The recently released movie that's taken the world by storm, the "Sound of Freedom" raked in an astounding $50 million to date. But what if I told you this film, with its American hero rescuing innocent children from far off lands, isn't painting the full picture of human trafficking? Join me as I navigate the complex narrative of this controversial movie, challenging the distorted image it portrays of human trafficking.
While the film is certainly compelling, there are serious misrepresentations to dissect. Not all customers who buy victims are dirty and sweaty or wealthy beyond measure, some hide in plain sight, in legitimate jobs and occupy everyday positions of trust. And while the protagonist's heroics are commendable, the reality of human trafficking is unfortunately more complex and requires more complex solutions.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
You know the why human trafficking work is needed
To fight for the freedom ofmodern day slaves.
But love, passion, commitmentisn't all you need to be an
effective and successfulanti-trafficking advocate.
Learn the how.
I'm Dr Celia Williamson,director of the Human
Trafficking and Social JusticeInstitute at the University of
(00:23):
Toledo.
Welcome to the EmancipationNation podcast, where I'll
provide you with the latest andbest methods, policy and
practice discussed byexperienced experts in the field
, so that you can cut throughthe noise, save time and be
about the work of saving lives.
Welcome to the EmancipationNation Episode 185.
(00:44):
I'm Dr Celia Williamson andthis week I'm solo.
So you know, I saw Sound ofFreedom movie a couple weekends
ago and not because I wanted to,but because I needed to.
I had been getting textmessages and emails from people
(01:06):
asking me to do a podcast onthis movie.
So I had to see the movie sothat I would know what it's
about and sort of lend mythoughts to it.
So I have to say up front thatthis movie really upsets me
because you know, I know and youknow how Hollywood can distort
(01:30):
something, how they canromanticize it, such as Pretty
Woman, or how they can eroticizeit, such as, you know Debbie
does Dallas and how they candistort it, like the movie Taken
, and I know you know how thenews media distorts and
sensationalizes the issue andhow social media screws people's
(01:54):
heads on wrong about the issue,and so we need to talk about
this movie Again.
Let me show my hand up frontand say that I agree with some
of the critics out there.
So let me tell you about themovie, but not a spoiler alert.
(02:16):
I'm not going to tell you thedetails of the movie in case you
want to see it for yourself.
But the movie focuses on TimBallard, who used to work for
Homeland Security, who left toform an organization called
Operation Underground Railroad.
Okay, this is an organizationthat travels to other countries,
(02:37):
rescues children who arevictims of sex trafficking.
So that's the setup, and thisOperation Underground Railroad
organization has been acontroversial group really all
along.
I actually did a podcast withsomebody from the group and I
(02:57):
just removed the podcast afterreceiving several complaints
from listeners and that had someunflattering thoughts about
this group.
But anyway, this movie is reallythe American story we love to
tell.
And here's the American storyAmerican white guy saves the day
(03:22):
.
That's the American fantasy.
We love that story, we tell itover and over again, and I know,
I know we don't like to talkabout things like that, but it's
the fictional tale we love.
We told that story and taken,you know, liam Neeson saves the
day, if you remember, taken one.
(03:44):
Liam Neeson's daughter leavesthe country to be trafficked.
Of course, we know that the USis one of the largest purchasers
of sexual services in the world.
So, actually to leave thecountry, it seems like the
probability goes down that youwould be trafficked.
We ignore that, and she'strafficked on foreign land, of
(04:08):
course, by those foreigners.
And so Liam Neeson is the onlyone that can save the day.
Not our government, not theirgovernment, only Liam.
And he happens to know allthere is to know about human
trafficking too, and he tellshis daughter when she's hiding
under the bed, if you remember.
(04:29):
He says they're going to takeyou.
He tells her how long she has.
Now, how does Liam know that?
Well, he's an American man.
That's how Liam knows all.
So he goes in the countries, hebreaks laws, he kicks ass, he
saves lives and at the end ofthe movie, the daughter that he
(04:54):
rescues hasn't suffered anytrauma a core issue of victims,
of course.
But no, no, she goes on tothink about her career and what
she'd like to do next in life.
You know the end.
You finish your popcorn.
