iMedia: Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking is an issue that is left in the shadow of our culture. Many people are unaware of how Walmart gets its clothing so cheap, or how toys are made in china. I was first introduce to this growing issue last year at our school's showing of the movie Call and Response. The movie was filmed by a man who went to India to go into brothels and uncover the unknown secrets of human trafficking. The brothels thought he was another customer so they let him pay his fee for the night and he would then go and try to set his mistress free. What he didn't know is that the brothels addicted the prostitutes to crystal meth so they wouldn't run away. These facts shocked me as a viewer and I had to do something about it.

Unfortunately I haven't made much action yet. I have signed a few petitions that go against human trafficking, but nothing too major. I do however try to boycott places I know that use human trafficking as a way to achieve cheap labor. One of those places being Walmart. I don't do this to make a statement but to personally go against human trafficking. Aside from boycotting stores, one thing that is critical to spreading awareness on this issue is educating people about it. I tell many of my friends and people who I'm close to about this growing issue and ways to help make a difference. This issue may seem small now but if it is not stopped our future generation will be engulfed in it.

The picture above is a symbol for human trafficking. The people in the picture are not recognizable because they are behind a shadow just like how the issue is portrayed today. Americans and other people from the world simply do not know about human trafficking or push it behind a shadow and pretend it is not there. This is dangerous because it gives the false impression that it does not exist in the first place when if you walk down the street the bar you always thought was a bar is in fact not a bar but a whore house. In this picture you can also see a master of some sort next to the two girls. The crossing of arms gives the impression that the master is tense or not happy with the job done. This symbolizes the conditions the prostitutes are put through in the brothels. The picture is a good wake up call to take off the shadow and get a clear look of what we are actually investing our money into.