becoming a behavioral
psychologist. My long-term vision is to work with victims in safe houses and
recovery centers in Southeast Asia.
Over
this past year I have been researching how I can impact this issue in the
short-term. This directed me to discover disturbing statistics. South Seattle’s
SeaTac area has been in the top three worst places for Domestic Minor Sex
Trafficking (DMST) in the Nation three years in a row, Seattle’s average entry
age is thirteen and their life expectancy is a mere, 3-7 years (FBI detective
Banks with Innocence lost Taskforce). Being a born and raised “Seattleite” I
found this a hard pill to swallow. Yet, I can also be proud of how Washington
has led the Nation in harsher laws to protect our communities. This past
legislation session I worked as an advocate with Washington Engage in Olympia (http://waengage.com/) and have had the
privilege of seeing nine of twelve sex trafficking bills signed into law. Including
making businesses verify age in person in order to post an adult add online. Currently,
backpage.com’s verification process is to simply checking a box online
“verifying” your age is 18 or older. This makes it very easy to post unwilling
miners. This will now be illegal in
Washington, and will take effect in July of this year!! Here in Washington we
have set a new precedent and I hope other States will adopt such laws. It is
important that we unite as a nation with a clear voice, that our children are
not for sale!
If
you feel the need to impact your community regarding this issue please consider
donating to the Genesis Project. They are located at the heart of the problem
is SeaTac and offer hope for a new life. http://www.gpseattle.org/where.html
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