You're satisfied that peoplelike Liam Neeson are on the case
, there to break laws to get thejob done.
(05:18):
And you ever think about thosecop shows you watch?
Ever noticed that, how theyhave to break laws that we have
in place in order to get the jobdone?
Think about it.
Think about every cop showyou've ever watched, at least
the ones you like and they getthe perp you know the perp
(05:44):
locked inside the interrogationroom where they violate his
rights, beat him up, threaten toshoot him, whatever it takes,
because, after all, they have tobreak the law in order to do
their job.
That's the underlying theme.
They beat, burn, punch, kick,threaten, abuse, exploit
(06:07):
whatever dirty deed they can doin order to get the job done.
And we say, yes, good jobbreaking the law, go ahead, make
my day.
Clint Eastwood, or AKA dirtyHarry, said he followed the law,
(06:29):
but boy, did he want that guyto step out of line so that he
could shoot him, kill him inbroad daylight, commit
justifiable murder?
These stories tell the viewerthat the laws we have in place
just aren't good enough.
(06:49):
We have to get down in the dirtwith this scum and America says
, well, that seems right.
And then we wonder why somepeople get shot, some people of
color perhaps.
Anyway, I digress, getting back.
(07:10):
So the sound of silence has thissimilar underlying premise, and
it's that we can't get the jobdone following the laws we have
in place.
Tim Ballard has to go intoanother country to rescue
children because the existingresources just won't work and
(07:33):
I'm with them to a certainextent because children are
being abused and exploited andthere aren't laws strong enough
and there aren't enoughresources and perhaps even a
strong enough will fromgovernments to stop this.
So to stop this in the US.
I cried in the movie becausechildren were being abused and I
(07:56):
wanted those children to berescued and I wanted those
traffickers to pay.
I just wish, at the end of themovie, when the character that
played Tim Ballard came out tospeak and yes, he comes out
after the movie to speak to theaudience that he would have said
(08:16):
that this is one form oftrafficking, but certainly not
the only form and certainly notthe majority of trafficking
around the world.
I wish he would have said thatthe majority of sex trafficking
victims aren't five or ten yearsold, as displayed in the film,
that they're more likely to beteens or even adults.
(08:38):
And I wish he would have saidthat all sex traffickers are all
sex trafficking buyers aren'tpedophiles pedophile meaning
people that prefer children,pre-probessant children that
(08:59):
they are also people that livein your neighborhood and
purchasers are bankers andlawyers and pastors.
And I know he wouldn't havesaid that we can rescue children
all we want, but until we putpolicies and adequate resources
(09:21):
in place and until we deal withand change the paradigm and the
structure of first worldcountries, such as the US's
insatiable desire for thesewomen and children,
unfortunately it will continue.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
I want to interrupt the podcast to tell you about
the International HumanTrafficking and Social Justice
Conference, which is the largestand oldest academic conference
on human trafficking in theworld.
Join us for our 20th annualconference, hosted virtually
this year on September 20ththrough the 22nd.
You'll have the opportunity tolearn from and collaborate with
(10:02):
thousands of advocates,researchers, providers and
survivors from all over theworld.
You don't want to miss it.
Find out more and registertoday on our website,
traffickingconferencecom.
Now back to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Again, I wish you would have mentioned that it's
not only these perverts that gointo countries to pay for five
and 10-year-old children, butthe majority of the purchasers
of sex trafficking victims arethose in legitimate jobs.
They aren't all sweaty andoverweight and dirty as
portrayed in the movie.
They go to work in law officesevery day.
(10:40):
They put on a police uniform, amedical coat, a robe in
preparation for court.
They're city workers.
They put on their city vestsand so on.
The problem with this movie isnot only that once again in our
fictional love story that theAmerican white guy saves the day
(11:03):
, or even that victims are fiveand 10 years old, or that we
mislead the public to understandthat people leave the country
to buy victims, is that theactual salary of the Operation
Underground Railroad, timBallard, was over a half million
(11:28):
dollars per year, and theprevious president of Operation
Underground Railroad, brad Damon, according to the company's tax
filings, also made over a halfmillion dollars a year.
Now you might say that the jobthat he's doing or they're doing
is worth that level of pay, andI believe you and I support
(11:51):
that.
