Slog
News & ArtsMonday, May 17, 2010
Panic Sex Slavery Running Rampant in Portland!
Posted by Charles Mudede on Mon, May 17, 2010 at 4:44 PM
A hysterical press release I just received:
"Dan Rather Reports" Investigates Growing Nationwide Problem of Underage Sex TraffickingReally, underage sex slavery is just pure bosh. Again, focus on the banks, and focus on real shit like this:
Sex trafficking is often thought of as problem overseas, but it is actually an alarming problem here in the United States - Tuesday, May 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET
DALLAS (May 17, 2010) Tuesday's "Dan Rather Reports" will present an investigation into the growing problem of underage sex trafficking, with a focus on a city you might not expect: Portland, Oregon.
Portland proclaims itself as "The City of Roses," but beneath its inviting veneer of manicured parks and eco-friendly living, the city has a dirty, dark secret - a burgeoning legal and illegal sex industry. And according to the Portland Police Bureau, Portland has become a hotbed for child sex trafficking.
Last Friday, Gov. Schwarzenegger detailed the brutal budget cuts coming, saying the state doesn’t have the money, and that the current system is broken and must be repaired. Further, he said he will not sign a budget that does not contain substantial pension, budget, and tax reform.You want to do something about underage sex slavery, then direct your attacks not at a few perverts taking advantage of the system but the very system itself—a system that lumps the entire failure of the economy on the backs of ordinary people.He singled out CalPERS, the public pension system, as needing reform. By law, CalPERS can force the state to make up any shortfall, and for the coming fiscal year, that will amount to almost $7 billion.
Among the cuts Schwarzenegger proposes is to completely eliminate (not just cut back) welfare, cutting pay for state workers even further (many already have furlough days, which essentially are pay cuts), eliminating subsidized child care for all children but pre-schoolers, cut in-home care for the elderly and disabled, and more.
He does not favor tax increases, preferring to try to stimulate job growth instead.
Portland has its problems, but it is far from the capital of our problems:
- Cacophony
4
Pointing out one problem does not mean the others don't exist or shouldn't be addressed.
There are dudes pimping underage girls all over the place and if you're cool with that then go on screaming about the issues that piss you off, but why do you have to write these kinds of pieces that come off sounding as if it's okay to prostitute 14 year old girls for profit?
There are dudes pimping underage girls all over the place and if you're cool with that then go on screaming about the issues that piss you off, but why do you have to write these kinds of pieces that come off sounding as if it's okay to prostitute 14 year old girls for profit?
5
Charles,
@4 has a point. Underage sex trafficking is bad and must be stopped anywhere at anytime. Rail against banking, Schwarzenegger and the system in another piece. They really aren't related.
@4 has a point. Underage sex trafficking is bad and must be stopped anywhere at anytime. Rail against banking, Schwarzenegger and the system in another piece. They really aren't related.
7
Seriously, do you people need a lecture about how widespread economic hardship affects people? How it increases crime, drug use, and many other deplorable activities, like sex slavery?
I am not the person to give that lecture, there are plenty of more erudite sources out there that log the effects economic stress has on humans. No, Portland is not in California, and Mr. Mudede could have added another paragraph to explain his connect, but it's not that wide of a gulf to see the point he's making.
I am not the person to give that lecture, there are plenty of more erudite sources out there that log the effects economic stress has on humans. No, Portland is not in California, and Mr. Mudede could have added another paragraph to explain his connect, but it's not that wide of a gulf to see the point he's making.
8
Why is this guy still working there?
Isn't there a park bench somewhere that needs a screaming bag lady?
Isn't there a park bench somewhere that needs a screaming bag lady?
9
Ah, my home state. 8th largest economy in the world, and we can't afford shit.
If he was the governor of Iowa, he'd probably say they didn't have enough corn.
If he was the governor of Iowa, he'd probably say they didn't have enough corn.
10
I like the fact that a long-exposure photo is supposed to be evidence that Portland is "far from the capital of our problems". Great argument, yo!
11
I live in Portland and work for DHS-child welfare, sadly I see too many things that I wish were 'bosh'. Like minors who disappear or emerge from sex trafficking. I do agree that the decline in the economy isn't helping but you can't ignore one problem to focus on the choices and decisions of the governor in another state! No 'lecture' needed for that!!
13
Hey, try to be more responsible in your writing. Acting as though one issue is more important than another just because one seems more pressing (and you get to yell about it) is incredibly damaging; in ways you cannot even know. Suffice to say...you are an asshole.
15
So... your argument is, fix the disease, not the symptoms, right? So, um, Arnold quits slashing the budget, and then suddenly all of these would-be child traffickers go back to their day jobs?
.... Really?
.... Really?
16
Arnold Schwartzenegger is making it harder and harder for me to love him. Terminator 2 only buys you so much good will.
17
Is The Stranger going back to taking credit for photos their staff clearly isn't qualified to take? How 'bout a photo credit CM, I'm really doubting this was yours even though it isn't that difficult.
