Make Human Trafficking a Felony Offense

I fully support this. It has to stop.

How could this not pass? What else is attached to this bill?

This is definitely a worthy cause

Trafficking is a felony offense. Please change the law to support this position.

It should also include sodomy as well. It is t just women and girls but also boys and young men.

Human trafficking needs to end.

This must cease!

This hideous crime should be a felony

Human Trafficking is another disgusting form of abuse, slavery, kidnapping, and forced labor. All of which is a crime. How is human trafficking (which is more than all four of those violent crimes combined) considered a misdemeanor, a minor wrongdoing, an accidental mistake? This should be considered and justified as being a very serious violent crime. The 13th Amendment states that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." This hideous crime strips a person of human rights and their dignity by force and with intent. This offense results in devastating trauma for those that do survive and escape the "traffic" both physically and mentally. Such trauma obviously disrupts their lives and future beyond the hate that has been given to them in a non-consenting exchange of their freedom. Slavery, as a part of US history today is considered a criminal offense. How should modern-day slavery, AKA human trafficking, be considered any different or lesser than a true and horrible Felony Offense in our laws and our society? What kind of explanation would that be to say kidnapping, selling, and forcing people to do labor against their will isn't that serious of a crime to a person? What kind of counterargument would say taking an actual human being out of their daily lives, from their families and friends, and strip them of their basic human rights, their body, and of their consent is okay to do and get away with so easily? Sign, and make human trafficking a Felony Offense.

This should be completely a violent crime! It is abuse of human beings and slavery, not a misdemeanor.

This needs to be seriously addressed. I'm disgusted.

Make Human Trafficking a Felony Offense

do it!!!

It really disgusts me that an act that ruins people's lives with unimaginable, and sometimes irreversible emotional and physical pain is a misdemeanor just like minor theft and drunk driving. This is one reason as to why Maryland is such a hotspot for trafficking. Quite often, traffickers will move victims across state lines into Maryland. Pimps recognize that the risks are incredibly lower here, allowing them to more confidently exploit and ruin lives.

The fact that Human Trafficking wasn't already a Felony Offense is what sickens me about this country. Please make this grave crime have a more grave consequences/ punishment.

Human trafficking needs to be taken seriously.

It is! Or at least, it is supposed to be. Traffickers and buyers believe that since they can get away, there is no harm. They only see the profitable business that is laid in front of them. This is why we must speak up and protect the victims, boys and girls, who are living nightmares. Share the petitions link with your family, friends, and church to help make a difference in your government!

Some find it easier to pin the crime on "prostitutes" and don't want to talk about this sensitive topic. But that's why we are here to speak up and be the voices for the victims who had theirs taken away.

Something like literally selling a person for drugs (among other things) should be considered as is: A VIOLENT CRIME! There's a lot in media nowadays surrounding this crime and the effects on other people. We should be doing more than just a "slap on the wrist!"

Selling someone is a crime. Why is no one taking this seriously ?