Janet Ramirez
ENG 100 Film-Based Argument Draft #2 Three Ways to Eliminate Sex Trade In Slumdog Millionaire, screenwriter Simon Beaufoy shares the story of Latika and the two brothers Jamal and Salim who grew up in the slum neighborhoods of India and they became human trafficking victims. After they are orphaned and left homeless, the children are lured into forced begging. Jamal is determined to find his love Latika when the brothers escape this fate without her. He finds her in a brothel in Mumbai dancing for an older man, only able to save her when his brother Salim kills her exploiter. During the film, Latika is shown as a child forced into prostitution. She is part of a large sex trade operation. This is the first of many ways we see Latika trapped in the sexual and domestic servitude of a sadistic and corrupt man. One of the themes in the film explored the implications of the sex trade. Little girls are forced into prostitution at an early age. They grow up in a sex slavery environment that it is hard to escape. Many girls and women are enslaved in India, very continent, and in the United States. According to The National Human Trafficking Hotline, “7,500 cases of human trafficking were reported in 2016 and up from 5,526 in the previous year. California was the No.1 state with 1,323 cases followed by Texas with 670 and Florida with 550. All three states reported an increase in sex trafficking crimes”(Hotline Statistics). In America, the sex trade is a major problem that not many people are aware of. The American government can prevent the sex trade from expanding in America by raising awareness of the sex trade, training police and others about this problem, and creating strict punishment for criminals. First, by raising awareness of sex trafficking in the United States, the American government can prevent the sex trade from expanding in the country. They can create strong campaigns, websites and education programs. The United States Department of Justice estimates “14,500 people are trafficked into the country every year. These forms of modern day slavery have become one of the most commercial and most horrifying businesses in the world. Sex trafficking is the fastest growing source of income for organized crime and its third most important source after drugs and the arms trade” (Human Trafficking). As we can see, this is a huge epidemic which is growing really fast through the years and nobody has done something really efficient that helps to combat this big problem. I think the American government has to break the silence and taboos that human trafficking and prostitution are completely real in this country and it is getting worse. I believe that the government can combat this problem by raising awareness through campaigns around the country. In that way, people can have more consciousness about sex trafficking. I think that advertisements can run in English and Spanish on digital and traditional billboards and also on bus shelter sign space. In this way people can see them. Ithastostop.com and National Human trafficking Hotline are two organizations that lean to this kind of campaign. Another way to raise awareness is to create websites where people can find good information in order to help identify a potential trafficking victim. At the same time, victims know there is help available for them. As well, the government should create education programs for both young and older people. The education program can encourage healthy behaviors in relationships and reduce the demand for commercial sex. I think the program could educate people about what their human rights are and empowering them to do something about it. Raising awareness everywhere and any possible way about the risks of human trafficking and exploitation will help to combat this major problem in the United States that affects the lives of millions of youth everyday. Another way to prevent the sex trade from expanding in the United States, is for American government to train police and others for this particular problem. I think the police must have better training in order to combat the sex trade because nowadays it seems that we don't have enough skilled people for this problem. I think the primary goal to train police is to provide law enforcement officers and prosecutors around the United States. Law enforcement officers should learn to identify a victim of the sex trade, to assist victims who have been rescued, and to know what to do if they suspect sex trafficking. By training, they can more effectively identify victims, charge traffickers, and successfully prosecute sex trafficking cases. According to the National Association of Attorneys General, “Training is crucial for all government officials who may encounter victims, such as law enforcement, border control, airport officials, consulates where visas are issued, emergency room personnel, social workers, and labor inspectors to recognize the symptoms of trafficking” (NAAG). As we can see, police officers must be trained to recognize the sex trade in airports and on the streets when victims come to them for help. In this case, Human trafficking is a hidden crime; combating it is to identify victims so they can be rescued and helped, and bring the criminals to justice. DHS provides a web-based training course to law enforcement officials to train officers to recognize human trafficking and respond appropriately. Prosecuting traffickers would be the best way to end sex trafficking. In addition to raising awareness and training police to combat sex trafficking, I think the American government should create strong punishment for criminals of sex trafficking. I think the government has really weak punishment for these sadistic people. Because of the weak punishment, sex trafficking is growing and growing every year without anyone being able to stop it. I believe the jail time is really important in this case. According to the National Conference of State Legislature, “The bill defines trafficking as compelling a person into forced sex and labor by causing or threatening bodily harm. The penalty for this crime is a prison sentence varying from up to 10 years to life, depending on the severity of the offense” (NCSL). As we can see, there are stiffer penalties for selling people into involuntary servitude. However, what is not clear is the number of years for imprisonment. It can be from 10 years to possible life imprisonment for such violations resulting in death, involving kidnapping, sexual abuse or an attempt to kill. I think it shouldn't be hard to put a certain number of years for the criminals. I think if they are selling little girls and women for sex or anything else, that should be life in prison without any doubt. I believe if they are sick enough to exploit innocent girls and women, then they shouldn’t get the chance to be free. Otherwise, we are letting criminals operate again whenever they have a chance to act because probably they do not know what honest work is and they prefer to make easy money. I think we have to understand that these poor victims will have to live the rest of their lives in fear and will never be the same. Little girls should never be put in that type of situation. It is a shame that nowadays we still have this type of problem without any stronger punishment to make these criminals not act again. In conclusion, it is clear that sex trafficking is a huge issue that no one really wants to talk about in the United States. Sometimes the media portrays this horrible crime as something that only happens in other countries, but we have to open our eyes. We have to realize that this horrible act is not that far from home. The American government needs to start to work really hard in order to end this crime. Maybe it can’t be solved completely, but the American government has the funds and technology to prevent the sex trade from expanding in America by raising awareness of sex trafficking, giving better training to the police and others, and creating stronger punishment for those perverse sex traffickers in the United States. Works Cited "Hotline Statistics." National Human Trafficking Hotline. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Dec. 2016. <https://humantraffickinghotline.org/states> "Human Trafficking." The United States Department of Justice. N.p., 26 Apr. 2017. Web. 21 Apr. 2017. <https://www.justice.gov/humantrafficking> NAAG. “Human Trafficking: Enforcement and Training.” National Association of Attorneys General. NAAG, 2011. Web. 22 Nov 2011. <http://www.naag.org/publications/naagazette/volume-5-number-11/human-trafficking-enforcement-and-training4.php> NCSL. “Human Trafficking Enactments 2005-2011.” National Conference of State Legislatures. NCSL 2012. Web. 14 Feb 2012. <http://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/human-trafficking-laws-in-the-states-updated-nov.aspx>
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