Last week, this space wrote about the fate of 72 migrant workers from Central and South America whose bodies were found in a remote farmhouse in northeastern Mexico, not far from the U.S. border.  The victims were apparently attempting to cross into the U.S. for work when they ran afoul of a drug gang that attempted to extort money from the group, and then murdered them in cold blood.

We asked the questions: who were these people, and how did they end up dead on the floor of a farmhouse far from their homes and families?

The New York Times has now provided at least some of the answers, in an admirable and detailed account that draws heavily upon the comments of the victims’ loved ones.  It is heart-wrenching reading, but a necessary reminder that there is in this world, amid splendor and plenty, a vast underclass of people who are desperately seeking out a better life, and because of their desperation, they are vulnerable to cruel exploitation — and worse.

Mexico’s National Commission for Human Rights said in a report last year that 9,758 migrants were abducted from September 2008 to February 2009. Guatemala said that last year 27,222 of its citizens were deported from the United States and 28,800 from Mexico; Honduras estimates more than 500 of its people leave for the north every day. That’s a snapshot in one corner of the world, of the flow of men, women and children along a lengthy and largely invisible network that seems to exist outside the law, outside society, and outside human compassion.

The story of these migrants is now at the stage when the appropriate government agencies are vowing to address the situation, order up more law enforcement, and renew their commitment to honoring the human rights of even those who are not citizens of their countries. The Mexican government, in light of the massacre, has promised a new strategy to protect migrants, including better coordination among state and federal agencies to dismantle kidnapping gangs and disrupt their finances.

But, paraphrasing actor George Clooney at this week’s Emmy Awards, the proof of progress will be whether — or at all — in three, four or five years time, people on the move in the hopes of a better life actually can reach their destination, alive.

It’s safe to say most people think that prostitution is a woman-only activity.  But news from Spain shows that perversity — and profits to be made from trafficking — can also involve men in prostitution.

According to news accounts, 14 Brazilian men were trafficked into Spain over the past several months to work as prostitutes.  Most were located in the vacation island of Majorca, but the trafficking ring placed the men in apartments all over Spain, moving them repeatedly to stay one step ahead of the police.

The accounts of these male prostitutes contain all the elements of modern-day slavery: the use of force, violence, drugs, impossible debts and no ready means of escape.  Drugs, in fact, play an essential role in sex trafficking, both as a means of control and as a “reward” for service.

How were these men treated? Spanish police offered this vivid and repulsive description:

The sex workers were allegedly provided with Viagra, cocaine and other stimulants to help keep them available for sex 24 hours a day. Most of their customers are suspected to have been men.

Human trafficking is reaching epidemic proportions in Florida, a retired DEA agent claims. But is it?

“I can’t tell you what a major problem it is in this state,” said Tony Attanasio, a retired U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent who created a human trafficking course for law enforcement. “It’s just an unbelievable problem.”

Attanasio, like many others in the human trafficking field, can’t cite actual numbers to prove his assertion.  Still, a spate of trafficking related cases in recent months throughout Florida certainly leaves the impression that the Sunshine State is seeing more than its share of this global crime.

And no wonder.  Geographically, Florida has long been an entry point to the United States for thousands of immigrants — most of them legal, some not — from Central and South America.  For the same reason, police say Florida is a major distribution hub in the worldwide illicit drug trade.  Smuggled aliens also have been found working the fields of the state’s huge agricultural industry.

But whether trafficking is an epidemic in Florida may be stretching things a bit — at least or until more precise data on trafficking crimes is available.  For now, observers and counter-trafficking advocates use a U.S. State Department statistic that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. annually.  In a state with 16 million people, such a number — even if every individual were trafficked into Florida (an absurd calculation),  would constitute no more than a trickle.

All of which reinforces the argument that before progress can be made in attacking human trafficking, law enforcement first needs to have a clear idea about the nature and extent of this very real — but difficult to identify — crime.

