IT’S HAPPENING HERE

People hear about human trafficking in faraway places like Thailand, India or some distant Third World country. Part of the problem with human trafficking is that it is happening in our own backyard and no one seems to recognize it.

Human trafficking has grown not only in the United States but in Oregon as well, and even in the Portland Metro area. According to the Department of Justice, approximately 300,000 youths are trafficked for sexual exploitation.

Last February, officials picked up seven underage girls for being involved in prostitution in Portland. It was an operation that happened one night involving 29 cities across the country. Seven underage girls was an amount that was only exceeded in one city—Seattle.

Just a few weeks ago, a man was arraigned in Multnomah County because of suspicion of prostituting out a 14-year-old relative. Multnomah County sees hundreds of human trafficking cases. And no, it’s not just immigrants or people from other places.

This is something America and Oregon needs to wake up from. People in our country and our state are forcing others—children and adults—into servitude. It is people from everywhere, including the United States and Oregon, who are participating in this horrible cycle.

And they are getting away with it. That’s the worst part. Sure, some people may not be and sure, some people are penalized, but not nearly enough people are. I recognize that you cannot, in all probability, catch every single person who is a part of this crime, but you can catch more.

Thankfully, this is becoming a more recognized issue within the Portland area. On Jan. 9 more than 500 participants from 10 different states gathered for the annual Northwest Conference Against Trafficking.

Public officials are also starting to stand up and take notice. In December, Sen. Ron Wyden, along with Texas Sen. John Cornyn , presented a bill that would give more enforcement power against traffickers and help victims of sexual trafficking.

Their bill has plans to fund extra police officers, prosecutors, establish shelters and provide counseling for victims in six states. The bill would also provide funding for legal aid, education and job training.

This bill is a very good start to recognizing just how prominent of a problem human trafficking is in our own state, and doing something to help victims and further penalize the people who commit the crime.

But it is just a start. The battle is not won, and the bill still needs to pass. If the bill does pass, then the battle will be won. There will, however, be many more battles and many more before the war is over, if it ever ends.

Let’s give a big kudos to those public officials and other people for finally starting to recognize the urgency of this dire situation. According to national estimates, one of three missing teens that end up on the streets will be lured or forced into prostitution within 48 hours.

This issue is too important to ignore like we have been doing in the past. We do not acknowledge what we do not want to see it seems. Fortunately, this issue is finally getting the acknowledgement and recognition it needs.