I think it is, and I also thinkthat the job you're doing today
is also worth that level of pay.
You often risk your life insome of the jobs you do.
You also save lives.
The movie also magically, orrather strategically, plays into
(12:15):
the idea of the story ofJeffrey Epstein's Island, where
he would invite wealthy peopleto abuse vulnerable women.
Again, I'm not going to tellyou about the movie in case
you'd like to see it, butthere's that theme running
through it.
So, look, movies are largelymade to entertain the sound of
(12:36):
freedom.
Producers and cast admit thatthe sound of freedom is a
heavily fictionized movie, butfor us it really feeds into the
idea that children are snatchedand that we need to go in and
get them.
And after we rescue them, well,we really don't know what will
(12:58):
happen, but we did our part.
So has this multi-milliondollar movie shifted the
narrative?
I would say it's more likesnatch the narrative and we'll
have people believing what wecontinue to fight against that
(13:19):
trafficking happens over there,that it's mostly little kids and
that the customers are nasty,dirty-looking pedophiles.
Look, the movie has alreadybrought in 50 million dollars,
according to a publicationmotherboard.
Even before the release of themovie, they were working with
(13:41):
religious organizations andchurches across the US to get
them to buy tickets and attendthe movie.
But, as we know, the sound offreedom rings out across the US
every day and around the worldevery day.
So let me share with you themany ways that the sound of
(14:02):
freedom rings out.
It rings out when you haveworked to ensure that a child
you work with can fall asleep atnight without fear of being
raped again or forced to work.
Those of you that have donethat have heard the sound of
freedom.
It's a smile, it's a laugh,it's a sigh of relief, it's a
(14:26):
feeling of safety.
Those of you who have helpedforeign survivors feel at home
in our country and in the worldand found housing for them and a
lawyer for them and helped themconnect to the services they
need, you already know the soundof freedom.
(14:47):
The sound of freedom rings outwhen some of you have made sure
that laws were passed to protectvulnerable people.
In fact, dr Vanessa Boucher dida study of the legislator
across the US.
Her findings were that the morewomen you have in the state
legislator legislature yes themore comprehensive
(15:12):
anti-trafficking laws are passed.
Do you know that the majorityof people working in the
anti-trafficking field and doingthe jobs are women?
As we quietly toil away like wedo.
We also worked on civil rightsmovements.
(15:32):
We worked on women's rightsmovements and we held key
positions in those movements.
In fact, women white women areresponsible for the development
of the whole social workprofession that helps millions
around the world.
But you won't read about thesethings because we don't control
(15:54):
the narrative on who iscelebrated in our history books
and in our news media outletsand in our movies.
The sound of freedom is rungevery time a survivor finds the
courage to testify against hertrafficker.
The courage and the bravery ofvictims goes to them for having
(16:17):
survived their ordeal, but thereisn't a press conference where
they're speaking, a medal-givenor a Hollywood blockbuster movie
made about them.
You can hear the sound offreedom whenever anybody helps
any victim feel loved and wantedwithout having to give up their
(16:39):
dignity.
Freedom is rung every time asurvivor shares their experience
to enlighten an audience whowas previously naive.
Freedom is internally heardwhen a teen decides to dream
about her future Instead a fallprey to the pressures of a
society that tells her that herbody is what's important in
(17:01):
pleasing the men and trumpseverything else.
We experience the sounds offreedom when a trafficking
victim has the courage to healfrom their trauma.
The sound of freedom happenswhen a man that was beaten and
forced to work regains hisfreedom to feel like a man again
, when policymakers change laws,when we educate the community
(17:26):
to identify victims and systemsrespond effectively.
Freedom can be heard and seenaround the world the programs
that engage in street outreach,that provide case management,
care, coordination, peeradvocacy let's freedom ring.
We can hear it when a drugaddicted survivor puts down the
(17:50):
need on deals with her past.
We can hear it when programsalter their policies and
practices to become traumainformed and when faith-based
communities learn about thevarious forms of trafficking.
Hear and abroad and supportsthose programs within the US and
(18:11):
within other countries.
These are all the ways we hearthe sound of freedom.
