The Big Dilemma for Women

The war over women is raging in the U.S. and it’s getting ugly.  It seems everyone wants the influence or the vote of women, but each side has fallen into trying to win influence in a negative manner.  Professor Rachel Lu in her article, “Conservatives and Women”[1] delves into the issue as it appears in the political realm.  The political players have gotten used to pointing fingers and accusing others of mistreatment.   Lu lays it out well by explaining how conservatives have pointed to liberals' narrow focus on abortion as a women’s rights issue  and also pointing a finger at Bill Clinton, still a democratic party icon, as “Womanizer in chief”.  Liberals point to conservatives and say that they relegate women to subservience.  They point to the issue of abortion and say that conservatives want to take away women’s reproductive rights. 

There is a real dilemma underlying the war over women.  Women grow up knowing that one day they will most likely be mothers.  What happens when they become a mother?  Do all our life ambitions have to be put to a halt so that we can stay at home with the children?  There are a couple of realities here.  Children are a lot of work and children do best if raised by their parents.  The other reality is that women are fully capable of being successful in a career.  It is difficult to balance both and it is difficult to go back into a career after years of being a stay-at-home mom. 

In this fight over women I see a major problem.  Both sides are trying to solve our dilemma incorrectly.

Liberals incorrectly focus on “reproductive rights”, or abortion, as a way of escape.  Abortion can help us escape the captivity of motherhood or even just the temporary hardships of pregnancy (because it would be easier to kill a child than bring the baby into a family who would like a child).  Women will have more to offer society if they don’t let a child get in the way of an education and career or just an independent life.  Liberals will also tell us that we should be able to have access to birth control so that we can have “safe sex” because who can really control their sexual urges anyways?  So let’s get young women on birth control that isn’t 100% effective so that they can have more unwanted pregnancies so that we can kill more babies for the purpose of furthering “women’s rights”.  It seems illogical that the focus be on a procedure that not only kills babies, but can negatively affect the life of the mother by decreasing her chances of being able to conceive later on in life and increasing her chances of depression.  Women who have had an abortion are 4 times more likely to contemplate or commit suicide[2].  Women who have a Dilation and Curettages abortion at 16% risk of Asherman’s Syndrome which causes infertility and this risk only increases with subsequent abortions[3].  Should we kill a human and hurt another for the sake of “reproductive rights”?  What about helping women to be both good mothers and to pursue their careers without the answer being abortion? 

Conservatives tend to have a singular focus on abortion just as much as the liberals.  While I have to agree that exposing the evil of abortion is necessary, it shouldn’t be our main battle cry.  Abortion is wrong, but instead of focusing on the problem the focus needs to be on the solution.  We need to focus on the solution without feelings of resentment or anger towards those who have provided a way out through abortion.  And the solution is not pressuring women to be full-time stay at home moms and to forget their careers. 

The problem we need to address is the barrier that society has set-up for mothers who wish to have a career after taking some time to focus on their children.   There is financial pressure, and the reality for some, that more than one income is needed to support a family.  Within these realities we need to realize that motherhood is an honorable calling, but not the only calling for women.  We need to look at scripture to remember the God-given worth and value of women.  Here are just a few sections of Proverbs 31.

“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.  She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life… She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.  Her lamp does not go out at night.  She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.  She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy…. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.  She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”

In Proverbs 31 we can see that the honorable woman is someone who does her husband good, takes care of her household, raises her children, has skill in so many areas and uses them for the glory of God and for the good of her family.  A family is a blessing, not a curse.  God blesses us with good things to bring us closer to Him.  We can glorify Him in all that He calls us to.

I’m not sure what the solution would be to break down barriers for women.  Maybe it would be help with education to keep up to date in our fields while being a mom or maybe it would be more opportunities to work from home.  Despite these possibilities, I think the main problem is our hearts towards women.  Some think mothers have forgotten how to work in their field.  Think about all that a mother has to do to invest in the lives of her children.  She learns how to sacrifice for the needs of another, she grows in her patience, she learns how to handle conflict, and she teaches and imparts wisdom.  A mother gains so many new skills while raising her child.  Let’s cherish and value mothers around us and encourage them in the work they do.  The most honorable calling should be that of creating, shaping, and molding the future.

