November 18, 2007

Focus is a virtue

You may be surprised to learn that I now have access to a computer at home... which means I can post on a daily basis. But I don't, and probably won't. Just one of those things.

I'm still not all unpacked, settled and moved in. These days it seems that if I'm not working, I'm recovering from work. I'm currently working on the third of four night shifts. And they've been really super hard night shifts at that.

For example, tonight I was at the IWK for a few hours listening to babies and teenagers cry. It sucked.

Kids should have to worry about doing their homework and what shoes go with what outfit, not the crap that the kids I know have to carry around with them. I know life is about choices, but I'd like to give these girls a break every now and again and let them do their nails in peace.

What's hardest is seeing what people will do to other people. What grown men will do to young girls...

15 years ago a task force was created to deal with the trafficking of 14, 15, 16 year old girls to the prostitution scene in Toronto. Some of the girls that were pimped out were fortunate and returned to Halifax. The police task force was able to arrest a lot of the men responsible and the prostitution ring was unsuccessful for many years.

So successful that they decided to disband the task force. Today there's a gang known as "North Preston's Finest", a gong comprised mainly of relatives of those who were arrested 15 years ago (or those guys have been released). Anyway, the problem is back and girls are again being taken to Toronto and Montreal under the guise that they will be treated like princesses, and thrown into the underworld of stripping and prostitution.

And once the girls are gone, they are gone for good. Unless they are able to escape under their own power, we will never see or hear from them again. Completely untraceable.

The girls who get sucked in aren't necessarily what you'd call "bad girls". They're naive girls craving affection and family. They think these pimps are going to take care of them, and they're transfixed by the promise of a better life...

How can these men, many of whom have young daughters themselves, do this?? Why is this a problem that a 14 year old girl should worry about? The best protection is to educate the girls on the dangers. It's just not fair that in order to be safe you have to make them afraid of people.

I'm not a violent person, by any means... but there are times...

Sorry for the less than cheery post, I wish I could talk about rainbows and kittens, but I haven't seen any lately.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

How sad! Beyond comprehension! Do the police know this is still happening?