For decades, the issue of international involvement has been
a highly disputed topic in American politics. If a foreign nation is acting in
a way contrary to what we deem moral, at what point do we have a responsibility
as human citizens to stand up for the fair treatment of others? Many argue that
governments of foreign nations have the right to deal with their own people as
they see fit. That it isn’t our responsibility, as a diplomatic nation, to step
in and defend the rights of those in other countries?
But what about when the people being wronged are our own?
Last year, there were 1900 calls to the National Trafficking
Hotline from Texas alone, yielding 353 cases in which there was an instance of
human trafficking in Texas. This means that 353 human beings were being bought
and sold for sex or labor in the state we call home. Shouldn’t this alarming
statistic be enough to propel legislators to action?
In the 2013 Texas state legislature, several pieces of
legislation aimed at fighting this domestic issue are stuck in the committee
stage. HB 91 is currently awaiting action by the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence
Committee, as is SB 92. As the 2013 session
of the Texas State Legislature winds down, it is hard to say if these pieces of
legislation will ever get out of committee to be voted on by the House.
This issue should, however, motivate prompt action.
Rachel Adcock
Blog Post 5
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