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Can You Become A Slave? - Page 3

© Sharon K. West

Upon seeing the two Americans, the Tuaregs began drawing their swords. Only the quick action of an accompanying native official, who worked for the current president, saved their lives. Telling the surround of hostile Tuaregs, "The stupid Americans do not understand either the language or what is going on," he hustled them away. His additional claim, "They know nothing of these things," managed to defuse the situation. The Tauregs let go of their swords and allowed the visitors to depart unscathed. If they had drawn their swords from their scabbards, their custom demanded they must "take blood." My friend and his companion narrowly escaped death, along with being sliced to bits and disposed of in some unmarked grave.

My friend had wanted to purchase the young girl and free her. But the official told him, "You can't do that! She would be back up on that platform before the day is over. And, just think how your purchase would look in the world newspapers-'American buys young African girl.' Why that would create an International Incident!"

On two other occasions in Upper Volta, various sheiks offered my friend slaves to keep as his own. Only by the grace of God and the assistance of the same official did he manage to escape those situations as well, and without offending his hosts or getting killed in the process.

Recently, a U. S. State Department report stated, "human trafficking has reached staggering proportions, affecting more than 700,000 people a year." The report estimated slave masters traffic 45,000 to 50,000 people, annually, through the United States alone, using the USA as a transit rather than a destination point. Most countries are working to end the problem. Twenty-three, however, are failing to do so. These include Greece, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and South Korea. Compare these statistics with the 500,000 Africans that were brought to this country as slaves prior to 1865. It is obvious we still have a problem of greater significance than ever imagined.

I, therefore, ask again: Can you, or someone you know and love, become a slave? In view of the current levels of world-wide human trafficking for prostitution and forced labor . . . and the fact this is one of the fastest growing areas of international criminal activity . . . the answer to that question must be a resounding "Yes!" Slavery is alive and well on planet earth.

Visit these sites to learn more:

HumanTrafficking.com

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