Operation Underground Railroadadmitted that once rescued they
really didn't have anything orany place.
They didn't know what to do.
(18:31):
They now say that they havesome services in place.
I really would like to know howmany kids they rescued without
services in place, when backinto prostitution or struggled
with unresolved trauma.
But that really doesn't makefor a great movie.
(18:55):
I, as a moviegoer, joe Blow,don't really want to know.
I just want to be entertained.
What I want to do is watch aheart-wrenching movie, wipe my
tears, finish my popcorn and gohome feeling sad that that
happens but happy that someoneis on the case.
(19:17):
I want the luxury of notworrying about how we can
prevent this or what we can doto help victims heal, or even
how we can equip those countriesthat need help to implement the
knowledge and the programs wehave.
That doesn't make for a goodmovie.
Now better to put their mindsat ease and let them know the
(19:40):
black and white version, thegood versus evil version, and
wrap it all up in 137 minutes.
So let me tell you a story,another reason why I think this
movie is so powerfullydestructive to the movement.
This is a story told by SteveHarvey, the television star.
He said that he was with DenzelWashington, a motion picture
(20:05):
actor, right when someone walksup to them and says, oh, thank
you, mr Washington, for thewonderful movies you make.
And Steve Harvey looked at himand said, wow, like I don't get
those type of greetings.
I get like, hey, steve, how youdoing?
But wow, you are revered withsuch respect.
(20:29):
And he said, denzel Washingtonsaid to him let me explain
something to you.
When people see me, they havemade plans.
They have put on their clothes,they have taken a shower, they
have paid money.
They stood in line and boughttheir popcorn.
(20:49):
It is an event, right.
When people see you, you comeright into their living room,
into their home.
They didn't prepare their halflistening.
When people see me, I go intothe theater, I come up, you know
, as the lights darken, I comeup on a 30-foot screen.
All they see is me and thescene.
(21:15):
I have their undividedattention.
I am sure he didn't, you know.
Of course Denzel did not say itin a way that sounds arrogant
or the way that I might bepresenting it, but you see the
difference.
This movie grabs your undividedattention, with the unmatched
(21:37):
sound quality from the speakers,with the dark theater, with the
tall screen.
Of course, you are captivated.
It overwhelms your senses, yoursight, your hearing, it pulls
out your heartstrings, it makesyou believe this is what
trafficking is.
And at the end of the movie,the actor who played Jesus, by
(22:00):
the way, in the Passion of theChrist, the last movie that
churchgoers were encouraged toattend, plays Tim Ballard.
He comes on the screen and heasks you for money, essentially
to pay it forward, to purchasetickets for someone else to be
able to see this movie.
(22:20):
And don't get me wrong, I'mhappy they rescued those
children.
Like I said, I'm not sure howexactly it happened because
again, they admitted it was somefictional accounts woven
through the story.
But this is a story about onetype of trafficking pedophilia
type of trafficking those whoprefer prepubescent children for
(22:43):
sex.
No-transcript.
We know that a trafficker isanybody who recruits, harbors,
transport's Provider, obtains aperson for the purposes of
commercial sex and other formsof human trafficking, such as
labor trafficking and organtrafficking.
Tim Ballard recently steppedaway from Operation Underground
(23:06):
Railroad before the launch ofthe film.
Matt Osborne is now thepresident and CEO according to
LinkedIn, and has served aspresident since February of 2023
.
This is according to thepublication Motherboard.
But remember, rescuing childrenis but one way we support
(23:29):
victims in their recovery.
But if that's your only tool,then more vulnerable people will
continue to be victimized.
We need to do more than justrescue.
If we don't collaborate, if wedon't partner with others who
truly know what they're doing,we'll continue to rescue,
(23:49):
because there is an endlesssupply of vulnerable youth and
adults waiting to be victimized.
If you choose to support thisorganization, that's your choice
.
Rescuing even one child as theydo is important, but I bet
(24:10):
there is an organization in yourcommunity that is struggling to
keep its doors open that isserving victims of human
trafficking.
I bet there are laws in yourstate that need to be passed.
I bet there is a need to changethe political will of the
people and the legislature sothat they will fund what is
(24:33):
needed in your state, and I betthere is also other
international organizations thatdon't have multi-million dollar
movies made about them tosupport, in addition to
Operation Underground Railroad.
