Of Dust and Nations

TOKYO (AP) — An outspoken nationalist mayor said the Japanese military’s forced prostitution of Asian women before and during World War II was necessary to “maintain discipline” in the ranks and provide rest for soldiers who risked their lives in battle.

This attitude….sickening

Do you remember the rather brilliant comedy sketch featuring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse in which they played laid-back police officers in Amsterdam, bragging that they no longer have to deal with the crime of murder in the Netherlands since the Dutch legalised it? Don’t laugh too hard. In 2000 the Dutch government decided to make it even easier for pimps, traffickers and punters by legalising the already massive and highly visible brothel trade. Their logic was as simple as it was deceptive: to make things safer for everyone. Make it a job like any other. Once the women were liberated from the underworld, the crooks, drug dealers and people traffickers would drift away.

I watched this documentary in one of my classes today, and I was struck by the way this group of immigrants advocated for their rights. Remember that there are sweatshops here in the US, and slave labor exists everywhere there is a demand for cheap products.

*while this documentary does not directly mention human trafficking, the garment industry is rampant with it and this documentary covers many of the issues involved in it.

I am so happy to hear about this conviction. I hope that it is a landmark case that begins to change things for the victims of such crimes, where often sports players get away with raping and assaulting girls while the victims get little or no justice.

I read a few different articles on this case before deciding on this one because of the writing style, but the CNN story also reveals the attitudes of the boys who did this crime, quoting,

“Mays apologized to the families involved. ‘No pictures should have been sent out, let alone been taken,’ he said.”

Why? Because then there would have been no evidence? He really just admitted that he is sad that they took photos because he was actually caught in the act.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/17/justice/ohio-steubenville-case/index.html

P.S. I am tagging this with human trafficking because of the fact that they took this girl from party to party, violating her the entire time, and thought they could get away with it. This is rape culture in action, and it is the exact culture that permits human trafficking to take place in this country.

imawareblog:

As a man I am deeply moved by the plight of Sex Trafficking victims. For me, Sex Trafficking victims are a source of both inspiration and heartache. Many have read the victims’ stories of abuse, violence, and redemption. Sex Trafficking encompasses the worst that humanity has to offer. Victims…

I love this post. I am so grateful to work under Tim Smith and help support everything he does to fight human trafficking. :)

I love the idea of using something like cosmetics to make an impact in the area of human trafficking. Every time you wear this makeup, you can be reminded that you are making a difference in the fight against human trafficking. :)