“Right under Our Noses”
“…I was made in America / land of the free, home of the brave /and right up under your nose, you might see a sex slave being traded…”
-Lecrae, “Welcome to America”
I’ve been an action movie junky for as long as I can remember. I’m an 80’s baby, so I grew up watching Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone bloody up the screen with heroic feats and one-liners that defined what I assumed to be at the time true machismo. As a young boy, I couldn’t look beyond the guns, knives, bombs, and bow and arrows. If it wasn’t Rambo’s red head band, it was definitely Arnold’s stern look and God-like physique that made a young boy want to body-build his way into awesomeness. I lacked the perceptive nature to pay attention to what was taking place in these films. People were dying and experiencing psychological trauma that would possibly affect a normal human being for the rest of their life.
When I think of the issue of human sex trafficking, I recall the plot of Taken where Liam Neeson seeks to rescue his daughter from one of the world’s most sadistic forms of trade. If you look past the cool scenes of Liam using hand-to-hand combat, flipping over opponents and breaking bones, you can see the seriousness involving the female sex slaves. Most spectators would probably assume such a thing took place overseas exclusively, but according to Adrianne Fernandez, that is not the case.
Adrianne held an event on August 2nd entitled “EYES WIDE OPEN” to create awareness amongst local Augustans about human sex trafficking. “Why human sex trafficking out of many other societal issues,” you may ask. Well, what many people aren’t aware of is that Augusta hosts one of the top two events where this issue is practiced. The event that I speak of is the Augusta Masters Tournament that is held once a year. The Masters is the second leading facilitator, ranking under the yearly NFL Super Bowl.
During these major sporting affairs, young girls and boys are being lured into the presence of older men and women to be used for sexual favors. Adrianne informed me that “the average price of a sex slave is $90”, making these young teens highly accessible and greatly devalued. The target age group for sex traffickers can range from seven to eighteen, maybe older. It greatly disturbs her to know that “there can be a 45-year-old man preying on a 6-year-old girl,” causing her to become quite precocious towards her two nieces as well as her future children. Knowing they can possibly become a part of this cycle of abuse riveted her enough to initiate a focused movement. Adrianne wanted local residents to know how vital this issue is, despite typical hardships that plague our society. She has a personal longing to reach out and assist these young kids, specifically the girls.
The young females are usually being spotted by predators who “stalk their potential sex slaves via social media.” Adrianne states they gather enough information through Facebook and Twitter to become a bit acquainted with the girls, convincing the victims they actually care about them. I was introduced to the terms “Romeo Pimp “and “Gorilla Pimp”. These terms describes the difference between the two types of handlers, mostly men, which are in charge of collecting the girls. The “Romeo Pimp” likes to attract their attention by showering them with compliments and tangible things such as jewelry and other attractive accessories. The “Gorilla Pimp” has a more threatening approach, choosing to use physical abuse to cause the girls to submit. They further convince the girls to partake of this lifestyle by threatening them through means of blackmail. Adrianne states they go far as sexually assaulting them while filming the incident.
The girls are then given a demand to fully surrender their bodies for consumption. They are granted no room to disregard the ultimatum, for the men proclaim, “If you don’t comply, we’re going to show the whole world” the actual video footage. The sex slaves are then inducted into the business, disconnected from their social life. Some girls are simply involved in abusive relationships that may eventually lead down a path of self-exploitation in the future. Parents and close friends can be naive to such internal turmoil when the signs aren’t noticeable. Adrianne says the girls “know how to hide it well enough to keep people from asking any further questions.” Most people aren’t aware of what’s taking place until after the damage is done.
Being a victim of a past abusive relationship herself for three years, Adrianne understands “what it feels like to have your power taken from you.” She secluded herself, refusing to wear makeup and tend to her hair, or take any form of self-maintenance into consideration. Her boyfriend’s temperament disallowed her to hold herself in honorable esteem, causing her to depreciate her value as a woman and individual. She didn’t have dependable friends to assist her during this degrading period, for they “were just as low in self-esteem as I was.” Adrianne also underwent two abortions, one of which she experienced after graduating from high school. She states with contentment, “I should have two kids right now, and I don’t.” She states that as a Christian, she understands God’s forgiveness which encourages her to assist the young female demographic with her endless amount of encouragement. Many young girls are experiencing sexual encounters at a young age without the correct guidance to educate them on the life-changing consequences. “If I can do something to change that, “Adrianne says, “I would like to.”
Making sure that our youth is aware of the reality behind Health Education highly concerns Adrianne. I asked of her opinion on elementary students being educated on more delicate aspects of sexuality at a younger age. It was introduced in the news months ago that schools will be instilling sex education in a more detailed fashion in the curriculum, making it a mandatory subject to be discussed in a classroom setting. Adrianne believes that society is “risking the innocence of many children for the sake of a few” by forcing this subject matter in the undeveloped minds of our youth. She believes that this wouldn’t be a problem if parents would “allow your children the opportunity to talk” instead of being a “helicopter parent” that hovers over their actions.
Lack of communication and misunderstanding can cause tension between the child and parent because of the sharp restrictions that are being suggested without providing substantial explanations. This also limits the child from expressing how they feel about the matter and what effects it’s having on their development. Adrianne stresses that we need to “continue getting to know our children because they are continuing to get to know themselves” as well. This would hopefully put a stop to a problem before it starts, preventing these young girls from festering in a psychological pool of dying confidence and lack of knowledge.
It’s not just the children that are affected by this trafficking system. The traffickers themselves are also internally damaged. Some come from abusive and mental devastating environments, causing them to seek pleasure in inflicting pain upon someone else. Though they are causing harm to the lives of many girls and even boys on some occasions, they, too, are hurting. We as a bias society tend to immediately condemn them, refusing to show compassion or any source of sincerity. Adrianne views these individuals in the same sense she views her formal, abusive boyfriend. She sees them as scarred human beings who need assistance just as much as the children. Adrianne states that considering their circumstance “brings you back into the perspective of what humanity really is.” She seeks to help every person involved in the transaction, from the child being used to the parent who’s completely unaware of what’s being established behind the scenes. Adrianne states that it’s her God-given purpose to help young females get in tuned with their inner worth, become aware of their full potential and refuse to allow anyone to convince them of the contrary.
Adrianne is a graduate from Georgia Regents University where she received her Bachelor’s in Communications. She is a skilled vocalist/songwriter who goes by the local name “Songbird”. She has been featured as an artist at MAD Studios in downtown Augusta on several occasions. She seeks to initiate a continuation of awareness upon this issue and many others that are affecting the youth of our community. She plans to do so by further consuming research, educational opportunities towards acquiring certification to construct future events, and rooting her faith in God and the goodness of humanity.
-City Rag (2015)