Maybe if we didn’t feel so bad about disappointing those in our lives who wanted us to have a career, but instead were surrounded by those who encouraged us, there wouldn’t be a stigma with pregnancy or with motherhood.  Then maybe the ability to also have a career wouldn’t be so difficult.

- Carly Winterstein


[1] http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2014/03/12364/

[2] http://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF10B09.pdf

[3] http://www.ashermans.org/home/

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A Lesson from History for the Modern Citizen: The Middle Passage

Near the beginning of the 19^th century, Britain had just lost the war to America and there was talk of another war, this time with France, on the horizon. Britain was trying to carry on with work as usual, hoping that the revolution in France would not leak across the English Channel. However, there was an even greater horror going on within their own empire. Most people in Britain had heard of this horror in passing, but those who partook in it were careful to keep it far from the eyes and ears of everyday British citizens, for to bring this evil into the light could bring financial ruin for all involved. This horror was known as the Middle Passage.

 “The Middle Passage across the Atlantic was front and center in the slave trade's catalog of horrors. It was so named because it was the middle leg of the infamous 'triangle trade.' On the first leg, European goods were transported to Africa and there unloaded; on the second, the ship was filled with its human cargo, who during this 'middle passage' were transported to the West Indies, to be sold there; and on its final leg the ship carried West Indian goods back to Europe.” [1]

This Middle Passage consisted of unspeakable horrors. I feel it best to describe these horrors, as the author Eric Metaxas did in Amazing Grace (which I highly recommend reading), in the words of a surgeon who was on board a slave ship.

“The men Negroes... on being brought aboard the ship, are immediately fastened together, two and two, by handcuffs on their wrists and by irons rivetted on their legs... They are frequently stowed so close, as to admit of no other position than lying on their sides. Nor will the height between decks, unless directly under the grating, permit the indulgence of an erect posture... [On these decks] are placed three or four large buckets, of conical form... to which, when necessary, the Negroes have recourse. It often happens that those who are placed at a distance from the buckets, and endeavoring to get them, tumble over their companions, in sequence of their being shackled. These accidents, although unavoidable, are productive of continual quarrels in which some of them are always bruised. In this distressed situation, unable to proceed and prevented from getting to the tubs, they desist from the attempt; and as the necessities of nature are not to be resisted, ease themselves as they lie. This becomes a fresh source of boils and disturbances and tends to render the condition of the poor captive wretches still more uncomfortable... The place allotted for the sick Negroes is under the half deck, where they lie on the bare planks. By this means those who were emancipated frequently have their skin and even their flesh entirely rubbed off, by the motion of the ship, from the prominent parts of the shoulders, elbows and hips so as to render the bones quite bare. And some of them, by constant lying in the blood and mucus that had flowed from those afflicted with the flux and which is generally so violent as to prevent their being kept clean, having their flesh much sooner rubbed off than those who have only to contend with the mere friction of the ship. The excruciating pain, which the poor sufferers feel from being obliged to continue in such a dreadful situation, frequently for several weeks, in case they happen to live so long, is not to be conceived.” [2]

Often times, these conditions would lead to death. Also, there were cases in which the traders would throw overboard the sick, so as to save money through insurance as well as to lighten the load in harsh waters. There are many other accounts of the horrors endured in the Middle Passage, but the preceding quotations will suffice for the purpose of this article.

Now you might be thinking, “how could Britain put up with these horrors?”. One answer to that question is the fact that the Middle Passage was so far away from Britain that it just did not seem like a very real issue to them. Another answer is the amount of money and power that the slave traders and plantation owners had in order to persuade those who tried to stand against them. However, there were some in Britain who would not put up with these horrors, no matter what the cost.

One person who felt he had to do something was a young politician named William Wilberforce. Wilberforce had deep convictions that if he were not to stand up against this evil, he would be neglecting his responsibility as a Christian. So he, along with an interesting group of characters who shared the same desire to rid Britain of the slave trade, would spend twenty long years fighting for the lives of those in the slave trade through legislation in Parliament. They travelled across the British Empire collecting evidence, petitions, and abolitionists in order to open the eyes of the people to this great evil, hoping to win the support of the people in order to persuade Parliament to rid their nation of the slave trade. They wrote books, articles, and legislation that they continually presented to the public. Eventually, their efforts paid off when in 1807, Britain passed the Slave Trade Act, abolishing the slave trade throughout the British Empire, as well as subsequent legislation in 1833, in Britain abolished slavery itself with the Slavery Abolition Act. Wilberforce and his men had fought the good fight, and Wilberforce was able to see the results of that fight a few days before his death.

