Slavery today

It’s common to hear people whine about how they’re tired of hearing about slavery’s legacy in regards to blacks. I’ve heard people refer to it as “milking sympathy for all it’s worth” or referring to it as “a collective white guilt trip.” \nIt’s natural that some people choose to ignore their dirty laundry in order to avoid having to deal with its consequences.\nIn my opinion, those people are ridiculous. \nHowever, there is a fundamental problem with intense emphasis on American involvement in slavery and the slave trade: numerous examples of modern-day slavery go completely ignored.\nMany British think slavery was only an American phenomenon. \nThese people should be enlightened soon since Britain is celebrating the 200th anniversary of its decision to abolish the slave trade. Though the law which, passed in March 1807, banned the trade of humans, slavery continued in Britain until 1838.\nBut as the U.K. celebrates this milestone in the abolishment of slavery, an estimated 4,000 women are held as sex slaves in the U.K., according to a Home Office report. The majority are from Eastern Europe, who are led to believe that they are arriving to work as nannies or maids, and actually being sold to pimps and brothel-keepers. \nThink that’s bad?\nKevin Bales of Free the Slaves, the largest anti-slavery advocacy in America, said at any given time in the United States there are 30,000 to 50,000 sex slaves. It’s pathetic that this insane number of slaves exists in a culture taught to be so aware of our dark history in the African slave trade. \nShift the focus away from the West and take a look at Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He’s caused controversy by stating that the government did not find any evidence that Asian women were forced into prostitution for the benefit of Japanese soldiers during the second World War, according to the British Broadcasting Corp. This statement is an audacious attempt to sweep Japanese atrocities under the rug. Many historians agree that 200,000 women from Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines were forced into sex slavery as “comfort women.” \nIf the world does not tolerate Holocaust denial, why do we allow Japan to deny its role in such large-scale slavery? \nThough many are aware of the conflict in Darfur, they remain unaware of the events of Sudan’s 21-year North vs. South civil war, during which 11,000 children from the South were seized and taken as slaves to the North, according to the Kenya-based Rift Valley Institute. The government of Sudan rejects the idea of slavery existing in Sudan, but bowed to international pressure and allowed a return program for slaves in 1999, as long as they were referred to as “abductees.”\nHowever, James Aguer, a major advocate for freedom of Sudanese slaves, reports that 8,000 people are still living in slavery. Those that have been returned have faced severe problems, many not recalling their names or original homes.\nThese examples that I’ve cited are only the tip of the iceberg, but they are sufficient enough to demonstrate that Americans and the world need a severe reality check.