Douglass and Modern Slavery

Frederick Douglass wrote his narrative in 1845 as a freeman in Massachusetts. It describes his traumatic and inhuman life as a slave from the time he was born in 1818 until he escaped Maryland and became free in 1841. His narrative describes slavery as most American citizens think of it today. In school, most are taught that slavery ended on December 6, 1865 with the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment. Douglass, throughout his life as a slave, was subject to physical maltreatment, including whippings and beatings. In addition, he was constantly moved from city to city and plantation to plantation. In a way, it could be said that Douglass was a victim of trafficking. Unfortunately for the world, it is estimated that over 27 million people are being trafficked, with that number growing by one million victims every year. Victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation have a stunningly similar experience to that of antebellum slaves.

In the opening of his narrative, Douglass describes both his mother and father. While he was separated from his mother shortly after birth, he was often visited by her at night. During this time, Douglass became aware that his father was a white man, although he is unaware of whom his father actually is. Mulatto slaves were extremely common during Douglass’ time. In fact, many white masters had many children whom he sold upon their births. “It is a common custom, in the part of Maryland from which I ran away, to part children from their mothers at a very early age… For what this separation is done, I do not know, unless it be to hinder the development of the child’s affection toward its mother, and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child” (Douglass 18-19). Although Douglass does not indicate whether or not his mother was raped when she conceived Douglass, many female slaves were used purely as sex slaves. “Why master was so careful of her, may safely be left to conjecture. She was a woman of noble form, and of graceful proportions, having very few equals, and fewer superiors, in personal appearance, among the colored or white women of our neighbourhood” (22). Aunt Hester was repeatedly physically abused for her attraction. This practice still happens throughout the world, including in the United States. In Thailand, for example, millions of girls have been sold out of their families, mainly because the family cannot afford food and are forced to exploit their daughters in order to feed themselves. The daughters are most often sold to a foreigner who rapes them for a period of time or they are sold to a brothel. Either way, contraceptives are never provided for these young girls and they often become pregnant and never know the name of the father. Ultimately, these girls are forced from their villages, as victims of rape are seen as offenders themselves. Usually under the age of eighteen and sometimes as young as ten, these exploited girls are without a family, home, or food for their new children. Similar to antebellum slavery, these girls are bought and sold purely for sex.

Poverty-stricken is a staple characteristic of nearly all those who trafficked. If poverty is eradicated from the world, would that cause the end of trafficking? Unfortunately, in order to exhibit good one must exhibit evil. Poverty is a crime against humanity society will forever have to fight, if society ever wishes to see prosperity. Does this mean young girls will always have to be exploited?

After being sold from the farm where his mother was enslaved, Douglass begins work on Captain Anthony’s plantation. Here, Douglass describes the abuse his Aunt Hester endured. Douglass was hiding in the closet and watched the bloody scene, terrified he was next.

Before he commenced whipping Aunt Hester; he took her into the kitchen, and stripped her from neck to waist, leaving her neck, shoulders, and back, entirely naked. He then told her to cross her hands, calling her at the same time a d-d b-h. After crossing her hands, he tied them with a strong rope, and led her stool under a large hook in the joist, put in for the purpose. He made her get upon the stool, and tied her hands to the hook. She now stood upon the ends of her toes…he commenced to lay on the heavy cowskin, and soon the warm, red blood (amid heart-rending shrieks from her, and horrid oaths from him) came dripping to the floor. (Douglass 23)

Douglass was severely traumatized by being a bystander. While the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by United Nations in 1948, declares that “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”, innocent bystanders watch victims being abused throughout the world today. One example of the millions of cases like this is young girls sold into brothels. Generally, these girls are kidnapped or sold from their homes and are often trafficked into another country. The United States is one of the largest importers of exploited women and children. The girls all watch in horror as the others are violently raped by older men, often old enough to be their fathers and grandfathers. In addition, they are physically abused by their “owners”. The abuser will inflict physical pain when the girls do not follow exact orders. Many are forced to watch so an example may be set. The mental traumatisation this causes is rarely treated, but severe enough to make it nearly impossible for these girls to ever rejoin society.

