4 - Tuesday, October 2, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4 - uesay, ctoer , 202 Te Mihign Dily mihigadaiyco * Jie iIiian Iai j Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420-Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 cachedaily@michigandaily.com TIMOTHY RABB JOSEPH LICHTERMAN and ADRIENNE ROBERTS ANDREW WEINER EDITOR IN CHIEF . EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. FROM THE A End modern slavery Sex trafficking deserves attention and solutions ith the election fast approaching, birth certificates and tax returns seem to take precedence over serious issues, including sex trafficking. However, it's still a major problem in the United States. According to the National Cen- ter for Missing and Exploited Children, at least 100,000 children are trafficked annually in the United States. On Sept. 25, President Obama specifically addressed the issue, calling on more people to act against this "modern slavery." Obama's speech, though promis- ing, was a small push in the larger war against sex trafficking. This is an unsung issue in our country, and everyone from the president to the average citizen needs to step up efforts to put an end to such NOTABLE QOTABLE I was lucky. In the next four years, 48,000 Americans won't be so lucky, because they'll be murdered with guns in the next president's term, enough to fill over 200 theaters." - Stephen Barton, a survivor of the Aurora Col. shooting, said in a recent ad for Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition of over 600 mayors who advocate gun control. After awareness 0 0 an atrocious industry. At the Clinton Global Initiative on Sept. 25, President Obama announced plans to issue an executive order implementing a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to trafficking in gov- ernment contracting. He emphasized proper training for police, judges and educators when dealing wit'h victims, and the need for fund- raising efforts to help victims. He also called on Congress to reauthorize the Trafficking victims Protection Act, which aims to combat traffickingbothdomestically andglobally. The president rightfully designated human traf- ficking as "one of the greatest human rights battles of our era." Here in Michigan, we're not so far removed from incidents of sex trafficking. In May 2012, a Detroit man was sentenced to three years in prison for "conspiring to lure Eastern Euro- pean women to the U.S." and forcing them to become strippers. In 2001,this same man lured two young Ukrainian women to the United States and forced them to serve as exotic danc- ers in Detroit. This is happening in Michigan, yet the state isn't taking sufficient initiative to put an end to it. One of the largest forums for online traf- ficking advertisements is Backpage.com, which has 70 percent of the market share in prostitu- tion ads. New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has spoken up against the website, con- demning the escort ad listings as a front for sex trafficking in the United States. The website doesn't validate age in its advertisements, nor does it make sure the person is willing to pro- vide the sexual services posted. Sex trafficking is deplorable and a prevent- able form of solicitation that we can greatly reduce and eventually eliminate completely through community and federal efforts. Backpage.com needs to remove their person- al ads and follow in the steps of other web- sites, such as Craigslist, which is escort free and still successful. Awareness needs to be raised to help pre- vent trafficking, aid victims and arrest those profiting from this industry. It's the second largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world, yet largely passed over by the media. By taking steps to prevent sex traffick- ing from happening, we, as a society, may be able to release the chains and finally become free from this modern form of slavery. f you look at the University's Maize Pages website - which catalogues campus student organizations - you'll find an entire "activ- ism" category. This category encompasses 173 incredibly diverse orga- nizations, from ERIC the . Universi- ty's chapter of FERGUSON Invisible Chil- dren to a group providing financial assistance to students in Wayne County. All of these disparate organizations have a common aim of raising awareness for a particular issue. In order for an activist organization to exist, people must first be aware of the underlying issue and feel that it needs to be addressed in some way. Thus, awareness of an issue is essential for the existence of all activist organizations, not just stu- dent-run ones. Remember Invisible Children's Kony 2012 campaign? The video that initially launched the movement turns seven months old this Friday, having garnered' over 110-million views since its release. It did an incredible job of raising awareness in Americans ages 18-29 of the deeds of Joseph Kony, since 58 percent of them were aware of the video within 10 days of its release. I found the video 'through a friend's Facebook page, and I remember being moved almost to tears by the video and pleased that so many people my age were talking about it. Despite how effective the cam- paign