On Saturday I attended a Human Trafficking conference in Lansing to learn how I might be able to help raise awareness about this issue as a community member and a photographer. I wasn’t at all thinking about the petition so I nearly jumped out of my seat when Michigan State Police Trooper Tressa Duffin started talking about how the objectification and devaluation of women and girls in our culture has contributed to the demand for modern-day slavery, specifically sexual exploitation - using the magazine covers we see in CHECKOUT AISLES as an example of where this takes place! These images can affect not only how girls and women view themselves, but how males learn to view and treat females. This is indeed why I’m asking Meijer to remove such publications from checkout. However, I hadn’t made the deeper and darker connection to how it feeds into the desire and demand for human trafficking. I find this incredibly disturbing. I was also struck by how many times over the course of the day it was explained that young girls often fall victim to a trafficker’s “friendship” or “romance” because they were simply told that they are pretty or beautiful. It’s not just young girls and women that are trafficked, but it instantly reminded me of a TED talk by Meaghan Ramsey (of the Dove Self-Esteem Project) in which she reports that 10,000 people a month Google the phrase, “Am I ugly?” Thousands, mostly teenage girls, post pictures or videos of themselves asking if they are ugly and asking people to comment. Meaghan argues that it is, in part, a result of our image-obsessed culture in which appearance is valued above all else. She says, “Teenagers with low body confidence do less physical activity, eat less fruits and vegetables, partake in unhealthy weight control practices that can lead to eating disorders. They have lower self-esteem. They’re more easily influenced by people around them and they’re at greater risk of depression. And we think it’s for all of these reasons that they take more risks with things like alcohol and drug use: crash dieting: cosmetic surgery; unprotected, earlier sex; and self-harm…..and we don’t grow out of it.” So it's not AT ALL hard to imagine how young people and even adults, male or female, gay or straight, from all socioeconomic classes and backgrounds, are easily drawn into relationships with people (traffickers) who validate their beauty, their feelings, and tell them what they yearn to hear. Traffickers are experts at knowing EXACTLY what to say to take advantage of any vulnerabilities and insecurities we may have. Though it's impossible to know the true numbers of trafficking victims at any given time, human trafficking (labor and sex) happens EVERYWHERE to men, women and children – U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. I realize that it's a much bigger issue than healthy checkout aisles. However, any step we take towards reducing materials that devalue women or ANY segment of our society is worth taking. In fact, it's a NECESSARY step! As Meaghan says, we need to work together as communities and businesses to change the culture “so that our kids grow up valuing their whole selves, valuing individuality, diversity, and inclusion.” Indeed we could all benefit from placing more emphasis on making a positive difference in the world, on doing good deeds, treating each other with respect, dignity, and kindness, and valuing who we are – inside and out. The majority of magazines and tabloids we currently see at checkout are emphasizing the exact opposite! Joyce D. is a human trafficking survivor and clinical social worker who spoke at the conference. She said she wishes someone had JUST PAID ATTENTION to what was happening to her as a 7-year-old, throughout her adolescence, and later as an adult. I wasn’t able to talk with her afterwards, but I want to tell Joyce – I heard you. I truly HEARD you and I vow to pay attention in every way I can from here on out. To learn more, visit www.polarisproject.org National Human Trafficking Resource Center: 888-373-7888