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| oSha Shireman |
oSha Shireman, a junior McConnell Scholar from Meade County, Ky., delivered the following speech at the annual Children's Advocacy Day in Frankfort with the Kentucky Youth Advocates.
Last year, I was nearly abducted by human traffickers. I was in San Jose, Costa Rica, at the time, studying—ironically—human rights issues at the International Center for Development. For the last 10 months, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about the individuals all over the world who, unlike me, do not escape from their abductors. These are children, teenagers, and young women whose lives will never been the same, and it’s our responsibility to have dialogue about human trafficking in Kentucky and fight the injustice taking place in our own backyard.
As a Kentuckian, I was raised such that an unwavering commitment to promoting the causes of freedom should be a part of my identity. As a student in the Commonwealth, my history classes have been filled with studies about endless struggles for freedom and equality. As a young person, I have experienced the opportunity that generations before me fought to create. We must fight for our young people’s futures—we must take a stand against human trafficking in Kentucky.
300,000 US children are at risk of being trafficked in the US each year. The average age of entry into prostitution is 12-14. In Kentucky, not only are children predominantly exploited for commercial sex, but disturbingly, they are also more likely to be arrested than are their traffickers. Kentucky Rescue and Restore meets the immediate needs of these children upon their escape from their trafficking situation. They work to help mend the psychological and physical damage with the children they serve. We desperately need a dialogue that allows us to give a voice to these victims, rather than further alienating them from society.
House Bill 3, sponsored by Representative Overly and co-sponsored by Representative Wuchner, is a bill that will protect Kentucky’s Child Victims of Human Trafficking. First, the bill seeks to create a ‘safe harbor’ to protect child victims—this will allow sexually-exploited children to be treated as victims, rather than criminals. Child victims will receive services through the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, rather than being committed to the Department for Juvenile Justice. Next, the bill will target the ill-gotten gains ofhuman traffickers. Lastly, the bill will provide law enforcement effective tools to combat human trafficking. House Bill 3 will be seen in the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 13Shireman studies political science and social change at the University of Louisville.
I cannot comprehend how young Kentuckians like me can have their futures decided for them by someone who is trying to make a profit, how can they be sentenced to a life of misery and fear. I urge you to help combat modern day slavery in Kentucky by speaking with your legislators and stressing the significance of passing House Bill 3.