Many NGOs exude all of their energy and resources into rescuing girls who have been exploited. However, many nations throughout the world are unwilling to condemn trafficking as a serious issue. Therefore, these girls who are traumatised by not only being violently and repeatedly being raped themselves, but from watching the same pain inflicted on other girls are often left to heal their wounds on their own, just as Douglass was from watching his Aunt be severely beaten. Why are these girls forced to be bystanders? Power, in relation to humans, is a concept that is unfamiliar to society. However, most when given power will abuse it. Does this leave no hope for these girls?

As the narrative progresses, Douglass explains his free time as a child. Because children are not strong enough to work in the fields, he has a few menial tasks to complete in the day, but is often free to wander the plantation. “The most I had to do was to drive up the cows at evening, keep the fowls out of the garden, keep the front yard clean, and run errands for my old master’s daughter”  (Douglass 41). While he is still enslaved, Douglass is not subjected to unpaid gruelling working and harsh physical punishment until he is able to work the farms. Modern day slavery has surpassed slavery of Douglass’ time in the sense that children make up at least 70 percent of those trafficked every year. In addition, of the 27 million who are trafficked every year, 80 percent of those are women sold into the sex industry. Of that 80 percent, half are children. In essence, that means over 13 million children have been subjected to the inhuman treatment of modern day slavery and over 10 million have been sexually exploited. Today, no one is safe from slavery.

Up until this year, the United States has refused to acknowledge that women and children are trafficked into its borders and even its own citizens are subjected to sexual exploitation. Other countries turn a blind eye to trafficking, while some countries have historically condoned the exploitation of its women. Although the United Nations has worked to abolish all forms of slavery, action has not been taken in nearly every country in the world. Until modern forms of slavery are recognized as problems, slavery will continue to dominate society.

In chapter seven, Douglass describes his quest to learn to read. He steals bread from his master’s house and trades this for lessons from poor local boys. It is highly probable that these boys were the children of indentured servants, people whom had their tickets to America paid for by wealthy owners in turn for so many years of free labour. These boys are unable to understand Douglass’ pain, as they believe he will be free from servitude when he reaches 21 years of age. Today, this form of slavery still exists, however, it is arguably more severe in modern society. Bonded labour, or latter day indentured servitude, is extremely deceitful. Impoverished people are forced to take loans from corrupt lenders in order to survive. Like indentured servants, they are to pay back the money with labour. However, most of these people are illiterate and are unable to keep track of the amount of money they owe. Thus, they are forever enslaved and physically brutalised by moneylender. In addition, if they bear a child, he/she is forced to continue his/her parent’s labour to try and pay back the loan that was perhaps paid for years ago.

A common trend seen throughout the history of slavery is illiteracy. Antebellum slaves were not allowed to become educated and modern slaves are too impoverished to ever go to school. Educating the world could keep it free from slavery. However, in order to educate the world, families will not only have to have enough money to send their children to school, but also have enough money that the children are not needed as labours. As stated previously, is it possible for the world to rid itself of poverty?

After becoming literate, Douglass begins to educate himself on the history of slavery. He reads one book describing white men as thieves, “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no other light than a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes, and in a strange land reduced us to slavery” (53). Douglass depicts slaves as innocent human beings captured from their native homes and trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean and sold to whites. The UDHR attempted to eradicate the world of this problem through the adoption of Article 13, which states, “(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country”. Even after the apparent emancipation of slavery, humans are still being uplifted from their homes are trafficked to foreign nations. Like slaves, they have no rights since they illegally entered the country. In addition, the victims of trafficking are usually taken from a country such as Thailand or Cambodia and brought to the United States. They are unable to even speak the language of those surrounding them to seek help. Therefore, victims forced to the demands of their kidnapper and exploiter, just as Douglass and slaves of his time were too.

The UDHR claims that “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms”. However, over 27 million people are estimated to still be enslaved today. While the United States seems to believe that since the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment, slavery has been abolished in all of its forms, millions are still subjected to physical and sexual abuse, just as Douglass was nearly two hundred years ago. Is it possible that the world will ever experience a slavery-free society, or will oppression forever rule humanity, subjecting the weak to inhuman treatment?