Francis Fedric,  Slave Life in Virginia and Kentucky:

A badge of aristocracy among slaveholders is the number of slaves they hold, and white people of equal fortune are not generally allowed to visit slaveholders, who look down upon them with a species of contempt. One remarkable fact which I wish to impress upon my readers is this, that the white men born in those districts in America where slaves are held, are just as capable of bearing the heat as the black men. And the proof is this, that in the harvest-time, when the two are working together in the fields, the white men can actually beat the negroes at the work, and very often the black man has to give up, and is laughed at by the white labourer. They say, “Only give us sufficient wages, and we will work by the side of any nigger alive.” It is quite shocking to hear slaveholders distorting even the Bible itself to prove that a negro alone was made for hard work. On the cunning of slaves he says; I remember a slave, who was not treated very well with respect to food and other things, when he had done his work being lectured by his mistress on the duties of a slave, she telling him that in proportion to his obedience and servility as a slave he would be loved by God. Slaves are all of them full of this sly, artful, indirect way of conveying what they dare not speak out, and their humour is very often the medium of hinting wholesome truths. Is not cunning always the natural consequence of tyranny?

THE ENEMY WITHIN: TERROR IN AMERICA – 1776 TO TODAY OPENS AT THE FREEDOM CENTER SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH

New Exhibition Provides Insight into Terror on American Soil from the Revolutionary War to the War on Terror

CINCINNATI, Ohio, August 30, 2010 — The Enemy Within: Terror in America – 1776 to Today, the only museum exhibition to provide historical perspective on acts of terror that have taken place on American soil, opens Saturday, September 11, 2010 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

The Enemy Within, an International Spy Museum exhibition, reveals nine major events and periods in U.S. History when Americans were threatened by enemies within its borders: depicting how the government and public responded, illustrating the corresponding evolution of the U.S. counterintelligence and homeland security efforts, and examining the challenge of securing the nation without compromising the civil liberties upon which it was founded.

“Most American remember exactly where and where they learned about terrorist attacks in American on September 11, 2001 – and regard these events as a turning point that forever changed their sense of security in the United States,” states International Spy Museum Chairman of the Board and Founder, Milton Maltz.  “The fact is however, that Americans have endured thousands of incidents of terror, violence, or subversion right here at home by domestic terrorists and foreign agents, militant radicals and saboteurs, traitors and spies.”

The exhibition features dramatic moments in U.S. History – all frightening, and destabilizing events – represent times when Americans have felt threatened within their own borders.  Each precipitated legislation and/or new counterintelligence measures and provoked debate about protecting both citizens and civil liberties.

“Terrorism in whatever form is an assault on freedom,” said Freedom Center President and CEO, Donald Murphy.  “As this exhibition dramatically demonstrates, our freedoms have been challenged internally by terrorists since our founding, and it is a reflection of the strength of our democracy that we have not succumbed to the terrorist’s agenda.”

 The Enemy Within will be open to the public until February 6, 2011.

About the Freedom Center

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center uses exhibits, programs and activities to educate and inspire contemporary audiences about the legacy of courage and multicultural cooperation as embodied in the story of the Underground Railroad, and to make that history relevant to issues confronting society today. Additional information is available at www.freedomcenter.org. 

About the International Spy Museum

The International Spy Museum, the only public institution in the world dedicated to presenting the world history of espionage, features the largest permanent collection of international spy-related artifacts on public display.  Through interactive exhibits with state-of-the-art audiovisual effects, film, and hands-on components, the Museum traces the evolution of espionage through the people who practiced the profession and it provides a context for guests to better interpret the role intelligence places in current events.  Additional information is available at www.spymuseum.org.

