by Jason Joyner | Jul 25, 2011 | Ashton Kutcher, Biblical worldview, Blog, DNA Foundation, human trafficking, Real Men don't buy girls, social justice, Village Voice
Your freedom can bring oppression to others.
That’s my hypothesis for this series of posts. I started off on 7/20 referencing back to the Village Voice article that set off a lot of discussion. An excellent report of the growing demand for prostitution was posted this week by Newsweek, that also points out some of the problems with the Village Voice piece.
There’s a issue that the Newsweek article started to expose that the Village Voice completely ignored. Men say they have a right to seek out sexual services, and feminists say that women have the right to offer said services if they want. The issue is that there are a ton of unintended consequences.
The Newsweek article talks about the increase in demand for prostitution. I talked yesterday about how unscrupulous people will work to meet a demand to make a profit. By offering legal services, adults who consent to a sexual transaction drive the problem of underage sexual exploitation.
Pimps who see a way to make a buck will find a way to get a woman out there. They don’t care if the girl is underage and not mature enough to really consent. Pimps (whether male or female, there are women who will control other girls for money) will find the vulnerable to exploit. This can be runaways, kids from broken families, drug addicts, or wounded girls who find someone who pays attention to them.
In the very informative book Girls Like Us, Rachel Lloyd discusses the girls who get drawn into the world of sex trafficking in New York City. Many are recruited by men who claim to love them. Maybe a relative will push them out on the street, or make an internet ad to offer them up. In these cases, they don’t realize what they’re getting into. So women and girls are getting drawn into this violent, dangerous world. From the Newsweek article:
Prostitution has always been risky for women; the average age of death is 34, and the American Journal of Epidemiology reported that prostitutes suffer a “workplace homicide rate” 51 times higher than that of the next most dangerous occupation, working in a liquor store.
The problem truly does not stem from the supply. Yes, there will always be people who offer themselves for such services, but many more are forced into it due to the high demand.
And men, we need to answer for what we are causing. More on this in the next post.
—
by Jason Joyner | Jul 25, 2011 | Ashton Kutcher, Biblical worldview, Blog, DNA Foundation, human trafficking, Real Men don't buy girls, social justice, Village Voice
Your freedom can bring oppression to others.
That’s my hypothesis for this series of posts. I started off on 7/20 referencing back to the Village Voice article that set off a lot of discussion. An excellent report of the growing demand for prostitution was posted this week by Newsweek, that also points out some of the problems with the Village Voice piece.
There’s a issue that the Newsweek article started to expose that the Village Voice completely ignored. Men say they have a right to seek out sexual services, and feminists say that women have the right to offer said services if they want. The issue is that there are a ton of unintended consequences.
The Newsweek article talks about the increase in demand for prostitution. I talked yesterday about how unscrupulous people will work to meet a demand to make a profit. By offering legal services, adults who consent to a sexual transaction drive the problem of underage sexual exploitation.
Pimps who see a way to make a buck will find a way to get a woman out there. They don’t care if the girl is underage and not mature enough to really consent. Pimps (whether male or female, there are women who will control other girls for money) will find the vulnerable to exploit. This can be runaways, kids from broken families, drug addicts, or wounded girls who find someone who pays attention to them.
In the very informative book Girls Like Us, Rachel Lloyd discusses the girls who get drawn into the world of sex trafficking in New York City. Many are recruited by men who claim to love them. Maybe a relative will push them out on the street, or make an internet ad to offer them up. In these cases, they don’t realize what they’re getting into. So women and girls are getting drawn into this violent, dangerous world. From the Newsweek article:
Prostitution has always been risky for women; the average age of death is 34, and the American Journal of Epidemiology reported that prostitutes suffer a “workplace homicide rate” 51 times higher than that of the next most dangerous occupation, working in a liquor store.
The problem truly does not stem from the supply. Yes, there will always be people who offer themselves for such services, but many more are forced into it due to the high demand.
And men, we need to answer for what we are causing. More on this in the next post.
—
by Jason Joyner | Jul 20, 2011 | Ashton Kutcher, Biblical worldview, Blog, DNA Foundation, human trafficking, Real Men don't buy girls, social justice, Village Voice
One person’s freedom can be another person’s prison.
Modern America loves its freedom. The rise of Western culture is dominated by independence, especially in this country. We have a national philosophy:
As long as it doesn’t hurt someone else, you should have the freedom to do it.
Tell that to the commercially exploited sex trafficking victims.
Yes, I’m
still fuming about the Village Voice
article slamming the campaign of “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls” by Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. The article attacks the statistics used by abolitionists for girls at risk of being trafficked in the U.S. More than this, they suggest the fight against trafficking is driven by the desire for federal grant money.
The Village Voice is not a disinterested party. They run Backpage, a solicitation site for adult services. After Craigslist was taken to task for its adult services pages not screening for underage girls (or boys), the Village Voice is being proactive to protect their profit margins individual freedom.
Really. They make it an argument of the right of people to seek out such services.
I agree. In America they do have a “right” to do so if they wish.
However, this doesn’t make it right.
Before I get accused of imposing my morality on others, let’s take a step back for a bigger perspective. According to a recent Newsweek article (excellent, BTW), the demand for pornography and sexualized services is so high in the modern Internet age. The demand can’t be contained by the services of adult women who voluntarily choose to offer their wares.
