Florida: Nun Says Trafficking Thrives in US

MANATEE, FLORIDA -- Many Americans grow up learning that, by signing the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery forever.

Not true, says Sister Patrice Colletti. It still exists in today's society.

"Not only is slavery, unfortunately, alive and well in our world," Colletti said, "it's alive and well in the United States."

Human trafficking, or modern-day slavery, is the second-largest problem facing the United States, said Colletti, a member of the Salvatorian order. She spoke Saturday to a crowd of 50 at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Holmes Beach as part of a worldwide push to create awareness.

Human trafficking most commonly is found in the sex trade, but also plagues the lives of farmworkers, domestic servants and hotel and restaurant workers.

The $10 billion annual revenue generated through human trafficking, Colletti said, can start like it did for a Chinese girl, "Maria."

Maria is not her name but is a documented example of trafficking. She was sold in China for $2,000 and taken to France. She was then shipped to the United States, where she was sold to her owner for $8,000.

Maria logged 12-hour days in a Florida manufacturing company and received $20 per week. She earned $55,000 annually for her owner but had to pay from her own pocket for housing and food.

"What we need to do is recognize yes, it does exist," Colletti said.

More than 700,000 people are trafficked worldwide annually, according to Colletti, citing the United Nations. In total, 27 million people have been trafficked and 4 million sold across international borders...

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT Brandenton.com