Testimony

I read an article about a woman named Theresa Flores who was sold into sex slavery at just fifteen. She lived a normal life in the suburbs of Detroit but it was when she started getting involved with an older man that did the damage. It all started when she was a victim of a date rape caught on film. Some guys used the photos as blackmail where she ended up being a sex slave. She would be taken to multiple places and forced to have sex for hours with total strangers. Theresa is bold enough to tell her story because "now 43 and a mother living in central Ohio, Flores described her ordeal yesterday at a human-trafficking conference that attracted more than 500 people to the Vineyard Church..." (Johnson). She has turned her nightmare into a dream to help others and raise awareness for the cause.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/01/25/traffic.ART_ART_01-25-09_B1_VFCLSF9.html?sid=101

Personally I think it is always very dangerous and somewhat stupid for young teenage girls to get involved with older men. It's more risky than just dating another high schooler. And although Theresa didn't make some smart decisions, I still don't believe anything that happened to her is her fault. It ticks me off that someone would use date rape pictures as blackmail towards such a young girl but unfortunately, it happens. Theresa is just one of many girls who have experienced sex slavery on a first hand basis. As heartbreaking as it is to listen to story after story of girls who have been deceived and stolen of their innocence, it amazes me how they can get back up and use their stumbling block as a stepping stone for others.

Johnson, Alan. "Horror of teen sex slavery not foreign woe; it's here." Columbus Dispatch (2009: n. pag. Web. 2 April 2010.

First Critical Review

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id22083762/

The article I read was about human trafficking in America concerning a girl named Katya. Katya isn't this victim's real name but her story is far from fake. In 2004 Katya and her friend who were both foreign exchange university students were looking forward to a summer job they had recieved in Virginia. When their flight from Ukarine landed they were greeted by two attractive men, Alex Maksimenko and Michael Aronov, who informed them that their jobs had been relocated to Detroit. After arriving at their hotel in Detroit, their lives changed forever. They were again greeted by these men who took their clothes and passports and told them they owed them large amounts of money. From that point forward, Katya and her friend were forced by intimidation to work as strippers at the club called Cheetahs. "Katya and her friend are two of the estimated 17,000 young women and girls annually who are forced to work in the sex industry in the U.S. by organized criminals" (Kahng). Luckily, after months of abuse the two girls managed to escape to the FBI while Maksimenko and Aronov served time in prison.

In my opinion human trafficking (sex slavery) is an industry that far too many people are unaware of. I didn't even know what it was until about two years ago. However, when I did hear about sex slavery I was mainly informed that it occurred across the globe. Specifically Europe, Asia and Africa. This article raises awareness of human trafficking in the United States. I never knew that it occurred in my very own country, but by reading this I've realized that it is so malicious that many people, including young girls like me, are completely unaware that it is going on at this very moment. One thing that I hate is that traffickers don't view these young girls and women as people, but as dollars and cents. I feel like Grace Kahng did a good job raising awareness for such a stealthy industry. Because I am a 17 year old girl who lives in a good environment and a healthy home life, I am a target for trafficking predators which makes this story so vivid to me. I could never imagine what it was like to be in Katya's shoes because it is such a scary thought. By this article telling the story of two girls from Europe but that were actually trafficked in the United States, my eyes are being opened more and more to the reality of it all.

Kahng, Grace. "Sex slaves, human trafficking...in America?." TODAYshow.com 3 December 2007: n. pag. Web. 25 March 2010.