19
...actually, underage sex slavery is quite real, and you're a horrible person. my wife is a lawyer who works on those cases. jerkass.
20
WTF is wrong with you Charles and WTF is wrong with the Stranger for giving you a place to spew your BS? God I hope you weren't serious when you said underage sex slavery is bosh and implied instead of doing something about it we should focus on banks. For all your talk about caring about the little people and equality for the poor you clearly don't give 2 shits about them. Go fuck yourself. Better yet, go get kidnapped and be forced into sex slavery so old rich bankers can pay someone else for the pleasure of beating and fucking you. See if you still think it's bosh after a few years of that.
21
Sex slavery is the new crack baby for the press.
We can't really find it, but we know its out there because an 'expert' told me so.
We can't really find it, but we know its out there because an 'expert' told me so.
22
@18, thanks for engaging in the critique Charles. I'd like to add my voice to the chorus - I disagree with the notion that we can only focus on one substantive issue at a time, and I find it callous how simply you disregard the problem of child sex slavery.
23
Summary: "Problem A is not a problem! I can't prove this or offer any facts! I just know Problem B--which is totally unrelated--is a problem! So Problem A is not a problem! Except that if I engage a sixth brain cell, I might actually see the indirect but legitimate impact Problem B has on Problem A in the complicated landscape of the real world! But that's hard! And I only care about Problem B! So I am going to kick the abused children who are horribly exploited by Problem A in the emotional teeth! Successful post!"
24
The Portland Mercury addressed this issue in a piece last September:
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/…
And I agree with the others that it is appalling that you seem to think that this is an issue that shouldn't be addressed. While maybe YOU don't see this happening every day, it is a reality for too many people and everyone should be aware of human trafficking and do everything in their power to report it and prevent it.
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/…
And I agree with the others that it is appalling that you seem to think that this is an issue that shouldn't be addressed. While maybe YOU don't see this happening every day, it is a reality for too many people and everyone should be aware of human trafficking and do everything in their power to report it and prevent it.
25
This post is incredibly ignorant. Human trafficking is a real problem in the US, and the majority of trafficked persons are women and children. True that the amount of people affected by human trafficking is smaller than the amount affected by banking shenanigans, but the degree of misery in being literally enslaved makes it clear that
being stuck in a shitty job with a foreclosure and bankruptcy hanging over your head--the virtual enslavement of capitalist systems--is a load of reeking hyperbole.
I think this is the most callous post Charles may have ever made. Generally, I'm amused as much as irritated at the way his writing seems to be inspired by the consumption of significant quantities of laudanum, but this was just sad and infuriating. Count me into the chorus of voices who am confident that we can think about more than one thing at a time. Such as the Miss USA pageant and offshore drilling platforms. And don't forget the banks.
being stuck in a shitty job with a foreclosure and bankruptcy hanging over your head--the virtual enslavement of capitalist systems--is a load of reeking hyperbole.
I think this is the most callous post Charles may have ever made. Generally, I'm amused as much as irritated at the way his writing seems to be inspired by the consumption of significant quantities of laudanum, but this was just sad and infuriating. Count me into the chorus of voices who am confident that we can think about more than one thing at a time. Such as the Miss USA pageant and offshore drilling platforms. And don't forget the banks.
26
Sad but true: Underage sex slavery exists ( and specifically, exists in Portland, where an es of mine has volunteered - and burned out - dealing with the damage done).
Sad but true: There exist Randites who live in their mothers' basements and attribute every evil under the sun to "the government".
Sad but true: There exist Marxists who live in alt-weekly offices and attribute every evil under the sun to "capital".
One thing these sad realities have in common is that counseling rarely succeeds in delivering the victims to well-adjusted adulthood.
Sad but true: There exist Randites who live in their mothers' basements and attribute every evil under the sun to "the government".
Sad but true: There exist Marxists who live in alt-weekly offices and attribute every evil under the sun to "capital".
One thing these sad realities have in common is that counseling rarely succeeds in delivering the victims to well-adjusted adulthood.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
Hating People Doesn't Make Them Thinner by Jen Graves
-
Los Angeles Gay Bar Bans Bachelorette Parties Until Marriage Equality Is Attained by David Schmader
-
Fill in the Blank by Grant Brissey
-
This Reminds Me of the Great Calculator Scare of the Late '70s/Early '80s by David Schmader
-
Idiot Tries to Defend Bigoted Anti-Gay-Marriage Preacher on Anderson Cooper by Paul Constant
-
Six Moms with Too Much Time on Their Hands and a Shitty Website Decide to Fight Gay Superheroes by Paul Constant
-
Why Mayor McGinn's Wife Canceled Her Family's Seattle Times Subscription by Eli Sanders
-
What the Hell Is Wrong With Seattle's Pride Parade? by Dominic Holden
-
The Saturday Morning News by Unpaid Intern
-
NYC Man Ticketed for Not Riding in the Bike Lane by Jonathan Golob
RSS
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (26) RSS