Most every one of us know a little something about Abraham Lincoln.  We know he was our 16th president; he was assassinated; and, he opposed slavery.

A person who you may not know as much about is William Wilberforce.  This British politician was every bit as dedicated to eliminating slavery as was Lincoln.

People generally associate the end of slavery with Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation that he issued on January 1, 1863.  The proclamation declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

While that form of slavery has ended within the territories of the United States, another form of this evil, sex trafficking,  has reared its ugly head.   The following quote will shed some light on this dark and ugly side of humanity:  Regardless of nationality, victims are systematically stripped of their identity, battered into gruesome submission and made to perform humiliating sexual acts with up to 40 strangers every night.  Held against their will, most are forced to take illegal drugs and are kept under constant surveillance.  On average, victims are thrown into such ghastly oppression at age 13 (Benjamin Nolot, Nefarious).

Let me share a few statistics with you:

• There are 27 million enslaved people around the world.
• Human trafficking is a 32 billion dollar a year industry
• 80% of the trafficking victims are women and children who have been forced into the commercial sex trade
• In the United States, the average age of entry into commercial sex slavery is 13.

It is one thing to be ignorant of this atrocity and do nothing.  It is something altogether different to have knowledge of this form of exploitation and then do nothing.

Now that you know, what will you do?  I encourage you to read what Sweden and Israel are doing to address this horrible crime against humanity (click here).  After reading the article, please contact your legislator and ask him to support any legislation that is similar to that which has been enacted in Sweden and Israel.

Get your feet off the floor because I am about to step on them.  Any time any one watches any form of pornography, that person is supporting and helping to fund this ugly side of humanity.

Here is a thought to keep you thinking.  What if it your daughter or granddaughter was forced into sexual slavery?  What would you do then?