In our politically divided nation, I think there’s one American value we can all agree on: everyone deserves to be free.
On Tuesday, the State Department released the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report, which ranks 187 countries on their efforts to combat human trafficking, including the U.S. This report sheds light on the hidden crime of modern-day slavery — a crime that holds more than 45 million men, women, and children in bondage.
The 19th century abolitionist William Wilberforce said, “You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know.” What does this mean for us? For one thing, our members of Congress should recommit themselves to protecting the integrity of this Report and the U.S. foreign aid programs that help rescue slaves and put traffickers behind bars.
Mark Campbell
Fairfax