Until next time the fightcontinues, let's not just do
(24:57):
something, let's do the bestthing.
If you like this episode ofEmancipation Nation, please
subscribe and I'll send you theweekly podcast.
Until then, the fight continues.
You know the why human trafficking work is needed
To fight for the freedom ofmodern day slaves.
But love, passion, commitmentisn't all you need to be an
effective and successfulanti-trafficking advocate.
Learn the how.
I'm Dr Celia Williamson,director of the Human
Trafficking and Social JusticeInstitute at the University of
(00:23):
Toledo.
Welcome to the EmancipationNation podcast, where I'll
provide you with the latest andbest methods, policy and
practice discussed byexperienced experts in the field
, so that you can cut throughthe noise, save time and be
about the work of saving lives.
Welcome to the EmancipationNation Episode 185.
(00:44):
I'm Dr Celia Williamson andthis week I'm solo.
So you know, I saw Sound ofFreedom movie a couple weekends
ago and not because I wanted to,but because I needed to.
I had been getting textmessages and emails from people
(01:06):
asking me to do a podcast onthis movie.
So I had to see the movie sothat I would know what it's
about and sort of lend mythoughts to it.
So I have to say up front thatthis movie really upsets me
because you know, I know and youknow how Hollywood can distort
(01:30):
something, how they canromanticize it, such as Pretty
Woman, or how they can eroticizeit, such as, you know Debbie
does Dallas and how they candistort it, like the movie Taken
, and I know you know how thenews media distorts and
sensationalizes the issue andhow social media screws people's
(01:54):
heads on wrong about the issue,and so we need to talk about
this movie Again.
Let me show my hand up frontand say that I agree with some
of the critics out there.
So let me tell you about themovie, but not a spoiler alert.
(02:16):
I'm not going to tell you thedetails of the movie in case you
want to see it for yourself.
But the movie focuses on TimBallard, who used to work for
Homeland Security, who left toform an organization called
Operation Underground Railroad.
Okay, this is an organizationthat travels to other countries,
(02:37):
rescues children who arevictims of sex trafficking.
So that's the setup, and thisOperation Underground Railroad
organization has been acontroversial group really all
along.
I actually did a podcast withsomebody from the group and I
(02:57):
just removed the podcast afterreceiving several complaints
from listeners and that had someunflattering thoughts about
this group.
But anyway, this movie is reallythe American story we love to
tell.
And here's the American storyAmerican white guy saves the day
(03:22):
.
That's the American fantasy.
We love that story, we tell itover and over again, and I know,
I know we don't like to talkabout things like that, but it's
the fictional tale we love.
We told that story and taken,you know, liam Neeson saves the
day, if you remember, taken one.
(03:44):
Liam Neeson's daughter leavesthe country to be trafficked.
Of course, we know that the USis one of the largest purchasers
of sexual services in the world.
So, actually to leave thecountry, it seems like the
probability goes down that youwould be trafficked.
We ignore that, and she'strafficked on foreign land, of
(04:08):
course, by those foreigners.
And so Liam Neeson is the onlyone that can save the day.
Not our government, not theirgovernment, only Liam.
And he happens to know allthere is to know about human
trafficking too, and he tellshis daughter when she's hiding
under the bed, if you remember.
(04:29):
He says they're going to takeyou.
He tells her how long she has.
Now, how does Liam know that?
Well, he's an American man.
That's how Liam knows all.
So he goes in the countries, hebreaks laws, he kicks ass, he
saves lives and at the end ofthe movie, the daughter that he
(04:54):
rescues hasn't suffered anytrauma a core issue of victims,
of course.
But no, no, she goes on tothink about her career and what
she'd like to do next in life.
You know the end.
You finish your popcorn.
You're satisfied that peoplelike Liam Neeson are on the case
, there to break laws to get thejob done.
(05:18):
And you ever think about thosecop shows you watch?
Ever noticed that, how theyhave to break laws that we have
in place in order to get the jobdone?
Think about it.
