Human Trafficking Has Become A Meaningless Term `` By Noah...

In the article, Human Trafficking Has Become a Meaningless Term† by Noah Berlatsky, the author argues that human trafficking is not modern-day slavery, and that â€Å" politicians and activists often abuse it to push for punitive laws or to incite moral panic†. (Berlatsky) It is apparent that the author s agenda is to rationalize his position on legalizing prostitution by downplaying the reality of sex trafficking. For example, Berlatsky depicts human sex trafficking as a concept that politicians use to â€Å"portray themselves as defenders of the downtrodden, and generate laudatory press coverage.† He writes that, â€Å"Trafficking can also be used to make anti-prostitution laws seem compassionate rather than punitive.† (Berlatsky) However, sex trafficking is a real issue in the United States. According to the FBI, there are currently an estimated 293,000 American children at risk of being exploited and trafficked for sex. (Saar) Regardless of how politicians may use this fact to their benefit is not the point. To spin a tragic epidemic into a bureaucratic misrepresentation is abhorrent. The author also argues, â€Å"Young people who run away from abusive situations at home, and who sell sex to survive, are considered trafficking victims by default under many federal and state laws. This, despite the fact that hardly any teen runaways have pimps or traffickers.† Furthermore, he believes that, trafficking has become a new name for an