What's Up with the City-scape Background?

When I was thinking about what the appearance of this blog should be I instantly thought of using a picture of extreme poverty or someone in chains.  But as I started putting everything together, I realized that throwing up a picture of extreme poverty (most likely associated with Africa, South America, or India) or of someone in chains would only distance us from the reality of this issue.  Too often when the word 'slavery' comes up in conversation our minds jump immediately to the past, to some other country, or perhaps maybe of the people that are homeless that we often pass by on the streets, we effectively allow ourselves not to become too closely involved because we think that slavery and trafficking are not happening all around us or that we aren't directly affected.

The truth is that we are directly involved.  I chose a city-scape background at night because, to me, nothing better elucidates the reality of slavery in this country.  Street-walkers (prostitutes) and strippers line our cities' streets at night, and our general response is to condemn the 'pawns' on moral grounds.  And while we believe that we are taking the high-road we ignore the fact that many massage parlors in our cities are places harboring trafficked slaves, and many restaurants as well (yes, restaurants).  Nor do we put much effort in smoking out the hidden but not-so-hidden brothels in our cities or eliminating the root social causes that allow pimps or self-named businessmen/women to turn a huge profit in these various areas of trafficking. 

Calling pimps 'businessmen/women' is probably much more accurate.  Many people are sucked into slavery because they are smoothly tricked into it with the promise of a better future.  Many people become addicted to drugs that they eventually can't pay for, and then are forced to pay back the dealers with their bodies (and forget about paying back debts and then leaving.  Drug addiction is very serious and though many leave their submission, many return because they cannot handle the withdrawal).  Many that are in slavery are scared to escape because the police, given our social climate and our laws, punish the prostitutes and enslaved themselves rather than unraveling the pimp's control.  Many are promised higher salaries in busy industries like restaurants and massage parlors, salaries that gradually become a myth but there's no time to find another job and quitting without prospects would only lead to homelessness.

All of this happens in our downtowns.  Downtown Boston, Oakland, D.C., Detroit, New York, New Orleans, Phoenix, Seattle.  You name the city and the chances are nearly 100% that some form of trafficking/slavery is going on right under your nose.  In fact, if you reside in a town, not a city, there's still a good chance that some form of trafficking/slavery is going on under your nose.  There are 27 million slaves in the world.  That number could not become so large if trafficking were not so lucrative, and because trafficking is so lucrative it is also very widespread. 

So, I hope that when you see this city-scape background that it will help you carry the image around with you in your daily life.  When you find yourself in the city or in a fairly busy downtown area, remember this blog and ask yourself, "What's going on here that I don't know about?  Can I live with myself knowing that people's human dignity may be totally erased just a few feet away and I'm not doing anything about it?"