Think about every cop showyou've ever watched, at least
the ones you like and they getthe perp you know the perp
(05:44):
locked inside the interrogationroom where they violate his
rights, beat him up, threaten toshoot him, whatever it takes,
because, after all, they have tobreak the law in order to do
their job.
That's the underlying theme.
They beat, burn, punch, kick,threaten, abuse, exploit
(06:07):
whatever dirty deed they can doin order to get the job done.
And we say, yes, good jobbreaking the law, go ahead, make
my day.
Clint Eastwood, or AKA dirtyHarry, said he followed the law,
(06:29):
but boy, did he want that guyto step out of line so that he
could shoot him, kill him inbroad daylight, commit
justifiable murder?
These stories tell the viewerthat the laws we have in place
just aren't good enough.
(06:49):
We have to get down in the dirtwith this scum and America says
, well, that seems right.
And then we wonder why somepeople get shot, some people of
color perhaps.
Anyway, I digress, getting back.
(07:10):
So the sound of silence has thissimilar underlying premise, and
it's that we can't get the jobdone following the laws we have
in place.
Tim Ballard has to go intoanother country to rescue
children because the existingresources just won't work and
(07:33):
I'm with them to a certainextent because children are
being abused and exploited andthere aren't laws strong enough
and there aren't enoughresources and perhaps even a
strong enough will fromgovernments to stop this.
So to stop this in the US.
I cried in the movie becausechildren were being abused and I
(07:56):
wanted those children to berescued and I wanted those
traffickers to pay.
I just wish, at the end of themovie, when the character that
played Tim Ballard came out tospeak and yes, he comes out
after the movie to speak to theaudience that he would have said
(08:16):
that this is one form oftrafficking, but certainly not
the only form and certainly notthe majority of trafficking
around the world.
I wish he would have said thatthe majority of sex trafficking
victims aren't five or ten yearsold, as displayed in the film,
that they're more likely to beteens or even adults.
(08:38):
And I wish he would have saidthat all sex traffickers are all
sex trafficking buyers aren'tpedophiles pedophile meaning
people that prefer children,pre-probessant children that
(08:59):
they are also people that livein your neighborhood and
purchasers are bankers andlawyers and pastors.
And I know he wouldn't havesaid that we can rescue children
all we want, but until we putpolicies and adequate resources
(09:21):
in place and until we deal withand change the paradigm and the
structure of first worldcountries, such as the US's
insatiable desire for thesewomen and children,
unfortunately it will continue.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
I want to interrupt the podcast to tell you about
the International HumanTrafficking and Social Justice
Conference, which is the largestand oldest academic conference
on human trafficking in theworld.
Join us for our 20th annualconference, hosted virtually
this year on September 20ththrough the 22nd.
You'll have the opportunity tolearn from and collaborate with
(10:02):
thousands of advocates,researchers, providers and
survivors from all over theworld.
You don't want to miss it.
Find out more and registertoday on our website,
traffickingconferencecom.
Now back to the podcast.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Again, I wish you would have mentioned that it's
not only these perverts that gointo countries to pay for five
and 10-year-old children, butthe majority of the purchasers
of sex trafficking victims arethose in legitimate jobs.
They aren't all sweaty andoverweight and dirty as
portrayed in the movie.
They go to work in law officesevery day.
(10:40):
They put on a police uniform, amedical coat, a robe in
preparation for court.
They're city workers.
They put on their city vestsand so on.
The problem with this movie isnot only that once again in our
fictional love story that theAmerican white guy saves the day
(11:03):
, or even that victims are fiveand 10 years old, or that we
mislead the public to understandthat people leave the country
to buy victims, is that theactual salary of the Operation
Underground Railroad, timBallard, was over a half million
(11:28):
dollars per year, and theprevious president of Operation
Underground Railroad, brad Damon, according to the company's tax
filings, also made over a halfmillion dollars a year.
Now you might say that the jobthat he's doing or they're doing
is worth that level of pay, andI believe you and I support
(11:51):
that.
I think it is, and I also thinkthat the job you're doing today
is also worth that level of pay.
You often risk your life insome of the jobs you do.
You also save lives.
The movie also magically, orrather strategically, plays into
(12:15):
the idea of the story ofJeffrey Epstein's Island, where
he would invite wealthy peopleto abuse vulnerable women.