Entrepreneurs are going to find a way to meet a demand.
When men indulge their lusts, they are feeding into an industry that is preying on vulnerable women and girls. Certainly there are women who freely choose to enter the oldest profession, but many more (I would wager to say the majority) are forced into it in some way, whether it is due to economic pressures or to the degree of full human trafficking. The Newsweek article was sobering when it described a study and the way they had trouble finding a control group of men who did not pay for sex or pornography in some form.
The Village Voice argued that it was the morality police trying to use the overestimated problem of child sex trafficking in the U.S. to shut down Backpage, the way Craigslist backed down on their adult ads. The problem is that they think that the problem of child sex trafficking is not linked to adult services.
Like a pebble thrown in a pond, it can create ripples across the whole body of water. My next post will look at the connection between men fueling demand and the vulnerable being victimized.
—
by Jason Joyner | Jul 20, 2011 | Ashton Kutcher, Biblical worldview, Blog, DNA Foundation, human trafficking, Real Men don't buy girls, social justice, Village Voice
One person’s freedom can be another person’s prison.
Modern America loves its freedom. The rise of Western culture is dominated by independence, especially in this country. We have a national philosophy:
As long as it doesn’t hurt someone else, you should have the freedom to do it.
Tell that to the commercially exploited sex trafficking victims.
Yes, I’m
still fuming about the Village Voice
article slamming the campaign of “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls” by Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. The article attacks the statistics used by abolitionists for girls at risk of being trafficked in the U.S. More than this, they suggest the fight against trafficking is driven by the desire for federal grant money.
The Village Voice is not a disinterested party. They run Backpage, a solicitation site for adult services. After Craigslist was taken to task for its adult services pages not screening for underage girls (or boys), the Village Voice is being proactive to protect their profit margins individual freedom.
Really. They make it an argument of the right of people to seek out such services.
I agree. In America they do have a “right” to do so if they wish.
However, this doesn’t make it right.
Before I get accused of imposing my morality on others, let’s take a step back for a bigger perspective. According to a recent Newsweek article (excellent, BTW), the demand for pornography and sexualized services is so high in the modern Internet age. The demand can’t be contained by the services of adult women who voluntarily choose to offer their wares.
Entrepreneurs are going to find a way to meet a demand.
When men indulge their lusts, they are feeding into an industry that is preying on vulnerable women and girls. Certainly there are women who freely choose to enter the oldest profession, but many more (I would wager to say the majority) are forced into it in some way, whether it is due to economic pressures or to the degree of full human trafficking. The Newsweek article was sobering when it described a study and the way they had trouble finding a control group of men who did not pay for sex or pornography in some form.
The Village Voice argued that it was the morality police trying to use the overestimated problem of child sex trafficking in the U.S. to shut down Backpage, the way Craigslist backed down on their adult ads. The problem is that they think that the problem of child sex trafficking is not linked to adult services.
Like a pebble thrown in a pond, it can create ripples across the whole body of water. My next post will look at the connection between men fueling demand and the vulnerable being victimized.
—
by Jason Joyner | Mar 7, 2011 | Biblical worldview, Blog, freedom, giving, human trafficking
This blog has long made a point of highlighting the plight of human trafficking. The world is slowly growing in awareness about how big this problem has become. It is worse in scope at this time than at the height of the African slave trade.
When I saw CNN launching their Freedom Project highlighting the evils of human trafficking today, I was excited. The global resources of CNN added to the other work done by fine organizations can only bring more light to these dark areas.
I’ve redesigned my sidebar to the right, collecting links for organizations that fight human trafficking together and placing it more prominently in the list. Small changes, to be sure. I will link to updates from CNN and others as they come.
I encourage everyone reading this to consider participating with me in the
Fast for Freedom sponsored by the Not for Sale Campaign. It is being held this Sunday, March 13 around the globe. Talk to your friends about it. Bring it up at church. Consider fasting – remembering the victims in prayer and donating the cost of eating that day to a group that fights this evil.
|
| See Not for Sale Campaign for details |
I am making my pledge today. Will you join me?
—
by Jason Joyner | Mar 7, 2011 | Biblical worldview, Blog, freedom, giving, human trafficking
This blog has long made a point of highlighting the plight of human trafficking. The world is slowly growing in awareness about how big this problem has become. It is worse in scope at this time than at the height of the African slave trade.
When I saw CNN launching their Freedom Project highlighting the evils of human trafficking today, I was excited. The global resources of CNN added to the other work done by fine organizations can only bring more light to these dark areas.
I’ve redesigned my sidebar to the right, collecting links for organizations that fight human trafficking together and placing it more prominently in the list. Small changes, to be sure. I will link to updates from CNN and others as they come.
I encourage everyone reading this to consider participating with me in the
Fast for Freedom sponsored by the Not for Sale Campaign. It is being held this Sunday, March 13 around the globe. Talk to your friends about it. Bring it up at church. Consider fasting – remembering the victims in prayer and donating the cost of eating that day to a group that fights this evil.
 |
| See Not for Sale Campaign for details |
I am making my pledge today. Will you join me?
—
