Tracy Ludmar-Lee Charles
Mr. Harrison
English 9
May 8, 2013
The heart breaking truth about slavery
Is slavery really over? There are so many effects of slavery in the world today. Many things that
were practiced at the time of slavery still continue today, one of the most common is human-trafficking.
Back then, the masters and slave-owners used to trade and abuse their slaves. Now, the nearly same
things happen, millions of people get kidnapped or forced into sex slavery. Sex trade is a form of slavery
that is still going on today and we can raise awareness and funds to help.
Sex trade or human trafficking is still going on in many places around the world. “An estimated
27 million people are victims of slavery around the world, according to the U.S. State Department.”
(Pesta 14). I must say this is a terrible fact. Many people think that slavery is over, and personally, I must
say that it isn’t. There are millions of slaves all around the world today begging for help. We must help
them. Harriet Jacobs, author The Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, tells about her story in the
autobiography. She tells of all the pain and sorrow that she went through as a slave. She tells that the
biggest curse that any slave girl could have is beauty. Today, we all think beauty is a good thing, and I
must say that it is. But beauty always comes with its price. Even today, we have no slavery as they say;
beauty still has its price. Harriet’s beauty made her attractive to the eyes of her slave holder. She didn’t
give in to him but her beauty was quite hard for him to resist. Harriet talks about how her master began
to whisper foul words in her ears. She learned about a lot a very young age. One of these things was
fear, fear that her mistress would kill her and fear that her master would attack her. These are similar to
what’s happening today around the world. These poor victims learn about so many things that they
shouldn’t know at such a young age.
Therefore the age difference does not make any significance to the wrong-doers. “Almost 21
million people worldwide are victims of forced labor, according to an estimate released by the
International Labour Organization earlier this year. About 5.5 million, or 26 percent, are younger than
18.” (Meiner 20) It seems to be that the abusers find it easier to get the youngest victims to abuse. This
quote speaks of forced labor, majority of the time, younger people are weaker. The reason that young
men and women of eighteen years of age or older would be chosen is obvious but personally, I feel like
choosing children under eighteen is just for pure evil in heart; there is no use of forcing a young child to
work when it is clearly know that they are weak. This is the same thing that happens in sex trafficking.”
‘But looking young didn't stop anyone from buying me. Even the Garfield underwear I wore didn't make
the men think twice about having sex with me.’” (Booth 160) And so, the abusers cannot naturally or
simply be attracted to young children. A person of this sort may have some serious mental problems.
The wrong-doers abuse young girls out of pure evil. This young girl, a victim was forced into having sex
with strangers whom were obviously recognizing that she was too young. All that can be thought of is
simply how amazingly disgusting and sad that is. “’You're too smart to go to school,’ he assured me.
"You're pretty enough to be a model. If I ran away with him, he boasted, he could get me a fake driver's
license and buy me trendy new clothes. Excited, I said yes.’” (Booth 160) The abuser is playing with the
young victim’s mind. It seems to be easier for the abusers to abuse the younger victims because of their
young minds. In the past, time of slavery, the slave holders had the legal right to do anything to their
slaves. A slave holder could sexually abusive or assault one of his slaves. These men today who are
abusing the young poor victims are the biggest of wrong doers! They feel this power over the young
ones and treat them as they were objects. Like stated in the quote, the victim was being bought, like
she was not a human being.
To continue my point, the poor and unfortunate victims are chosen from the crowd and are
forced into this type of slavery. “The buying and selling of humans is a multibillion-dollar global business,
ensnaring vulnerable people who are often kidnapped or tricked into the trade.” (Pesta 14) The slaves
from the past were born into slavery. Harriet Jacobs’s slave holder or master often reminded her that
her children were his own property. Harriet’s children’s father was a free white man but the rule back
then was that the children had to follow the conditions of their mothers. So I didn’t matter who or what
type of person the fathers were, if the mother is a slave, all her children will be born and raised in
slavery and will be the property of the mother’s master. Luckily, not so many people today are born in
this nightmare. Majority are forced through their lives or kidnapped. It is sickening o the stomach to
think of someone being that hurtful. “Many have been enslaved in the sex trade for so long, they don't
know how to function in the outside world; they wonder how they would support themselves.” (Pesta
14) Many of these victims, are just living there life in the nightmare. Some just grow up in the trade and
many God bless their souls and keep them strong.
In addition, one of the most heart breaking things about that type of slavery is death. “But that
liberation cost these women their dignity, their sense of self, and much more. Many attempted suicide
or escape, with some succeeding.” (Kostyal 25) Some victims are just not strong enough. In my position,
all I can do is to imagine, I have to imagine that I had a victims to really understand their pain and
sorrow. Some of these young women lose their pride, their dignity and majority of them just lose their
reason to live, their reason to breath and also their reason to wake up in the morning. These young
women are desperate. “’Before school began, I swallowed 35 aspirins in a desperate attempt to commit
suicide.’” (Booth 160) Some of these victims simply decide to put themselves out of their misery and just
go away forever. I do not believe that is the answer. May the Lord bless the hearts of those who are
survivors and those who are sadly gone?
So we can help! We can save lives! “She hopes that by talking about her past, she will help
people understand that slavery is alive and well.” (Pesta 14) Even victims are helping one another. This
one believe that talking about her terrible experience and past which is now over will help to the other
young women out there. Many people are trying to help. “For inspiration and practical advice, look to
Mary Frances Bowley, founder of Atlanta-based Wellspring Living, which fights sex trafficking and
provides care and protection to victims.. (Reynolds 72) Mary Frances Bowley is a strong women taking a
stand and opening her arms out to these girls crying for help, I must say that is courageous and
spectacular.
To conclude, Sex trade is a form of slavery that is still going on today and we can raise
awareness and funs to help. There are many victims out there. We can make a stand and stop these
forms of slavery! We must make a change for every single victim. We can change the world and change
this matte by informing ourselves better about human trafficking or sex slavery, and we can also raise
fun for the victims. We must be the change we want to see in this world, then, slavery will be truly over.
Works Cited
Booth, Stephanie. "'I was forced into sexual slavery': many of us assume that human trafficking involves
oppressed, desperate women in the poorest countries. But this dangerous underground trade is
exploding right here in the States. You won't believe the hell that these three young women
endured when they found themselves part of an illicit world where they were sold for sex."
Cosmopolitan Aug. 2011: 160+. General OneFile. Web. 2 May 2013.
Kostyal, K.M. "'I told him no': Japan forced tens of thousands of young Korean women to be sex slaves."
MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History Winter 2013: 25+. General OneFile. Web. 2 May
2013.
Meinert, Dori. "Businesses target human trafficking." HRMagazine Dec. 2012: 20. General OneFile. Web.
2 May 2013.
Pesta, Abigail. "An Escape From Sex Slavery." Newsweek International 3 Dec. 2012: 14. General OneFile.
Web. 30 Apr. 2013
Reynolds, Matt. "The White Umbrella." Christianity Today Dec. 2012: 72. General OneFile. Web. 2 May
2013