Again, I'm not going to tellyou about the movie in case
you'd like to see it, butthere's that theme running
through it.
So, look, movies are largelymade to entertain the sound of
(12:36):
freedom.
Producers and cast admit thatthe sound of freedom is a
heavily fictionized movie, butfor us it really feeds into the
idea that children are snatchedand that we need to go in and
get them.
And after we rescue them, well,we really don't know what will
(12:58):
happen, but we did our part.
So has this multi-milliondollar movie shifted the
narrative?
I would say it's more likesnatch the narrative and we'll
have people believing what wecontinue to fight against that
(13:19):
trafficking happens over there,that it's mostly little kids and
that the customers are nasty,dirty-looking pedophiles.
Look, the movie has alreadybrought in 50 million dollars,
according to a publicationmotherboard.
Even before the release of themovie, they were working with
(13:41):
religious organizations andchurches across the US to get
them to buy tickets and attendthe movie.
But, as we know, the sound offreedom rings out across the US
every day and around the worldevery day.
So let me share with you themany ways that the sound of
(14:02):
freedom rings out.
It rings out when you haveworked to ensure that a child
you work with can fall asleep atnight without fear of being
raped again or forced to work.
Those of you that have donethat have heard the sound of
freedom.
It's a smile, it's a laugh,it's a sigh of relief, it's a
(14:26):
feeling of safety.
Those of you who have helpedforeign survivors feel at home
in our country and in the worldand found housing for them and a
lawyer for them and helped themconnect to the services they
need, you already know the soundof freedom.
(14:47):
The sound of freedom rings outwhen some of you have made sure
that laws were passed to protectvulnerable people.
In fact, dr Vanessa Boucher dida study of the legislator
across the US.
Her findings were that the morewomen you have in the state
legislator legislature yes themore comprehensive
(15:12):
anti-trafficking laws are passed.
Do you know that the majorityof people working in the
anti-trafficking field and doingthe jobs are women?
As we quietly toil away like wedo.
We also worked on civil rightsmovements.
(15:32):
We worked on women's rightsmovements and we held key
positions in those movements.
In fact, women white women areresponsible for the development
of the whole social workprofession that helps millions
around the world.
But you won't read about thesethings because we don't control
(15:54):
the narrative on who iscelebrated in our history books
and in our news media outletsand in our movies.
The sound of freedom is rungevery time a survivor finds the
courage to testify against hertrafficker.
The courage and the bravery ofvictims goes to them for having
(16:17):
survived their ordeal, but thereisn't a press conference where
they're speaking, a medal-givenor a Hollywood blockbuster movie
made about them.
You can hear the sound offreedom whenever anybody helps
any victim feel loved and wantedwithout having to give up their
(16:39):
dignity.
Freedom is rung every time asurvivor shares their experience
to enlighten an audience whowas previously naive.
Freedom is internally heardwhen a teen decides to dream
about her future Instead a fallprey to the pressures of a
society that tells her that herbody is what's important in
(17:01):
pleasing the men and trumpseverything else.
We experience the sounds offreedom when a trafficking
victim has the courage to healfrom their trauma.
The sound of freedom happenswhen a man that was beaten and
forced to work regains hisfreedom to feel like a man again
, when policymakers change laws,when we educate the community
(17:26):
to identify victims and systemsrespond effectively.
Freedom can be heard and seenaround the world the programs
that engage in street outreach,that provide case management,
care, coordination, peeradvocacy let's freedom ring.
We can hear it when a drugaddicted survivor puts down the
(17:50):
need on deals with her past.
We can hear it when programsalter their policies and
practices to become traumainformed and when faith-based
communities learn about thevarious forms of trafficking.
Hear and abroad and supportsthose programs within the US and
(18:11):
within other countries.
These are all the ways we hearthe sound of freedom.
Operation Underground Railroadadmitted that once rescued they
really didn't have anything orany place.
They didn't know what to do.
(18:31):
They now say that they havesome services in place.
I really would like to know howmany kids they rescued without
services in place, when backinto prostitution or struggled
with unresolved trauma.
But that really doesn't makefor a great movie.
(18:55):
I, as a moviegoer, joe Blow,don't really want to know.
