Marches to end child trafficking

As VeeJay covered earlier this week, yesterday was World Day Against Trafficking in Persons as declared under a UN resolution in 2013.

Sounds like a lofty ideal, but without boots on the ground, what good is it really?

Anyone that follows trafficking rescue groups on social media saw the anticipation grow as the date grew closer.  Vets 4 Child Rescue (V4CR) which was founded by Craig Sawyer and released ContraLand earlier this year shared posts for events that were being put together across the country, including one at the heart of Hollywood.

While it seemed as though many of the events were something of a mish-mash of organizations and independent organizers, one group, Operation Underground Railroad seemed to rise to the top of a lot of the events under the banner of "Rise up for children."

Las Vegas, Nevada, a city that continually ranks in the top 10 for instances of human trafficking, saw multiple events yesterday evening despite temperatures still sitting at over the 100 degree mark.

Undaunted by the heat or the threat of the corona virus, an estimated 1-200 people showed up outside of the Fashion Show Mall, located on Las Vegas Boulevard to walk the strip, and "Get Loud" about bringing an end to child sex trafficking.  Even after the main group had departed from the staging area, small parties were seen quickly walking through the parking lot, signs in hand, to join in.

While a number of people happened upon the gathering seemed initially intrigued in what was bringing people together, once they heard it was about child sex trafficking, many of them hurriedly walked away, unwilling or uninterested in conversing further.

Regardless of whether or not a single new person was convinced that child sex trafficking is an issue that needs eradication by those that showed up in parks and took to the streets yesterday, we can all agree that more people are aware and convinced of the reality than were even just a few years ago.

Not all cases of child sex trafficking are as depraved and dark as those that survivors of SRA tell of but just the same, children are still being exploited by those in positions of responsibility and power and it needs to end.

It seems safe to say that the conversation has been started.  Let's make sure it doesn't stop.