If you’re like me you’ve used Craigslist at one time or another. We’ve sold a bed and a TV, purchased a bulletin board, and looked for furniture on Craigslist. It is great on a lot of levels and for the things the majority of people who use it, it functions well.
BUT, my endorsement of that site has officially ended. I recently learned that Craigslist is a major means by which girls are trafficked into the sex industry. And because Craig’s list charges for pimps to advertise they make an estimated $36 million a year. What are these advertisements? Simply put, women and children for sale. This means of advertising makes it difficult to trace these evil people making the risk less than selling drugs. And, unlike drugs, a girl’s body can be sold over and over and is way more lucrative. In one typical case a girl was raped at truck stops 10 times per night, 7 days per week netting $30,000 per month for the pimp. All of which was arranged via Craigslist.
A recent letter was published in the San Fransisco Chronicle. It is a letter from two girls who are Craigslist trafficking survivors asking, no pleading, for Craig’s list to stop being a means of rape for profit. You can read what was published on Huffington post: Dear Craig…
I’m still on the lookout for a good alternative to Craigslist. If you know of one please respond to this post. In the meantime, I might have to buy and sell via Ebay, or better yet, donate my used stuff to a good charity.
Tags: craigslist, truck stops
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I was curious as to how Craigslist gets away with having the adult section as it stands now, so I mustered up the pluck to click on the “men seeking women” tab on their main page. It immediately redirected me to a list of criteria that I, as the shopper, must meet before moving on with a simple click of a button. I basically have to be 18 and agree to reporting any misuse of the website for the purpose of exploiting minors or human trafficking. It goes on to provide a page of national and international hotlines to call. When did Craigslist add this feature and is it in fact enough? I wouldn’t think so but what it does do is cover them from any legal responsibility. I didn’t move beyond the criteria page because I honestly didn’t want to know what would be found there.
I too used to love Craigslist and hope that they do the right thing and shut it down. -
Trackback from MARVIN on July 5, 2010 at 5:46 am
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