Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Jesus Creed

Home
Evangelical
The Super Bowl and Trafficking

The Super Bowl and Trafficking

Last updated on: December 8, 2010 at 12:24 pm by Scot McKnight

The Super Bowl and Trafficking 2010-12-05T07:31:03-06:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This is a letter from Kim Jones, an advocate for justice in the Dallas area and who is organizing with others actions that will help prevent human trafficking at the SuperBowl. Please read and ponder and pray and act.

Over the past year most of you have been receiving my email on human trafficking. It has been an unbelievable experience for me and for others as well. It has caused many to think, pray and want to become further involved in the issue. What I had not expected was the transformation that came about in my own life. I now had a desire to not just speak of justice, but to try and figure out how to practice it in tangible ways. At the same time my dear friend Heather Crane, wife of PGA golfer Ben Crane, and I had been talking and dreaming about what we as two moms could do to help with this problem.

From those conversations came the idea of doing an awareness campaign during the Super Bowl. This idea led to making connections with the International organization Love146, an organization in which Heather serves on the board. They liked our vision and wanted to help make it a reality.

You might ask “Why the Super Bowl?” The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote for a publication produced by my church*.* My hope is that when you read these words you too will desire to get involved in some way.

Perhaps you’ve heard there’s a big game coming to town in the month of February. It’s estimated that over 100,000 people will attend the game in person and over 100 million will watch it on television. Much has been done and is being done to prepare for this great event. According to the Dallas Morning News, the projected economic impact will be about $611.7 million – a potential record.

An event like this does more than just encourage economic growth for a region. What you might not know is that sporting events like this often are accompanied by a dark side. Because of the nature of the event – with many visitors in town away from their families and without accountability – there is an increase in demand for prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation. With this influx comes a demand for human trafficking. According to the Department of Justice, “children trafficked into prostitution are often found around major sporting events. Since children are often more vulnerable, they are easy to move and in high demand, they make ideal victims to travel to major sporting events.” Some pimps and traffickers will rent a house or an apartment (or even a block of houses) temporarily near the stadium to establish a brothel.

Who are the traffickers targeting? According to the article “Risk Factors of Minor Domestic Sex Trafficking Victims,” most of these exploited children are affected by the following:

• Poverty

• Sexual abuse

• Family substance/physical abuse

• Individual disabilities

• Loss of parent/caregiver

• Runaway/throwaway

• Sexual identity issues

• Lack of support systems

One of the most vulnerable segments of the population are children and teens who are homeless. Many of these kids leave their homes because of the physical, sexual, drug and alcohol abuse they encounter there. Within 48 hours of leaving home, 1 out of 3 will become a victim of human trafficking, most likely by forced prostitution and sexual exploitation.

Tragically, the average age of entry into prostitution in the United States is 12-13 years old.

Pimps know who to target and how to manipulate. They prey on those that are most vulnerable. At risk children are seduced with promises of love or a better life. Some are drawn in through “friendships” they develop online. But once lured in, there is virtually no way out. Their dignity is stripped from them as they are raped, beaten, drugged and made into a commodity. But this kind of commodity is unlike drugs or weapons, because those things can only be sold once. This commodity can be sold again and again and again.

The grim realities of human trafficking are almost more than any of us can imagine. But we need to be aware that these things aren’t just happening on the other side of the world. They’re happening much closer to home.

Thanks to all of you that have read along and prayed over the last several months. Now we need your help. Love146 is launching an awareness campaign around the Super Bowl called “It’s Not My Fault” here in the Dallas metroplex. The campaign has both short and long term goals. In the immediate time leading up to the Super Bowl our intention is to reach out to victims of trafficking as well as create public awareness of this horrendous crime. In the long term we will be working to provide prevention education for at-risk youth and aftercare for those who have been victimized. Would you consider making a financial contribution to this campaign? Any amount that you are able to give will help us combat this injustice. If you’re interested in contributing go to:

http://love146.org/donate/usa

and click the “donate to love146” button. Be sure to indicate the “It’s Not My Fault” campaign in the drop down menu.

If you are in the Dallas/Ft Worth area and would like to be involved in some tangible way please don’t hesitate to email me. There will be lots of opportunities to be involved. Please continue to pray for this issue and pray that much will be done through this campaign, but most of all that lives will be changed. If you would like to hear the origin of the name “It’s Not My Fault” read this blog entry from Love146 cofounder Lamont Hiebert

http://love146.org/blog/its-not-my-fault-part-1

Much Love,

Kim Jones

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” – Micah 6:8

Public Issues

Human Trafficking

Kim Jones

Previous Post

December 8, 2010

Defending the Old Testament God 2

Next Post

December 8, 2010 Marriage Tips

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to Romans, how does faith come?

Select your answer to see how you score.

From the Holy Spirit By reading Scripture By hearing the word Through prayer