Trafficking victims deserve justice, not death

You might think that slavery is a thing of the past. It’s not.

Around the globe, vulnerable people are being forced into captivity. Often associated with developing countries, human trafficking happens in America too. That’s why Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act–legislation to increase the penalties for traffickers and provide help to their victims. The move initially had broad bipartisan support, but that changed last week when Planned Parenthood and their friends on Capitol Hill came out against it.

If signed into law, the act would establish a victims’ fund with  assets seized from traffickers. It also contains a provision baring the fund from being used to pay for abortions, which makes sense: the goal is to aid trafficking victims–not kill them. Simply put, no child deserves the death penalty for her father’s crimes.

And abortion isn’t just a threat to those in the womb, as studies show that women who undergo them face an elevated risk of suicide. Others are plagued by devastating feelings of loss and sadness. Both of these are hazards that the government shouldn’t be promoting, particularly among women and girls who’ve already been subjected to severe trauma.

Planned Parenthood feels differently, of course. Now I’ll admit that the organization does know quite a bit about sexual violence. After all, it’s enabled a lot of it.

Across the country, incestuous fathers, abusive step-dads, kidnappers, and serial rapists have all managed to stay out of jail thanks to Planned Parenthood’s no-questions-asked approach to abortion. There have also been plenty of cases in which Planned Parenthood staff were explicitly informed of ongoing sexual abuse. How did they respond? By offering to help cover it up.

The group Life Dynamics recorded calls to Planned Parenthood facilities from an actress claiming to be fourteen and impregnated by her adult boyfriend. Literally hundreds of times, staff were ready to arrange a secret abortion that would hide the abuse and allow it to continue.

This doesn’t just happen over the phone. Live Action has released multiple undercover videos documenting the ways in which Planned Parenthood employees have been willing to perpetuate exploitation. They include telling a minor to lie about her thirty one year-old boyfriend’s age as well as setting up involuntary abortions for child prostitutes who “can’t speak English” and “won’t know what’s going on.”

Planned Parenthood Manager Offers to Help Sex Ring, Gets Fired

In spite of this track record, Planned Parenthood has no shortage of influence in Washington. That’s demonstrated by the fact it receives over half a billion dollars in federal funding every year. It’s also proven by how the group has managed to help stall the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. As of right now, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and other prominent Democrats have promised that the bill won’t go forward unless its pro-life stipulations are removed.

Pro-lifers should contact their senators and tell them that the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act needs to pass as is. They can also sign Live Action’s online petition calling for an end to Planned Parenthood’s federal funding. Because while America needs to fight human trafficking, that shouldn’t involve punishing its victims.