Human trafficking, in particular sexual exploitation of women, has been a subject that has always been near to my heart. While I personally have never been sold into sex slavery or known someone who has, I have experienced many horrendous events in my life that I would say are comparable. Living in America, my family and I would be protected from such inhuman events and that justice would be served. However, that is not the case. The United States refuses to try to prevent sexual exploitation and rape and refuses to assist those who have had to experience these horrible crimes. In the Constitution, I am guaranteed the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and yet rape victims are not entitled to any of these. While it is difficult to even get help in this society, if one wishes to pursue charges against the offender, it is the victim that is turned into a criminal during court. I cannot even stomach how the United States claims to serve the interests of its people and allows such heinous events to transpire.

To be honest, I wish the world would completely revise its rape laws. Every nation in the world should work to support victims, particularly those who have been uprooted from their homes and sold into the sex industry. It is the responsibility of every human being to protect their own from what I consider to be the most degrading and scaring crime one could become victim to today. While I wish those who lost their lives during slavery and the Civil War did not die in vain, it seems that perhaps they did since modern slavery is still affecting every nation in the world.

This video is one I came across in my research, but I was not sure when to post it. It seems to be appropriate now.

I cannot imagine how human beings are capable of pushing another human being to the brink of death and back every day. I would like to imagine myself as a moderately decent person and physically harming another person, regardless how adamantly I dislike the person. Unfortunately, the US military system is training these men and women to desensitize themselves to the horrible acts they are committing. Soldiers are trained to see the others as the enemy; perhaps they are taught that the others are not human. Either way, hundreds of soldiers are able to commit heinous acts against humanity every year overseas. Who is to blame for their behaviour?

Kurnaz after his release

Upon hearing that Spain was attempting to charge President Bush and Vice President Cheney with crimes against humanity, I thought the attempt was unnecessary. While I did not agree with many policies the Bush administration enacted, I could not comprehend how crimes against humanity were committed. I had knowledge of both Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib at this point, but had faith in my nation that higher officials truly believed the men and women detained in these camps were dangerous to the safety of our nation. However, after reading the book and watching the interview, it became very clear that the Bush administration tried to cover up the crimes that were occurring in these camps. In fact, they did so selfishly so the torture committed against innocent people would never be revealed to the public or the rest of world. I now support Spain’s endeavour to try those responsible to the abuse and torture of innocent foreigners in our military camps. No one seemed to be brave enough to charge the United States before, but will this finally be the end of US supremacy?

The video can be seen here: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=3980799n&tag=related;photovideo

Hart defines human trafficking as a “term that is used today for modern-day slavery” (4). She then breaks human trafficking into four distinct categories; bonded labour, domestic servitude, involuntary servitude, and prostitution. Clearly, the focus of my research has been on the prostitution aspect of trafficking. However, women and children are exploited in many other ways that is comparable to the enslavement experienced by blacks during the pre-civil war era. Of course, it would be naive to conclude that blacks were enslaved only during the pre-civil war era; their enslavement and inhuman treatment extended well into the twentieth century.

Bonded labour is perhaps the most deceitful of trafficking types. A person borrows money from a corrupt lender. “The deal that this victim thinks he is agreeing to is that he can borrow money and then work until the debt is paid off” (6). Upon the complement of his work, the victim is told he owes money and is forced to forever work. Unfortunately for the victims, they are often uneducated and unable to do the math to understand if their debt is paid back or not. “Today bonded labor is against the law in the United States, but there are some countries that still allow it, such as Nepal, India, and Pakistan.

Involuntary servitude is related to bonded labour in that victims are forced to work against their will. Threatened with physical violence, victims are afraid to not complete the work or escape from the abuser. Generally, the victims lived destitute lives and were promised better opportunities if they followed the trafficker across borders. Because the victims are usually uneducated and illegal, they cannot bring the abuse to the attention of law enforcement, because they face the risk punished for entering the country illegally.

Since I have extensively discussed prostitution, I will conclude my research with domestic servitude. This type is rather self-explanatory; domestic servants generally act as maids and nannies. This form of trafficking is very discrete, because victims are lured into traffickers’ homes and promised large salaries or an education. However, upon entering the home, they are locked inside and unable to leave. “In some very severe cases, domestic servants are locked in their rooms at night. Others are not given enough food to eat. Some are beaten when their employers get angry at them” (10). Their abuse goes unnoticed because the servants generally do not speak the same language as the rest of the society and they are forced to believe this is standard treatment of maids. Ultimately, human beings are being still be enslaved even in modern society.