James Williams, Narrative of James Williams

Out of the two hundred and fourteen slaves who were brought out from Virginia, at least one-third of them were members of the Methodist and Baptist churches in that State. Of this number five or six could read. They had been torn away from the care and discipline of their respective churches, and from the means of instruction, but they retained their love for the exercises of religion, and felt a mournful pleasure in speaking of the privileges and spiritual blessings which they enjoyed in Old Virginia. Three of them had been preachers, or exhorters, viz. Solomon, usually called uncle Solomon, Richard, and David. Uncle Solomon was a grave, elderly man, mild and forgiving in his temper, and greatly esteemed among the more serious portion of our hands. He used to snatch and advise them to fix their minds upon the Savior, as their only helper. Some I have heard curse and swear in answer, and others would say that they could not keep their minds upon God and the devil (meaning Huckstep) at the same time: that it was of no use to try to be religious – they had no time – that the overseer wouldn’t let them meet to pray – and that even uncle Solomon, when he prayed, had to keep one eye open all the time, to see if Huckstep was coming. Uncle Solomon could both read and write, and had brought out with him from Virginia a Bible, a hymn-book, and some other religious books, which he carefully concealed from the overseer.

Peter Randolph’s Sketches of Slave Life:

Now, instead of looking with my real eyes to see my Savior, I felt him in me, and I was happy. The eyes of my mind were open, and I saw things as I never did before. I wanted all the other slaves to see him thus, and feel as happy as I did. I used to talk to others, and tell them of the friend they would have in Jesus, and show them by my experience how I was brought to Christ, and felt his love within my heart,–and love it was, in God’s adapting himself to my capacity. After receiving this revelation from the Lord, I became impressed that I was called of God to preach to the other slaves. I labored under this impression for seven years, but then I could not read the Bible, and I thought I could never preach unless I learned to read the Bible. I thought it was written by the Almighty himself. I loved this book, and prayed over it and labored until I could read it. I used to go to the church to hear the white preacher. When I heard him read his text, I would read mine when I got borne. This is the way, my readers, I learned to read the Word of God when I was a slave. Thus did I labor eleven years under the impression that I was called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, the ever-blessed God.

Louis Hughes, Thirty Years a Slave from Bondage to Freedom

While this preparation for the Sabbath was in progress in most of the cabins, the old men would gather in one for a prayer-meeting. It was not long before the cabin was filled with both old and young, who came in their simple yet sincere way to give praise to God. It was common to have one or two exhorters on the plantation who claimed to be called to do service for God, by teaching their fellow men the principles of religion. God certainly must have revealed himself to these poor souls, for they were very ignorant – they did not know a letter of the Bible. But when they opened their mouths they were filled, and the plan of Salvation was explained in a way that all could receive it. It was always a mystery to the white brethren how the slaves could line out hymns, preach Christ and redemption, yet have no knowledge even of how the name of Christ was spelled. They were illiterate to the last degree, so there is but one theory, they were inspired. I remember very well that there was always a solemnity about the services – a certain harmony, which had a peculiar effect – a certain pathetic tone which quickened the emotions as they sang those old plantation hymns. It mattered not what their troubles had been during the week – how much they had been lashed, the prayer-meeting on Saturday evening never failed to be held. Their faith was tried and true.

Noah Davis, A Narrative of the Life of Rev. Noah Davis

I went to my mother, and asked her the question– “How do people feel, when they get converted?” She replied, “Do you think you are converted?” Now, this was a severe trial; for, although I felt that I was really changed, yet I wanted to hear from her, before I could decide whether I was actually converted, or not. I replied, “No.” Then she said, “My son, the devil makes people think themselves converted, sometimes.” I arose, and left immediately, believing that the devil had made a fool of me. I returned to my shop, more determined to pray than ever before and tried to get under that same weight, that I had felt pressing me down, but a short while before. But I could not; and, instead of feeling sad, I felt joyful in my heart; and while trying to pray, I thought the Saviour appeared to me. I thought I saw God smiling upon me, through Christ, His Son. My soul was filled with love to God and Jesus Christ. I felt, that if I was only converted, I would tell all sinners how precious the Saviour was. But I could not think myself converted yet, because I could not see what I had done, for God to pardon my sins. Still I felt a love to Him for what He had done for my soul. It was several months after that, before I was made to realize this to be the work of God; and when it was made plain, O what joy it did bring to my poor soul!

