There is nothing more un-American then slavery. In a country that holds sacred the right of an individual to live in freedom, to control his or her own destiny, human bondage is not just a crime it is a sin. Yet, today slavery thrives in our very nation as women and children held against their will America by unscrupulous individuals who view these hidden victims as nothing more then objects to be bought and sold like so much cattle. The F.B.I. estimates that there re more then 15,000 slaves being held in America. It boggles the mind to think that such barbarity still exists in a country where it’s citizens were willing to shed the blood of other Americans to end the evil of slavery.

Much of the slavery, like the just wrapped up Soto case, involve smugglers taking advantage of illegals who seek to enter the United States in search of work, usually over the Mexican border but illegals from Asia and Eastern Europe are also targeted. Modern day slavers force these vulnerable women and children to work in brothels where they are forced to sexually service dozens of men a day. In some cases women and children are kept as household slaves by individuals or couples, forced to do the bidding of those who “own” them or suffer the brutal consequences. Two such cases have made the news in recent months, one in southern California and another in Colorado. In these cases the perpetrators of these crimes attempted to explain away their savagery as “cultural” differences”, saying that in the Islamic countries of their origin “arrangements” such as these were common.

A ludicrous argument to be sure, one that was made only to play upon the perceived dogmatic acceptance of “multiculturalism” that would keep Americans from standing up to evil behavior imported fro other countries for fear of being branded racists. In these cases it didn’t work, but how do we explain the inaction of Americans, and their seeming approval, of sexual slavery in our cities? In every major urban center, local papers are filled with advertisements for “massage” parlors and escort services stocked with Asian and eastern European women who are likely illegals forced into a life of degradation and hopelessness. Such bastions of liberalism as The Village Voice offer page upon page of ads of brothels staffed with young Asian girls who likely are being held against their will.

The F.B.I. has an intelligence report that exposes key facts about the vicious trade, but much of what is in it is common sense for anyone who’s watched the news. The Voice must know that many, if not all the brothels that advertise with them are likely stocked with slaves, but they clearly don’t care. They may make a libertarian sounding argument about the need to decriminalize prostitution because consenting adults should be able to do what they will, but in these brothels only one adult, the “John”, is consenting, the other adult is being forced to participate and is thus being raped.

That’s assuming the girl is an adult at all.

So have we as a society grown so callous that the plight of these women and children doesn’t affect us? Are Americans really so cruel as to leave these people who desperately need our help in chains? Do the advertising managers at The Village Voice, who gladly take the money of slavers, represent us all? I say no. We can end this disgrace in our midsts today, by reporting these brothels to the F.B.I’s trafficking hot line at 1-888-428-7581 and supporting those groups that fight against slavery here and abroad.

The American Anti-Slavery group is a good place to start for every American to see what they can do to end slavery once and for all.