Kurnaz recounts his encounters with the US military in his book, Five years of my Life, an Innocent Man in Guantanamo. Kurnaz is a Turkish man whom legally resides in Germany. He was 19 at the time of his imprisonment, and he was also a newlywed. Captured in Pakistan while trying to study the Koran, Kurnaz was accused of being a terrorist aiding Afghanistan. The US military paid Pakistani police $3000 for Kurnaz. Throughout his time at various detention facilities, Kurnaz was subjected to inhuman treatment. He was regularly beaten, his head was forced underwater while soldiers took turns punching him in his stomach, and he was also hanged by his feet from the ceiling of a building. However, throughout Kurnaz’s tortured life, he never once blamed the US soldiers.

“The soldiers had to assume that I was a terrorist, if that’s what they had been told. If that was true, they had good reason to beat me. Although it was unjust, I could understand them” (50). While the treatment Kurnaz was subjected to clearly violated the Geneva Convention, the US soldiers were simply doing what they were trained to do. I find it highly improbable that the soldiers guarding the detention facilities are given any information other than these prisoners are terrorists and threats to American society. As soldiers, they are trained to protect our nation at all costs. This includes “loosening up” prisoners before interrogation. While I agree that they methods they employed went too far, the soldiers cannot be blamed. The US government needs to be held accountable for training its soldiers to torture innocent men and women.

What is most interesting is perhaps that the United States does not monitor human trafficking in its own country. “It is estimated that 14,500 to 17,500 people, primarily women and children, are trafficked to the U.S. annually” (humantrafficking.org). While this is just a small percentage of the worldwide number of humans trafficked annually, the United States is still a dominant destination area for trafficked women. However, with this being known, the United States does virtually nothing to close its borders to trafficked people. In addition, the United States has the audacity of setting up standards and criterions for eliminating trafficking in foreign nations, pretending as if its own is innocent of free of exploitation. Instead of focuses on how other countries could eliminate their trafficking issues, the United States should remedy the problem within its borders. After all, it is impossible to help others when you cannot even help yourself.

How could the CID investigators try to cover up such horrific crimes? Rape is, in my opinion, the most malicious crime one can commit. For the investigators to specifically ignore that women prisoners were raped repeatedly is perhaps more of a crime than the initial torture. Joseph Darby, the lead investigator of Abu Ghraib, said, “Some of the images, including those of female detainees apparently being abused, should not be released under any circumstances” (195). Upon reading this passage, I began to try and possibly grasp why the pictures were trying to be hidden from the public. I tried to give the investigators the benefit of the doubt and convince myself that they were trying to protect the privacy of these women. Unfortunately, McKelvey offered a different answer.

“Why are the pictures of degraded women classified? Why has the Defense Department released the death certificates, autopsies, and investigations pertaining to male prisoners but a hand-scrawled note in a memo is the only hint of death of a woman prisoner?” He believes that government officials have withheld documents…for a reason: “There’s been a move to depict the prisoners as al-Qaeda,” he tells me, “and it’s hard to do that if you’re talking about women and kids.”

It is bad enough that United States’ soldiers committed awful crimes against humanity, but to try to cover them up is even more disgusting.

The rape of prisoners should have been the greatest concern of investigators, as it was by far the worst crime committed at Abu Ghraib. However, CID investigators did not even ask women if they were abused. They assumed the women would “file a complaint” even though in their culture, it is a sin to be raped. It is rumoured that one female detainee sent a letter home asking for poison for herself and the rest of the female prisoners. They wanted to kill themselves because of the sexual violence enacted on them. Every investigator involved should be put on trial for crimes against humanity for trying to cover up such egregious offenses.

After reading several articles on the status of human rights in Iran, it is impossible to believe that Iran has done anything but regress. According to iranhr.net, public hangings are still occurring weekly. In fact, three men were hanged in southwestern Iran just this week. “According to the annual report published by Iran Human Rights, more than 400 people were executed in Iran in 2009” (iranhr.net). Spokespeople for human rights in Iran claim that public hangings are necessary to maintain order in Iran. Although Iran has been warned by several organisations to stop executions publically, they refuse to acknowledge the violation as an issue.

