What is with this "modern day abolitionist" jargon? Isn't slavery illegal? Didn't you learn about the Emancipation Proclamation in school? Isn't this just the new, cool cause? First orphans, then AIDS, now slaves?
Well, the good news is that slavery is indeed illegal in every country in the world--but only as recently as 1981. Mauritania was the last country to outlaw slavery, but didn't actually make it a crime to own slaves until 2007. Don't ask me how that works; the point is that it doesn't work. Every country has an antislavery law on the books, but many do not enforce them. Human trafficking, or modern day slavery, is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. It is estimated to currently be third in terms of profit, trailing only slightly behind drugs and arms.
Modern day abolitionists cry that it is not enough to admit that slavery is wrong. Despite laws screening child-care workers and penalizing drunk driving, we still work to ensure the safety of our children and keep drunk drivers off the street. Even more so, we must relentlessly push for the enforcement of relatively new laws that free slaves, punish traffickers, and provide for survivors. Yes, the laws are on the books. Modern day abolitionists demand that those representing justice use them.
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