Tuesday afternoon, after a disconcerting display of sophistry in front of the U.N. General Assembly, Barack Obama actually managed to sound like the leader of the free world for a few minutes when he spoke against human trafficking.
After his earlier speech at the U.N., the president addressed the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative;
“It ought to concern every person, because it’s a debasement of our common humanity,” the president said. “It ought to concern every community, because it tears at the social fabric. I’m talking about the injustice, the outrage, of human trafficking, which must be called by its true name — modern slavery.”
[Source: Los Angeles Times]
For once, he got something right. Human trafficking is a tragic but little known reality today. And not just in less-prosperous countries around the world, but right here in the U.S.
Here are some sobering statistics from the U.N.’s 2012 report:
• Of the 20.9 million victims of forced labor and human slavery worldwide, 9.1 million victims (44 percent) have been trafficked (moved) internally or internationally.
• 11.8 million are subjected to forms of modern slavery in their place of origin or residence within their own national borders.
• Nearly 1.5 million victims are currently laboring in conditions of forced labor, sexual exploitation and servitude in the United States, Canada and developed countries of the EU
• .55 percent of forced labor victims are women and girls, as are 98 percent of sex trafficking victims.
• Children aged 17 years and below represent 26 percent of total victims, representing a total of 5.5 million child victims worldwide.
Never fear though, the prez is on the job ~
As Obama spoke, he exercised a significant (election) advantage he holds: control of government. He announced new initiatives to combat human trafficking, including an executive order tightening restrictions on companies that secure federal contracts, improved training for federal prosecutors and law enforcement officials, and a $6-million grant program for communities that seek to prevent trafficking.
[Source: Los Angeles Times]
What a guy! You might even believe he really cared – but for the fact that the Obama administration pulled funding from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Anti-Trafficking Program last year.
For more than a decade, the USCCB has been a national leader in advocacy and education to eradicate sex and labor trafficking, providing assistance to victims of modern-day slavery right here in America. Supporting them in this cause, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has provided funding for the program since 2006. That is until last September.
As Heritage Network reports,
USCCB provides a wide range of necessary services to victims, including housing, medical assistance, and mental-health care, and has successfully partnered with more than 150 religious and secular groups to care for more than 2,700 victims of human trafficking. According to sources within the HHS, however, the success of USCCB’s efforts in saving and serving trafficking victims apparently did not warrant (HHS’) “strong preference.”
Why did HHS really end funding for the highly effective USCCB program? Because the Catholic organization, in accordance with its religious beliefs, has a policy of refusing to refer trafficking victims for contraception or abortion.
The Obama Administration’s unspoken message to the USCCB: if you believe in the sanctity of all life, including that of the unborn, no federal funding for you.
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It’s not just the HHS decision that points to the administration’s hypocrisy. As the Washington Times noted yesterday, the U.S. is still sending money to countries with some of the worst records on modern-day slavery;
… some other human rights advocates have criticized Mr. Obama’s efforts to control human trafficking. Just last week, Mr. Obama gave seven countries listed by the State Department for poor records on controlling human trafficking — including Libya and Saudi Arabia — a pass on government-mandated sanctions and a loss of foreign aid, citing national security concerns.
The president said it was in the “national interest” not to punish the seven countries ranked by the State Department as among the worst when it comes to combating human trafficking and to give partial waivers to six other countries.
Whose interest is served by punishing the USCCB and by extension, the victims that they’re trying to help?
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As is his wont, Mr. Obama played fast and loose with his American history facts in the Clinton Global Initiative speech. This time it was Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation that was subjected to a bit of selective editing: Obama garbles U.S. history in human trafficking speech ~
“With the advance of Union forces, it brought a new day — that all persons held as slaves would thenceforth be forever free,” Mr. Obama said.
Actually, the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in 10 Southern states who were, at the time, mostly beyond the control of the federal government. And the document didn’t free an estimated 500,000 slaves in four slave-holding border states — Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware — that were loyal to the Union. Slavery was ended in those states by various state and federal actions later on.
Obama also conveniently forgets that Lincoln’s actions were informed largely by his Christian faith, and that Christians were at the forefront of the abolition movement. Revisionist history enables him to deliberately hamper the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in their mission to assist victims of human trafficking.
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The President’s words and his autocratic commitment of federal funding may have many people fooled. Don’t buy the B.S.
If he actually cared about the victims of modern-day slavery he would bring diplomatic pressure to bear on the countries who are the worst offenders – instead of throwing more of our tax dollars at them! And he would continue funding organizations like the USCCB who have proven their effectiveness in addressing this important issue.
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Related:
Judge: Bishops Must Refer Sex-Trafficking Victims for Abortion ~ HHS’ defunding of the USCCB Anti-Trafficking Program was precipitated by an ACLU lawsuit. The battle continues: Becket Fund Files Interfaith Brief Defending Catholic Bishops Against ACLU Lawsuit.