was at raising awareness for these under-discussed atrocities, it was slammed with a withering broadside of criticism for the man- ner in which it advocated a solution to the conflict. There are other con- troversial issues that have reached a significant sector of Americans through traditional and social media as well, such as the ongoing civil war in Syria and the dispute between Israel and Iran over the latter's nuclear activities. When organizations such as the Friends of Syria Group or J-Street discuss methods to remedy the issues, they, become as vulnerable to criticism as the Kony campaign proved to be. An organization faces consider- able hurdles if it wants to see its exact prescription for an issue ful- filled, and a major one of those is fundraising. This isn't a straight- forward process, since members of the public that support an organization on principle may not be willing to make a significant donation to an organization. Orga- nizations also need some kind of legitimizing and powerful force behind their activities, whether that's through the government or through private institutions. The Kony issue, for example, neces- sitates military force that Invis- ible Children isn't in any position to provide. They've sought. pri- vate donations and lobbied the U.S. government to provide force. However, opinions on those meth- ods vary greatly. Criticism of an activist organization encourages a productive dialogue regarding the best way to solve an issue. This criticism has the poten- tial to frustrate some of those on this campus who are members of Invisible Children or those who fervently believe that Kony and his Lord's Resistance Army need* to be stopped immediately. How- ever, that criticism will ultimately benefit their cause. Awareness of an issue is only a baby step on the path to that issue's resolution. Whether it's most feasible to cap- ture or kill Kony, how to help those affected by the LRA and how to prevent another tragedy are three questions that have a multitude of answers. Larger-scale issues like the Syrian civil war - involving international diplomacy and tens of thousands of deaths - are even Criticism will ultimately benefit any cause. S more difficult to address. But there's an even more impor- tant reason why Invisible Children and other organizations benefit from the debate and criticism in implementing their agendas. This creates an environment where many responses to issues can be proposed, their merits examined and their flaws exposed. Student activists should know that though awareness is fundamental to any effort to address an issue, what happens after awareness has been raised is at least as important and far more difficult a task. - Eric Ferguson can be reached at ericff@umich.edu. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS " Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Eli Cahan, Nirbhay Jain, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Patrick Maillet, Harsha Nahata, Timothy Rabb, Adrienne Roberts, Vanessa Rychlinski, Sarah Skaluba, Michael Spaeth, Gus Turner LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be fewer than 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@michigandaily.com. STEFANIE RUBINSTEIN I VlEWPl T Claim your voice DEREK WOLFE I An unexpected message A friend recently told me she didn't believe in voting. Intrigued, I pressed her with the obvious question: why not? She told me that she thought her one vote wouldn't matter among the millions of votes cast on Nov. 6. As she rattled off a list of reasons, I was forced to reconsider whyI was voting in this election. I'm voting because I believe we as stu- dents should have the right to graduate with the guarantee of jobs. The economy needs a revival, backed by American workers and a thriving middle class of educated Americans. This is only possible if we provide all citizens with the education necessary for success.. I'm voting because my friends of different sexual orientation should have the right to love who they choose, a right I've been guar- anteed throughout my life. I'm voting for my rights as a woman. I believe that I should have the right to make as much money as my male counterparts for the same job, and the right to make medical decisions about my own body. Above all, I'm voting to move forward as a nation. This election, we Americans have to make an important choice to either propel this coun- try forward or to spiral backward into the past. If we give up on our progress now, we'll return to a time 93 years ago when women were not treated as equals, a time 47 years ago when contraception was illegal, a ltime eight years ago when no state had legalized gay marriage and to a time five years ago when this economy was in the hands of a select few institutions. Although this backsliding may seem out of the realm of possibility, it's all too real. The threats of restricted abortion, a constitution- al amendment to define marriage as between a man and a woman and the deregulation of the financial system that caused the eco- nomic meltdown are all on the table for dis- cussion. Without a strong opposition to these ideas, they'll come to fruition and we'll have no one to- blame but ourselves as we