Since God's first models of Adam and Eve, the human body continues to be his finest work. Talk about miracles! Nothing comes close to the concept of man. So what do we do with this wonder that is beyond any logical explanation? We abuse it. In fact, over the centuries, man has been self destructive and abusive to God's own likeness in every way that can be imagined. We have seen man literally attempt to destroy what God has created.
This lack of respect toward mankind has been perpetrated in many ways over the years and continues today with a criminal venture known as human trafficking. Human trafficking is described as the recruitment, abduction, transport, harboring, transfer or sale/receipt of persons. According to the Tapestri Times, one to two million people are trafficked worldwide each year. Of this total, approximately 50,000 of these people are women and children. A typical example would be that people are brought to the United States, both legally and illegally, and are then tricked, coerced, sold, or forced into situations of slavery like economic exploitation from which they are unable to escape. Sharon Norri, an expert in human trafficking, says that the most difficult aspect of investigating this type of crime is identifying the victims. Once the victims are brought into the country they are required to live and work at the same location and are not allowed to leave the premises. The victims are then told that the government will deport them if they are identified as being in this country. Other measures that are used to keep the victims quiet include, threats of physical violence, as well as, being told that if they do not cooperate, their families in their home countries will be punished. Traffickers will seize the paper work of legal immigrants, thereby causing them to fear that the authorities will not believe that they are in fact legal citizens. With those factors in play, reports to the authorities, from the victims themselves, are rare.
Trafficking victims are used for prostitution, domestic services, mail-order brides, as well as, low wage labor in agricultural settings. While most of them come here with promises for work and employment opportunities, they find out very quickly that this is not the work that they had in mind. Obviously, as with any criminal venture, the driving factor that allows this societal sore to fester is money. Law enforcement officials estimate that human trafficking is a 7 billion dollar industry from an international perspective.
As with most cases, it is hard to believe that governments would allow the export of humans out of their countries. Also, as with most cases where illegal activities occur, this criminal phenomenon is encouraged by officials in certain countries who stand to be rewarded monetarily by those who are in the business of human trafficking. Government officials and corrupt law enforcement officers in these countries are in fact part of the problem instead of the solution.
The United States has created a document available for identified victims of human trafficking known as the T visa. This will allow those who came here legally, under false pretenses, to remain in the country, in a legal status even though their immigration papers are no longer available. This is a first step to assist in the dissolution of this most recent form of slavery, but there is still much to be done to help these victims. CAST, (The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking) has reported that human trafficking is now a full blown business operated by organized crime factors and falls only behind drugs and weapons as the business of choice for these individuals.
If you have information about human trafficking or if you need further information about this subject, please call Tapestri, Inc. at (404) 299-7775. Fortunately, just as there are those who are determined to destroy or at least vilify the human race, there are also those who are determined to save it.
For further information, visit www.voice4victims.com
Please pass this newsletter along to everyone in your email address book.
If you are interested in having Mr. Hall speak at your next club or group meeting, please email contact information to:
[email protected]
If you are interested in having your e-mail address removed, please click the following link and type remove: [email protected]
Stan Hall is the Director of the Victim Witness Program for the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office. He is also the host of the Gwinnett County Communication Network's television show "Behind the Badge."
Thursday
August 7th, 2025
8:44PM
