In observance of Passover, Nan Rich reminds her supporters of the issue at the heart of the celebration — slavery — a problem that, in one way or another, has plagued civilization for millennia.
Instead of the Israelites’ enslavement in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate talks about the celebration shadowed by a more modern form of slavery, sex trafficking.
“Sex traffickers entrap and enslave vulnerable women and children not only in faraway places,” Rich says, “but also in the U.S. and right here in communities all across Florida.”
She also cites estimates of nearly 100,000 children in the United States being held captive in the sex trade. Compounding the issue is that when discovered, these children are not seen as primarily victims of abuse, but as criminals.
Breaking this sad cycle of human trafficking requires increased awareness and training for all those who regularly encounter victims of slavery.
Rich hopes that one day soon everyone will celebrate both the freedom of the Israelites and the end of slavery in all its forms.
The missive is indeed somber, made during a particularly reflective time of year — as both Passover and Easter are upon us — which makes the point even more powerful.