Now many of you may be thinking that this is a great story, that if you were in their shoes, you would be doing the same thing to defend the lives of those in need. Which leads to another question: what is an equivalent of the Middle Passage in our day? I am convinced that the answer to that question is abortion.

Like Britain, most people know of the horrors of abortion, but we have been kept so far from it by the media and fear tactics that most of us do not think that we need to do anything about it, because it doesn't affect us. Most abortions are done quietly, with not many people hearing about their close friends and loved ones who have chosen this action. Those who support it have been able to persuade the people of this nation that it is not as bad as it seems, that it is just a normal part of society that doesn't have any bad consequences and is morally right. However, I know that if the American people actually stopped what they were doing for a moment and looked at the issue of abortion, they would see that it is not much different than the Middle Passage.

I have already touched on the idea that it is quite hidden from the eyes of society, so let's look at how much money is backing abortion. Planned Parenthood's website states that the cost of the Abortion Pill is between $300 and $800 [3]. Their website also states that an in-clinic abortion costs between $300 and $950 in the first trimester [4]. Compass Care states that a second trimester abortion costs between $300 and $2000 [5]. Therefore, with America having over a million abortions a year, the abortion industry is at least a $300 million industry, taking the lowest number for all abortions. However, factoring in the amount of financial support that abortion providers receive from businesses, the government, and individuals, as well as the other costs for abortions, the abortion industry could easily be a $1 billion dollar industry. (See [6] for similar reasoning). That's quite a bit of money that companies like Planned Parenthood would be losing, possibly even putting them out of business. Wouldn't you think that they would do everything in their power to continue these abortions?

Now let's look at an actual description of an abortion. This comes from a student who, after this procedure, realized the horrors of abortion. This description comes from the abortion of a child that the student claims “must have been less than 13 to 14 weeks”, which is close to the border between the first and second trimester.

“When I entered the operating room, it felt like any other I had ever been in. On the table in front of me, I saw a woman, legs up as if delivering a child although she was asleep. Next to her was a tray of instruments for the abortion and a vacuum machine for suctioning the fetal tissues from the uterus. The doctors put on their gowns and masks and the procedure began. The cervix was held open with a crude metal instrument and a large transparent tube was stuck inside of the woman. Within a matter of seconds, the machine’s motor was engaged and blood, tissue, and tiny organs were pulled out of their environment into a filter. A minute later, the vacuum choked to a halt. The tube was removed, and stuck to the end was a small body and a head attached haphazardly to it, what was formed of the neck snapped. The ribs had formed with a thin skin covering them, the eyes had formed, and the inner organs had begun to function. The tiny heart of the fetus, obviously a little boy, had just stopped — forever. The vacuum filter was opened, and the tiny arms and legs that had been torn off of the fetus were accounted for. The fingers and toes had the beginnings of their nails on them. The doctors, proud of their work, reassembled the body to show me. Tears welled up in my eyes as they removed the baby boy from the table and shoved his body into a container for disposal.” [7]

Does that sound normal? Does that not bring back memories of the description of the slave ship? Do you really want to live in a society where this type of procedure is morally acceptable, regardless of the reason, even if it be mere inconvenience? I won't even go into the psychological affects that it may have on the woman, but I think we understand the point. Abortion is not much different than the slave trade. We say that we would have fought the slave trade if we had lived in that society, yet we choose to turn a deaf ear when we hear of the horrors of abortion.

Now I would like to ask a few other questions. What if William Wilberforce and his friends did not stand up against the evil that was the slave trade? Where would society be? We see in hindsight that what they did was a great and noble thing, but are we willing to take those same steps and risks in society today? Are we willing to bring to light the horrors that are hidden in our “Middle Passage”? Are we willing to go above and beyond, possibly to fight for twenty years or more before we are rid of this evil that has plagued our nation?

Luckily, North Dakota does not have to fight for twenty years. This November, the people of North Dakota get to make a stand against this evil by voting on a constitutional measure that will put in our state constitution that “The inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected.” [8] However, this legislation will not be passed if we sit idly by and hope that it will receive enough votes. We need to be opening the eyes of we the people to the horrors of abortion so that, just as it happened in Britain, the people will see no other choice but to rid our state and, eventually, our nation of this evil.

