Economics teaches that the principle of supply and demand determines the availability of a particular product. If a supply is readily available, prices drop and demand soars. Human trafficking is no exception.

Exploitation has many faces. Human exploitation, at its most simple definition, is an abuse of power for personal gain and/or profitable advantage at the expense of another.

New Year’s celebrations started as a pagan tradition, worshiping Janus (a two-faced god who looks backward into the old year and forward into the new) thought to be the protector of beginnings and endings. During the Roman reign, it was not uncommon to see statues set atop bridge columns where passersby would touch the head for good luck.

Last week I opened my internet browser in hopes to catch up with the chatter I’d been hearing about North Korea. Instead of reading about the potential threat of a terrorist attack from a foreign nation, my eyes met an article about domestic terrorism. Predators – traffickers – who have waged war against our children.