From Charles Ball, Fifty Years in Chains; IT is impossible to reconcile the mind of the native slave to the idea of living in a state of perfect equality, end boundless affection, with the white people. Heaven will be no heaven to him, if he is not to be avenged of his enemies. I know, from experience, that these are the fundamental rules of his religious creed; because I learned them in the religious meetings of the slaves themselves. A favorite and kind master or mistress, may now and then be admitted into heaven, but this rather as a matter of favor, to the intercession of some slave, than as matter of strict justice to the whites, who will, by no means, be of an equal rank with those who shall be raised from the depths of misery, in this world. The idea of a revolution in the conditions of the whites and the blacks, is the corner-stone of the religion of the latter; and indeed, it seems to me, at least, to be quite natural, if not in strict accordance with the precepts of the Bible; for in that book I find it every where laid down, that those who have possessed an inordinate portion of the good things of this world, and have lived in ease and luxury, at the expense of their fellow men will surely have to render an account of their stewardship, and be punished, for having withheld from others the participation of those blessings, which they themselves enjoyed.

A new law in the United Kingdom intended to reduce forced prostitution by going after customers is so far producing little results.

The law prosecutes those who attempt to purchase sex from women who have been forced into prostitution, and was seen by government officials and women rights advocates as a step toward curbing demand for trafficked prostitutes.  But in its first first 15 months, only three men have been “cautioned” for arranging contact with trafficked prostitutes.

Why?

According to government and law enforcement officials quoted in an article in The Guardian newspaper, there are several reasons that have made the new law unsuccessful.  The maximum fine, only 1,000 British pounds, gives police little incentive to see out violators.  But a more fundamental flaw, sources say, is the fact that sex trafficking in the UK may not be as widespread as thought.

A recent survey by the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) claimed that at least 2,600 prostitutes working in brothels in England and Wales had been trafficked from abroad. Many lived in debt bondage and were strictly controlled through threats of violence to family members.

The Acpo figures, relating only to off-street prostitution, are lower than previous estimates, the Guardian reports.  A Home Office report in 2003, based on an extrapolation of trafficking in London, estimated that there were 3,812 trafficked prostitutes in England and Wales.

Differences over statistics cause most people’s eyes to glaze over.  But crime data is critically important to human rights organizations and anti-trafficking organizations attempting to make the case that sex trafficking is a growing and widespread issue.  One could argue that few have been prosecuted for seeking sex with trafficked prostitutes because the offense is hardly more than a gentle wrist slap.  Or it could be that the number of prosecutions is so puny because there simply aren’t enough cases.

Either way, how many women are trafficked into prostitution is a question that awaits a definitive answer.

From Octavia V. Rogers Albert’s The House of Bondage:

“Sometimes he would get mad about something going wrong on the place, and he would beat every one of us and lock us up in the jail he made for us.”

“What! Did he put you in jail on Sunday?”

“Yes; ‘most every Sunday morning when we did not have any work to do. The next time I went to see Aunt Jane we had another happy time. She could read right good in the Bible and hymn-book, and she would read to me one or two hymns at a time. I finally got religion, and it was Aunt Jane’s praying and singing them old Virginia hymns that helped me so much. Sometimes she would slip away from her place at night and come to see me and would hold prayer-meeting in my house.”

“Would your marster allow you to hold prayer-meeting on his place?”

“No, my child; if old marster heard us singing and praying he would come out and make us stop. One time, I remember, we all were having a prayer-meeting in my cabin, and marster came up to the door and hollered out, ‘You, Charlotte, what’s all that fuss in there?’ We all had to hush up for that night. I was so afraid old marster would see Aunt Jane. I knew Aunt Jane would have to suffer if her white people knew she was off at night. Marster used to say God was tired of us all hollering to him at night.”