For those who said that they would stand with Wilberforce in the 1800's, are you willing to make a stand now, here in your own state? The time has come for the people of North Dakota to show the world that we defend those who cannot defend themselves. When else in history has a group of people been able to make such a substantial legislative decision? I hope that you will not finish reading this article unchanged, but that it would grip you and motivate you to fight this battle until we stand on the other side of history and say that we were a part of the great push for the abolition of abortion.

I want to leave you with a few staggering statistics. Although there is debate about how many slaves were transported across the Middle Passage, it is estimated that 14 to 20 million Africans either died or were sold due to the slave trade, of whom between 10 and 14 million made it across the Atlantic [9]. Although I feel Wilberforce would have fought for even one slave who was sent across this ocean, these numbers were definitely enough to push him to spend almost his entire political career fighting the slave trade. Here, the final question arises. Wilberforce was willing to fight for the lives of 20 million African men and women, most whom he had never met. Are you willing to fight for the approximately 50 million unborn children who have been killed since 1973 and the millions more who will be killed every year abortion remains legal? [10]

- Nathan Joraanstad

 

References:

[1] Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, pg. 97. Written by Eric Metaxas. Published by HarperOne, 2007. Much of the knowledge of Wilberforce throughout this article relies on this book.

[2] Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, pg. 97-98, 100

[3] http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/abortion-pill-medication-abortion-4354.asp

[4] http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/abortion/in-clinic-abortion-procedures-4359.asp

[5] http://www.compasscare.info/blog/how-much-does-abortion-cost

[6] http://www.abort73.com/abortion/abortion_for_profit/

[7] http://www.lifenews.com/2013/10/15/pro-choice-medical-student-witnesses-abortion-becomes-pro-life/

[8] http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/63-2013/documents/13-3060-04000.pdf?20130624132237

[9] http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3034

[10] http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/ab-unitedstates.html

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Love, Tolerance, and Truth

by Lydia Trandem

Pro-life and pro-choice individuals have been clashing with words, theories, and laws for over 40 years now. The din hasn’t lessened, nor do I expect it to subside any time soon.  Having been a vocal pro-life advocate for several years, I often see and hear allegations and reactions from the abortion prone that can be hard to swallow.  What is most frustrating to me is how disinformation and phony empathy seem to be their tools of choice. 

Here in Fargo, at the Red River Women’s Clinic, a group of volunteers have been coordinating Plants4Patients. As I understand, the volunteers make small clay pots, plant succulents, write a note of sympathy, and the clinic offers a plant to a patient as they leave their facility. Under almost any other circumstance, this sounds like sweet and thoughtful gesture to someone in pain, however, this is not “any other circumstance”.  Abortion isn’t an accident, a disease, or old age. Abortion is never the only option. Abortion is the intentional killing of your child. I am well aware that many girls and women who opt for abortion feel like it is the only remedy to what they view as a problem, while others opt for abortion as a matter of process; it’s just the last step. I find it difficult to express adequate sympathy to a parent who has lost their child through miscarriage, sickness, or accident, but to sit down and write a note to a girl who has chosen to intentionally cause the death of her child is twisted and grotesque. I find it shameful that the Red River Women’s clinic has agreed to participate in this program. Women aren’t dense, we know that when we’re pregnant the end result is always, one-hundred percent of the time, a baby. We grieve when a miscarriage ends a pregnancy not because a random clump of cells is eliminated but because that unique set of cells containing DNA, a beating heart, and a soul – our child, with 23 chromosomes from father and mother will not be met, held, and loved here on earth. Do they really think women are so unintelligent that they are going to be comforted by a plant from the same hand they paid to kill their child?