The US State Department issued a report saying,  “Tehran’s human rights record was poor and, in the words of the report, ‘degenerated during the year, especially after disputed presidential elections in June’” (http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/middle-east/US-Report–Irans-Human-Rights-Record-Degenerated-in-2009-87362952.html). What is more alarming is that men and women in Iran are still being sentenced to stoning to death. The last reported stoning occurred just four months ago. Both a man and his wife were accused of adultery. While the husband was accused of not just adultery, but rape as well, was hanged, his wife was sentenced to be stoned to death even with insufficient evidence of her committing adultery. While stoning in general is horrific, regardless of how heinous a crime a person committed, it is disheartening that only women are receiving this inhuman punishment. Regardless of foreign pressure to stop stoning, Iran still commits the monstrous act.

Ultimately, according to Jordan, there are four fundamental reasons why domestic legislation falls short in combating trafficking. These reasons are, “Denial of the problem, objectifying victims and failing to consider their human rights, conflation of trafficking with undocumented migration, and improper definition of the crime” (28-30). First, many governments refuse to accept that trafficking occurs within their borders. Evidence and facts are explicitly displayed for them; however, they ignore these blatantly. Jordan suggests international pressure from foreign allies and powers will force governments to acknowledge that every nation is plagued with human trafficking.

Next, many governments do not understand how to react to victims of trafficking. Instead, they focus on the predators that placed the women and children in the industry. As Jordan claims, “They [governments] view trafficking as a problem of organised crime, migration, and/or prostitution, rather than a human rights violation” (29). To remedy this ignorance, governments must be informed of the causes of human trafficking. In addition, governments are often more concerned that the woman is an illegal, and instead of focusing on her wellbeing, the government tries to rid her from the country.

This issues stems into the third reason why domestic legislation is virtually useless. Governments often refuse to recognize the basic rights of the victims, simply because they are not legally living in the country. Because of this, they deny any support for the victim. Again, educating officials can fix this issue. Governments must, according to Jordan, “understand the difference between trafficking and smuggling” (30). Until this fundamental concept is understood, governments will be unable to assist in the combating of human trafficking. This shallow understanding of the exploited in the sex industry is very dangerous for efforts to rid society of this exploitation.

In addition, governments’ shallow understanding extends to whom they qualify as trafficked. Generally, governments only recognize women and children forced into prostitution as trafficked. This simple definition leads to thousands of victims being denied any rights or support. By raising awareness that there are many other forms of trafficking, such as sex tourism, forced labour, etc., are included in the definition of who is trafficked is crucial to ending this pandemic.

The parallels between the oppression Afghani women are facing and women in Iran are impossible to ignore. Before the defeat of Iraq in Iran, Iranian women were allowed to walk the streets without a headscarf. They were free to roam the streets in whatever attire they pleased, without fear of being arrested. However, once Ayatollah Khomeini tightened his reigns, women began to face more oppression. If seen outside without a headscarf on, they would be immediately arrested. Of course, jails in Iran are not monitored or regulated by the government. Inmates are beaten and tortured on a regular basis. In A Woman Among Warlords, Malalai Joya discusses the same oppression women were facing. Not only were they subjected to wear confining burkas, but they were not even allowed to walk outside without a male relative as an escort.

The difference between Malalai Joya and Shirin Ebadi is their approaches to seeking reform in their countries. Both are seen as women and human rights activists. Malalai takes a hands-on approach to her battle. She openly condemns the government currently reigning in Afghanistan. She has no filters when she speaks and ultimately aims to raise awareness around the world about the human rights violations in Afghanistan. Throughout our class, most were quite vocal that Malalai was incorrect in her approach to seeking change. Many claimed she needed to join politics to make change.

Shirin Ebadi was a judge, making her actively involved in politics. Apparently, this is a more “acceptable” way to try to change the ideals of overbearing corrupt warlords. However, it is quite apparent that Shirin Ebadi makes no progress as a politician. Instead, she simply gives up and retires as soon as she is given a pension. “’Maryam, why did you even become a judge in the first place?’” I asked. ‘I can’t believe you’re willing to abandon your principles like this’” (74). It is heartbreaking that a woman who claims to be a woman’s rights activist readily gives up a job of power, not even willing to fight against an oppressive government. Although many will disagree with Malalai’s choices, at least she will not back down to the warlords.