Dear Editor,
I suspect many if not most of us are familiar with the cinematic expression “film noir,” a French term meaning dark film, of which many post World War II era movies were labeled. Following the Great Depression and WWII, people’s pessimism and disillusionment was representative of a prevailing disenchantment of the times. Throughout the 1940s, many Hollywood films similarly embodied a collective sense of uncertainty. Today, in the face of worldwide conflicts that, for some, fuel a pervasive sense of alienation, life can often seem overwhelming. What role, if any, should the film industry take in revealing the darker side of life today?
Cinema is an influential art form that has the power to delight, educate, and inspire. Movies are a source of entertainment, while serving as a platform for social commentary - addressing critical issues, sparking meaningful conversation, and promoting cultural change and understanding.
One such film, “Sound of Freedom,” debuted on July 4 in a limited theater run due to independent distribution. Based on a true story, former Department of Homeland Security Special Agent turned vigilante Tim Ballard embarks on a mission to save a girl from child traffickers in a Colombian jungle.
Throughout, the movie sounds a dramatic alarm on the competing horror of child sex trafficking - the fastest-growing international criminal network in the world.
If you agree with the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words,” make an effort to see “Sound of Freedom.” It serves as notice that the Biden Administration has failed to enforce our immigration laws. Open border policies are making it possible to smuggle women and children across our southern border and sell them into forced labor or the sex trade. Today, human smuggling is an $18 billion industry.
Females account for 94% of victims of sex trafficking.
The average age at which a child is sold for sex is thirteen years old. One child may be sold between five and ten times a day.
In April, Senators Blackburn, Klobuchar, and Hyde-Smith introduced bipartisan legislation, “Stopping Abuse, Victimization, and Exploitation of Girls” that provides funding to prevent trafficking. In June, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bipartisan bill to protect children from online sexual abuse and exploitation.
Even with this, the problem will continue to escalate as long as our southern border remains open and law enforcement lacks sufficient funding to intervene and prosecute traffickers. We need an immigration policy that works for America and for our future. We need a policy that sends the message uttered by Tim Ballard, “God’s children are no longer for sale.”
Peter Wibell, Rutledge