Another Pro-choice organization recently called to my attention is rife with hypocrisy. I discovered a short time ago that I was being denounced as an “Anti-Choice Bully”. The website, Voice of Choice, is protesting opponents of abortion and seeking to, “temper the rhetoric and hate”. So they’ve created a webpage explaining their mission and a search engine so you can locate “bullies” in your area complete with their Facebook page, picture, address, and phone number. Apparently these Bullies, “prey on the culture of fear and stigma that surrounds abortion”. Fear and stigma? if it was really that strong would we be seeing 3,700 abortions daily in the United States, and 25 each week in Fargo? The demonstrations and vigils I and many I know have participated in have never been violent, unsafe, or uncaring. Most activists try to demonstrate in front of the clinic as a presence and to pray; some approach clients to ask if all of their options have been explored and if they’d like other information. We don’t shout, demean, or express anger. We are reaching out with tender love and care to hopefully prevent a mother and family from the hurt of abortion and death of their child. Since I discovered the list of “bullies” a few weeks ago it is now five times the size and I’m sure is yet a work in progress. I’m waiting for the peaceful and calm phone call from someone concerned that I might be intimidating a woman, preventing her from killing her child through my presence and prayer.

It is easy to accuse those concerned about the ill-effects of abortion of having malicious intentions and a radical view, and to those who are in a desperate situation and feeling as though they have nobody to turn to, it is probably very easy to believe those false allegations.  This underscores the importance of our reaching these women FIRST and showing them that our primary concern is in fact, their health, well-being, and the life of their child.  It is an immediate response to what could amount to a lifetime of regret and self-destructive behavior as well as the death of a child who is wanted.  If the response is heeded, the subject could not only realize the love of the responder, but the peace of having made the decision to spare the life of their child, and preserve their own dignity without regret.  I have yet to hear of a woman who wished she had aborted her child.

Through the strength and love of Christ I will continue to pray both for those who oppose my stance and for those involved with abortion because it’s the most peaceful rhetoric I know.

- Lydia Trandem

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Inidividualistic Marriage: The Result of a Self-Centric Culture on Other-Centric Marriage

Rachel Lu in her article “Millennials and Marriage” very well captures the sentiment many young adults have towards marriage.  I, being a “millennial” myself, and having attended a small liberal arts college in Minnesota similar to St. Thomas, where Lu teaches, have felt the same sentiment from my peers.
 

One experience keeps resonating in my mind where my friend was talking about her roommate who had come to college with the purpose of finding her future husband.  She was severely disappointed after many heart breaks and the reality that most of the guys at our college weren’t even close to looking for a spouse.  She came to our college to find a husband because 20 years or even 10 years prior, most that attended our small college left married or at least with a ring on their finger.  Why have things changed?  Why are we so afraid to get married?

The problem is that no one taught us about marriage; no one in our schools, our parents, or even our Universities all failed to prepare us for one of the most drastic changes that most of us will experience.  Lu discovered this when her students expressed their wishes that they were taught more about marriage.  The truth is 70% of young adults still desire to get married, so it is something important to us and we want to be prepared.  If marriage is still desired by young people why aren’t we getting married?

Lu explains how while marriage is still important to us, it is now a lesser priority.  Marriage is something to accomplish after an education and career are established.  Lu alludes to the marriage problem we have, but doesn’t go into much detail.  We obviously have a problem with marriage, but why?

One thing that contributes is the dissonance between the picture perfect feelings-based romance the media has sold us and reality.  All of us have witnessed the pain of divorce; if not in our own families, in the families of those close to us.  Growing up we saw our parents or friends’ parents fall out of love and break apart their families.  Our friends cried to us and expressed how they felt their parents’ divorce was their fault.  We put our arm around our friend, reassuring them that it wasn’t their fault and wonder, “Is marriage worth the heart ache?”  No wonder why we are so hesitant to make a commitment that is so often broken.  

The problem with society’s view of marriage is that we tend to put ourselves first.  This is becoming even more so as we are shifting from a religious, family-based economy to a secular, individualistic one (Potrykus & Fagan, 2011).  We have always been a country where we value hard work and individual achievement, but it has been falling into the extreme.  

The negative effects of an extreme value system have been experienced throughout history.  In World War II, an extreme value of one’s national identity led to the death of hundreds of thousands who differed.  Our own history has even shown our own weakness as our individual selfish desires for wealth led to the African Slave Trade and the most bloody war in our history.  I’ve spent some time in Uganda where the value of relationship can go too far and turn into a poor work ethic because conversations are more important than work.  All our cultures have their strengths and weaknesses that we need to be aware of.

You’d think we’d be keenly aware of our weakness to make individual wealth a priority after it has caused the pain of many, but sometimes we fail to learn from history.  Our blindness to our cultural weakness is one major piece of the puzzle when trying to grapple with the crumbling state of marriage in the United States. 

