APPLIED ETHICS

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

HUMAN TRAFFICKING-IS IT A NECESSARY EVIL?

Human trafficking is the trade of humans. The actual buying and selling of human beings for the purposes of forced labor, sexual slavery, commercial sexual exploitation among othersSlavery did not begin in the recent past, and it surely shall not end in the near future.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING-IS IT A NECESSARY EVIL?

Even though the initial forms of slavery have been abolished, there are certain parts of the world that still practice slavery, however, in secret or some in public.The years of 1800-1890 were years of utmost suffering for the unfortunate humans that were captured as slaves or lured into slavery by several enticements.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING-IS IT A NECESSARY EVIL?

These were the years in which human trafficking was at its peak. Humans were exchanged in trade markets and transported along mileages to their final destinations, Their consent? Not even a thought of it was sought.Others were captured from villages and separated from their families simply because they were either extremely beautiful and thus could be used as a source of income for some lazy entrepreneur somewhere or because they were extremely masculine and could therefore be very useful in the farms as laborers.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING-IS IT A NECESSARY EVIL?

HUMAN TRAFFICKING-IS IT A NECESSARY EVIL?

Others, well, they appeared weak and thus could just be taken without them staging a warfront. These included the children that mainly looked malnourished, poor and sickly and were taken perhaps as a measure by the pure in heart of that time to provide for them their basic needs.As a matter of fact, most of the countries from which the slaves were drawn from were drowning in poverty and warfare at that time, and maybe, just maybe, the trafficking was a relief to them

THE DEBATE;

It was because of such arguments that between 1830 and 1860,two different schools of thought were formed. There were those that argued that human trafficking was an act of positive good and was therefore a necessary evil.On the other hand, there were those that put their feet forward and stated that it was an inhuman act that needed to be abolished.

PRO-HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS A NECESSARY EVIL

In the heated moments of the discussion, there was a front that was waged mainly by the people that hailed from southern united stated. These were the great thinkers of their time that came up with theories that supported their thinking that slavery was a “positive good.”The theorists were James Henry Hammond, William Joseph Harper and John C Calhoun

Pro-Slavery; James Hammond

James Henry Hammond(Pictured) is famous for his Mudsill theory speech (1858)In this theory, he states that there must be, and has always been and will always be a lower class for the upper classes to rest upon. (Hammond, James Henry. Speech of Hon. James H. Hammond, of South Carolina, on the admission of Kansas, under the Lecompton Constitution: delivered in the Senate of the United States, March 4, 1858. [S.l.: s.n., 1858]) He supported his theory by stating that he could see and depict the willingness of the non whites to perform menial work; Their labor then enabled the higher classes to move civilization forward.(Boundless. “The Proslavery Argument.” Boundless U.S. History. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015.)

John C. Calhoun

In 1837,John C. Calhoun gave a speech in the US senate. In his speech, he was advocating for the “Positive good theory” of slavery. He also declared that, instead of an evil, slavery was a positive deed.Together with other pre-civil war democrats, they saw the abolition of slavery as a threat to their new ,powerful southern market that revolved mainly around plantations and whose backbone, was the slaves.(Boundless. “The Proslavery Argument.” Boundless U.S. History. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015.)

William Joseph Harper

He is best known as the earliest representative of the pre slavery though.In his memoir, Memoir of slavery(1838), He affirms that slavery anticipated the benefits of civilization. He then assessed other nations around the world to justify his point of view.He argued that non slave holding countries such as Great Britain were fractured y inequality, political radicalism among other dangers. Whereas the slave holding countries such as Southern United States, Cuba AND Brazil were making favorable progress.(Boundless. “The Proslavery Argument.” Boundless U.S. History. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015.)

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS NOT A NECESSARY EVIL.(ANTI-SLAVERY)

Theories aside, Human trafficking plainly violates human rights. For instance, girls are forced into engaging in prostitution against their will. The right to education, right to choose the kind of job they want is taken away from them.Next, it propagates the spreading of diseases. Trafficking is usually done under very pathetic conditions. These poor living conditions subject them to communicable diseases. They are also prone to acquiring sexually transmitted infections since they are forced into prostitution.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS NOT A NECESSARY EVIL.(ANTI-SLAVERY)

It also leads to painful separation of people from their kin. Imagine one day waking up to find that you are no longer in your home; the home you adore so much; the home you’ve lived in all your life; the one place you can call your own.Not only does it break your heart, but it shatters your feelings. Point blank, it is unjust and very unfair. its also not ethical to receive such a treatment from someone, no matter what. its just unexplainably sad.

CONCLUSION

There are several other reasons as to why human trafficking should be abolished. One could write a book on them.There are still several instances of slavery ongoing especially in the Muslim countries, some believe that humans from Africa, were the descendants of Ham, the Son of Noah and as was written in Genesis, they were cursed to slavery.They therefore believe that to fulfill the word the word of God written in the Holy bible, blacks from Africa should forever be their slaves. However, this is not true, it has not even been proven that they are the descendants of Ham.Lets all join hands and stop human trafficking.

References

Louise Shelley,(2010) Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective Cambridge University PressMaggy Lee,(2013) Human Trafficking Routledge. Kathryn Cullen-DuPont,(2009) Human Trafficking: Global issues InfoBase Publishing.Mary C. Burke,(2013) Human Trafficking: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Criminology and Justice Studies Routledge.Hammond, James Henry. Speech of Hon. James H. Hammond, of South Carolina, on the admission of Kansas, under the Lecompton Constitution: delivered in the Senate of the United States, March 4, 1858. [S.l.: s.n., 1858]Boundless. “The Proslavery Argument.” Boundless U.S. History. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015. Retrieved 19 Feb. 2016Opposing Viewpoints website.