watch our government turn back time. whether you feel passionate about women's health, marriage equality, the disappearing middle class or countless other topics, vote in this election and vote in Michigan. Although a vote holds obvious meaning anywhere in the United States, Michigan's importance as a swing state means our votes are essential in shaping this presidential election. So to my friend who believes voting doesn't matter, I have this to say: While I only have one voice, I vote because I believe it's mine alone to have. Don't'allow yours to be taken away from you because you feel small or insig- nificant. There are more than 300-million individual voices in this country and you have the right to claim yours. Stefanie Rubinstein is a Campus Team Leader with Organizing for America. The Power Center wasn't even half full, yet somehow an attendance record was set for the tour thus far - which says a lot about Cain's lasting popularity. I highly.doubt there was one Republican in the crowd, except for the chair of the University's chapter of College Republicans. It was 600 liberal arts students ready to make a mockery out of this event and man. On top of that, the open- ing band was a group of guys singing Britney Spears's "Toxic" accompa- nied by violin. Picture that. The second Cain took the stage my first reaction was disbelief. Did this guy really run for presi- dent? His persona seemed forced. He talked back to the audience whenever someone shouted some- thing outrageous. It felt like I was watching stand-up comedy. But, behind the laughs .(and trust me, there were plenty) and the crowd chanting "USA, USA,,USA" and "9, 9, 9", there were parts of his mes- sage that resonated. Cain discussed how the Ameri- can dream still exists, even in an LE T TE R TO T HE E DI TOR Vote yes' on Proposal 3,for clean energy TO THE DAILY: As a University of Michigan senior graduating during a tough economic moment for our coun- try and even tougher job market, it feels as though so much of my future is riding on the outcome of the Nov. 6th elections. That's why I'm so strongly in favor of Proposal 3 for increased reliance on clean era of so much economic uncer- tainty. He stressed the impor- tance of everyone having their own dreams and using goals as stepping stones to reach them. He told the crowd an uplifting story about his father and his own rise to success through jobs in the U.S. Navy, Pillsbury, Burger King, God- father's Pizza and even as a radio talk show host. He may have got- ten lucky at times, but there's no questioning that he worked hard, to get where he is today. Although this event was hosted by the College Republicans, it wasn't particularly partisan. Cain said Washington needs to be changed and it will only happen if the public demands it. That's something that I can't disagree with. He also couldn't help but comment that the demise of his campaign was due to political lies. That one's up for debate. Toward the end of his remarks, Cain made it clear through a hilari- ous rant, that the United States is the greatest country in the world, which deservedly brought the audi- ence to its feet. The lack of partisan politics from a political figure was refreshing and welcomed. He didn't endorse Republican presidential candidate Mitt- Romney and made no reference to his own views as a Republican. It was all about Amer- ica, the positives and negatives and the importance of an education. It doesn't matter to me that his views don't necessarily align with mine because the fact is we're both Americans who have achieved or aim toward success. There's always some form of common ground with everyone, which is important to keep in mind as we inch toward the presidential election. When the tour concludes at the end of the year, my guess is that Cain will fall into national obscu- rity. My hope though, is that his message will live on for a longtime. Because what this out-there, crazy guy taught me is that with a col- lege education and a good attitude, there's still hope. Derek Wolfe is an LSA freshman. a 6 SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@MICHIGANDAILY.COM FOLLOW DAILY OPINION ON TWITTER Keep up with columnists, read Daily editorials, view cartoons and join in the debate. Check out @michdailyoped to get updates on Daily opinion content throughout the day. energy and more Michigan jobs. which could have been kept in Raising our renewable energy Michigan by shifting to solar and standard to 25 percent by the year wind power right here in our state. 2025 (which is similar to the stan- I support Proposal 3 not just for dards already adopted by 30 other the jobs it will create, but for the states) won't just protect our air, moneyit will prevent from leaving water and climate - it will create Michigan, forthe health of our peo- at least 74,000 clean energy jobs. ple and economy and for the quality These jobs are manufacturing and of our air and water. engineering jobs that can't be sent If you value these things as much out-of-state, and that's reallywhat's as I do, then vote yes on Proposal 3. most important for me. Michigan also spent 1.7 billion dollars last Evan Granito year importing coal and oil; money .LSA senior 6 0 I A' A A