Our self-centric weakness is evident in Lu’s article.  The students express that they want to be successful before marriage.  Really what I know many of us feel deep down is, “I can be successful on my own.  I don’t need anyone to take my focus off my career.  A spouse would definitely hinder my ability to be successful.”  And let’s be honest success in the United States equals material wealth.  Why do we put so much value in something that is fleeting?  As Lu points out, careers are not so stable anymore.  We need something that is attainable and purpose filled.  A career can’t promise this, especially in a time when careers are more difficult to secure.  As Lu writes, “The unemployed young, in particular, will end up rootless, purposeless, and lacking the stability that marriage and commitment can provide.”  Our priorities are skewed.  We put something that is fleeting above something that can last, bring purpose to our lives, and has so many benefits.

Doesn’t this point us back to our Creator who created marriage for a purpose?  God created marriage to reflect His covenant with us; a covenant that never breaks and is loving above anything else.  Is love easy?  No, out of love Christ died for us.  Love requires sacrifice and maybe marriages wouldn’t break apart so easily if we’d put the same type of work ethic into our marriages as our careers.  When we are willing to sacrifice our selfish desires for the good of our families something quite miraculous happens; it works.  What is even more astonishing is how sacrificial love draws out the love and respect of others.  God’s design is good and perfect.  Soli Deo Gloria!

This post is in response Rachel Lu’s article entitled, “Millennials and Marriage” in The Public Discourse.  To read the full article click here. 

To read more about the benefits of marriage please read “Marriage One Foundation”, a paper by North Dakota Family Alliance.

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Human Trafficking in North Dakota: Sex Trafficking is Here

If you think we are somehow insulated from human/sex trafficking in North Dakota—think again.  While it is hard to get concrete numbers on the underground world of human trafficking, it is accurate to say “there is no community in the state safe from it”.  And as such, young teen girls are the primary target.  It is estimated as many as 100,000 missing children have been forced into prostitution each year in the US.

Check internet sites and you will find 30-50 new postings daily offering services of prostitution, and that’s just for one city in North Dakota.  While we may think the prostitution business may be only thriving in northwest North Dakota, it covers the entire state.  And with the huge influence of the multi-billion dollar pornography industry on the internet—the US trafficking industry has grown to $9.8 billion.  Why should we be surprised that the high demand for these young girls would result in the highly competitive, solicit at any cost, illegal practice of acquiring a stable of captives?  And they are captives.

Federal law criminalizes human trafficking, and in 2009 North Dakota added language to the ND Century Code.  Since then the prevalence of sex trafficking has increased and we need to respond.  The North Dakota Family Alliance is partnering with the newly formed Voice for the Captives and other Christian groups—to fight this inhuman atrocity.

Trafficking involves force, fraud, coercion, enticement, harboring, transporting, and promotion of these held captives.  It is a dark industry affecting the most vulnerable among us.  Small-time” pimps dominate the trafficking industry—it is important to be able to identify who “they” are.  It may be that new 24 year old, smooth talking young man showing up in the community; it may be a friend of the family, or even a family member. 

A fifteen year old girl working as a waitress is promised 10 times her wages and tips, and at the beginning all seems innocent enough.  But before she knows it she is full of guilt and shame and she is beholden emotionally, financially, and sometimes even physically.  It seems impossible to break free—it seems as if there is nowhere to turn.  All seems hopeless.   Ironically, the only security seems to rest in the one holding her captive.

We need to step up.  We need to be that security that restores the hope.  What can we do?  First, we need to raise the level of awareness, and then train teachers, law enforcement,  counselors, parents, church staff, and children how to recognize the tactics of the trafficker.  We need to prevent trafficking.

Next we need to rescue those held in captivity.  We need to provide a safe transition out of their bondage, addressing their needs emotionally, physically, financially, and spiritually.  Some of this may need legislative action, but much can be addressed by our churches and civic organizations.

And finally, we need to prosecute those guilty of these barbaric actions.  We need to provide law enforcement with the resources to identify the traffickers and bring them to justice.

NDFA, along with coalition members including Voice for the Captives will meet with the Superintendent of Public Instruction to discuss informing parents and students, and then meet with the Attorney General regarding enforcement.

For more information or an opportunity to become involved, please contact Lisa at Atonement Lutheran Church with the Voice for the Captives at 1-701-237-9651 or Carly with the North Dakota Family Alliance.

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