Mira Sorvino and new movie raise awareness of human trafficking

My wife Amy and I recently attended the world premier in New York City of a dynamic new movie, Trade of Innocents. Starring Mira Sorvino and Dermot Mulroney, the action drama highlights the scourge of sex trafficking.
Besides starring in this her third film on human trafficking, Ms. Sorvino also serves as a United Nations ambassador for the cause of raising awareness. As she has noted in interviews,

"Trafficking is everywhere in the world, and the United States is one of the worst offenders. It’s tied with the illegal arms trade as the second largest criminal industry on the earth, just after drugs. It makes $32 billion a year worldwide. There are about 300,000 kids at risk in the US every year, and only one in 100 victims are ever rescued. Once you find out about it, you can’t look away, and once you’ve met someone who has been bought and sold as an object, been beaten and denied their basic human rights, you can’t ever forget that. You meet these survivors of human trafficking and they blow you away with their courage and the misery that they’ve lived through."

Mira Sorvino at world premier of Trade of Innocents (photo copyright 2012 Jonathan Imbody)

I spoke with Mira after the screening, and we discussed the need to raise awareness specifically among health care professionals. In fact, a physician, Dr. Bill Bolthouse along with his wife Laurie produced this film. The Christian Medical Association has developed its own courses that carry Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit, and last year alone physician volunteers on our medical mission trips ministered to over 4,000 victims of human trafficking. As CMA's liaison with our federal government, I have worked with the State Dept., Homeland Security and Health and Human Services to encourage outreach to the medical community (read more).
You can make a difference by learning more and supporting efforts to report, rescue and rehabilitate victims. Start by visiting the movie's web site and Facebook page.

Abortion agenda erodes party platform

My commentary published in today's Washington Times:

Even with polls showing that more Americans call themselves pro-life than pro-choice, with undercover recordings of Planned Parenthood scandals going viral on YouTube and with ultrasound images ripping the curtain off the “blob of tissue” deception, Democratic strategists incredibly persist in advancing abortion as a primary party plank (“Abortion issue sets tone for attracting women at DNC,” Web, Sept. 4).

The denseness of the Democrats’ decision betrays the desperation of those adhering to an ideology that has infiltrated a party once known for championing the rights of the most vulnerable among us. By asserting that ending the life of a developing baby provides a steppingstone to women seeking to advance professionally, what credibility remains when the party attacks employers for putting profit over the welfare of employees? How can a party that devalues the life of developing children pretend to speak for the education of young children? How can the party advance the rights of undocumented aliens to be granted citizenship in this country while simultaneously undermining the rights of children to be born in this country?

With members of the up-and-coming generation joining the growing ranks of pro-life Americans, the Democrats’ abortion agenda appears poised to go down as one of the most tragic political miscalculations in history.

JONATHAN IMBODY

Ashburn, Va.

Inseparable service and standards in faith-based health care

In a Denver Post commentary entitled, "Separate religion, health care," Americans United for Separation of Church and State deploys distortion and intolerance in minimizing lawsuits provoked by the Obama administration's mandate that employers provide insurance plans offering free contraception.

Contrary to the assertion that "for-profit businesses are demanding the right of 'religious freedom' to deny their employees access to contraceptives," no one is denying access to contraceptives, which remain cheap and easily accessible nationwide. Faith-based employers simply do not want the government to violate First Amendment rights by needlessly forcing them to provide what their faith prohibits.

The notion of "separating religion and health care" ignores the reality that the same faith that compels faith-based individuals and institutions to provide health care also compels them to follow faith-based standards. By foolishly forcing a choice between following faith precepts and providing insurance, assaults on religious liberty will only separate patients from health care.

Civil dialogue

Hero Leo Johnson

Were it not for the heroic intervention of security guard Leo Johnson, wounded while stopping a shooter invading the Family Research Council, some of my good friends and colleagues might be gone today, leaving us all wondering what kind of mindset motivates a gunman to kill those whose faith contradicts his ideology. Before shooting Johnson, the gunman reportedly lambasted the work of the Family Research Council, which advances faith-based perspectives regarding sex and marriage.

The violently intolerant online comments posted beneath a USA Today article about the shooting suggests that the only difference between many Americans and the gunman is the actual use of a physical weapon. The hatred and mindsets appear identical, and the words of the commenters are virtual bullets.

We Americans desperately need reeducation in civil dialogue. Issue advocates must learn to attack ideas, not opponents. Consumers and critics should hold the entertainment industry accountable for how television, movies and music contribute to intolerance and violence. Online comment editors should crack down on invective. Educators should first examine their own illiberal biases and then teach students how to fairly and objectively examine both sides of issues. Voters should punish at the polls politicians who rely on vile attacks.

Until we relearn how to respectfully and rationally debate our ideas and beliefs, free speech and freedom of religion in America increasingly will be replaced by intimidation, coercion and violence.

U.S. House majority votes for DC unborn pain bill

Washington, DC has no abortion restrictions. Period. Babies can be killed at any stage of development, for any reason.
Last night a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives moved to change that, voting for H.R. 3803, the “D.C. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” by a vote of 220-154-2 with 55 absences. (Of the 55 Members that were absent, 25 are cosponsors of H.R. 3803.) The roll call vote is available here.
Since a two-thirds majority was required for technical reasons, the bill did not pass.  However, it could be brought up for further consideration under a rule in the future and in the meantime puts Members on record.

Meanwhile, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has filed the “D.C. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” as an amendment to S. 3414, which is now pending in the Senate.

Listen to these speeches made during the debate:

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) Opening and Closing

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) Opening and Closing

Rep. Andy Harris, MD (R-MD)

Rep. Sandy Adams (R-FL)

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)

Rep. Steve King (R-IA)

Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL)

Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH)

Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS)

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)