I just want to be entertained.
What I want to do is watch aheart-wrenching movie, wipe my
tears, finish my popcorn and gohome feeling sad that that
happens but happy that someoneis on the case.
(19:17):
I want the luxury of notworrying about how we can
prevent this or what we can doto help victims heal, or even
how we can equip those countriesthat need help to implement the
knowledge and the programs wehave.
That doesn't make for a goodmovie.
Now better to put their mindsat ease and let them know the
(19:40):
black and white version, thegood versus evil version, and
wrap it all up in 137 minutes.
So let me tell you a story,another reason why I think this
movie is so powerfullydestructive to the movement.
This is a story told by SteveHarvey, the television star.
He said that he was with DenzelWashington, a motion picture
(20:05):
actor, right when someone walksup to them and says, oh, thank
you, mr Washington, for thewonderful movies you make.
And Steve Harvey looked at himand said, wow, like I don't get
those type of greetings.
I get like, hey, steve, how youdoing?
But wow, you are revered withsuch respect.
(20:29):
And he said, denzel Washingtonsaid to him let me explain
something to you.
When people see me, they havemade plans.
They have put on their clothes,they have taken a shower, they
have paid money.
They stood in line and boughttheir popcorn.
(20:49):
It is an event, right.
When people see you, you comeright into their living room,
into their home.
They didn't prepare their halflistening.
When people see me, I go intothe theater, I come up, you know
, as the lights darken, I comeup on a 30-foot screen.
All they see is me and thescene.
(21:15):
I have their undividedattention.
I am sure he didn't, you know.
Of course Denzel did not say itin a way that sounds arrogant
or the way that I might bepresenting it, but you see the
difference.
This movie grabs your undividedattention, with the unmatched
(21:37):
sound quality from the speakers,with the dark theater, with the
tall screen.
Of course, you are captivated.
It overwhelms your senses, yoursight, your hearing, it pulls
out your heartstrings, it makesyou believe this is what
trafficking is.
And at the end of the movie,the actor who played Jesus, by
(22:00):
the way, in the Passion of theChrist, the last movie that
churchgoers were encouraged toattend, plays Tim Ballard.
He comes on the screen and heasks you for money, essentially
to pay it forward, to purchasetickets for someone else to be
able to see this movie.
(22:20):
And don't get me wrong, I'mhappy they rescued those
children.
Like I said, I'm not sure howexactly it happened because
again, they admitted it was somefictional accounts woven
through the story.
But this is a story about onetype of trafficking pedophilia
type of trafficking those whoprefer prepubescent children for
(22:43):
sex.
No-transcript.
We know that a trafficker isanybody who recruits, harbors,
transport's Provider, obtains aperson for the purposes of
commercial sex and other formsof human trafficking, such as
labor trafficking and organtrafficking.
Tim Ballard recently steppedaway from Operation Underground
(23:06):
Railroad before the launch ofthe film.
Matt Osborne is now thepresident and CEO according to
LinkedIn, and has served aspresident since February of 2023
.
This is according to thepublication Motherboard.
But remember, rescuing childrenis but one way we support
(23:29):
victims in their recovery.
But if that's your only tool,then more vulnerable people will
continue to be victimized.
We need to do more than justrescue.
If we don't collaborate, if wedon't partner with others who
truly know what they're doing,we'll continue to rescue,
(23:49):
because there is an endlesssupply of vulnerable youth and
adults waiting to be victimized.
If you choose to support thisorganization, that's your choice
.
Rescuing even one child as theydo is important, but I bet
(24:10):
there is an organization in yourcommunity that is struggling to
keep its doors open that isserving victims of human
trafficking.
I bet there are laws in yourstate that need to be passed.
I bet there is a need to changethe political will of the
people and the legislature sothat they will fund what is
(24:33):
needed in your state, and I betthere is also other
international organizations thatdon't have multi-million dollar
movies made about them tosupport, in addition to
Operation Underground Railroad.
Until next time the fightcontinues, let's not just do
(24:57):
something, let's do the bestthing.
If you like this episode ofEmancipation Nation, please
subscribe and I'll send you theweekly podcast.
Until then, the fight continues.
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