Indiana passes human trafficking law in time for Super Bowl

Submitted by anthony on Fri, 2012-02-03 21:51

Article here. Another Super Bowl myth supported by questionable data? Excerpt:

'Indiana lawmakers passed tough human trafficking legislation this week -- just in time to prevent an event where thousands of young girls could get bought and sold for sex.

“The Super Bowl is a huge human trafficking event,” said State Sen. Randy Head, (R-Logansport). “They’re running sophisticated rings -- trading girls from city to city.”

Organized criminals are known to exploit young women and children through gatherings such as the Super Bowl. In fact, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates 10,000 prostitutes were brought to the 2010 Super Bowl in Miami. In 2011, more than 100 people were arrested for prostitution in Dallas during Super Bowl weekend.
...
“The Super Bowl -- or any large sports game -- always draws traffickers and they bring the product line because there are a lot of men that are used to buying commercial sex around these events,” Smith said. “Unfortunately, it draws minors as a product line. People bring in kids. So what has happened in Indianapolis is absolutely amazing. The leadership standing up saying – we’re going to send a message to traffickers saying we’re not a good place for you to be bringing kids or vulnerable women to sell.”'

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Comments

Let's say the article is right. Let's just say for a second it is. How will passing a law right now actually change anything? There are already plenty of laws on the books that are un- or under-enforced that have to do with human trafficking either because a) it is hard to stop or b) there simply are not that many people of either sex getting trafficked.

I am not saying this sort of crime does not happen. I am questioning however the degree to which is is happening as well as the motivations of those who are picking up the ball and running with it (unintended reference to the pending Super Bowl or any other ball-carrying event notwithstanding).

So yet another law is passed to stop some criminal activity of some kind whether it is happening or not. Notice that it now encourages people to tell on each other over something that seems suspicious because it is defined as such, such as a girl in a cab who looks nervous and insecure. Tell me, how many eminently self-confident teen-age girls (or boys) do you know?

And of course the article ends with man-slamming. I do believe eventually the Super Bowl will be blamed for the Bubonic Plague.

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Submitted by Matt on Sat, 2012-02-04 01:19

I do wish the super bowl committee would spend some of it's vast resources on slamming this rumour and destroying the careers of some of those most active in perpetuating it. A defamation suit or something. And if they feel the need to demonstrate their social conscience, perhaps donate to a men's abuse program, there's a something valley sanctuary in California, There's one in Calgary Alberta Canada and/or Mankind initiative in the UK (this ones less likely, but the California one and even the Canadian one are reasonable options, given both Countries have teams and fans). They can't keep letting it slide unopposed.

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Submitted by Kratch on Mon, 2012-02-06 20:11