This weekend I came across two articles. One was about an investigative reporter criticizing Virginia's laws on human trafficking. The reporter, and others, say they need newer, tougher laws.
I also read an article this weekend about a man receiving 200 yrs in prison. It was for a rape he committed 20 yrs ago. This conviction was under an old law.
Maybe the problem with human trafficking isn't laws in the first place. But if it is, maybe maximizing the old laws could be easier. Or even more effective. Maybe proper training for police, detectives, and prosecutors is whats needed.
Proper training allows us to do one thing. It allows us to hold people accountable. So instead of laws and training, the thing we're really missing could be accountability. Its something we can all do. Plus it works.
That way, when 1,000,000 unopened rape kits are found in police stations across the country, we can hold someone accountable. When the next 8 out of 10 rape cases are reclassified as unfound, someone can be held accountable. Or when 50,000 people are coerced or smuggled into America this year, we can finally hold someone accountable...
Accountability doesn't get old. But news laws, they get old faster than we all like to admit.
