Saturday, July 15, 2023

Why the Sound of Freedom movie is problematic & how we can do better

 

It's high-lighting the real & serious issue of sex trafficking.

What could possibly be wrong with that?

When the tackling of a fraught and complex issue is entangled with lies, disinformation, conspiracy theories and partisan politics, quite a lot, as it turns out.

This post will start & finish with pointing you towards reputable, accountable organizations you can trust, who really are doing the real work to bust trafficking systems, disrupt the demand, and safely extract those who are being exploited.


So here's why I, as a passionate human rights advocate and anti-trafficking sponsor, cannot get behind what seems to be a wonderful movie, "Sound of Freedom".

* The main actor, Jim Caveziel, espouses Qanon conspiracy theories and adulates Hitler.

* The organization, Operation Underground Railroad, has questionable operational and financial practices.

* The sensationalizing of a serious issue undermines the work of actual anti-trafficking organizations.

* Several men involved in OUR and SOF face allegations, & charges, of sexual abuse:

- Tim Ballard, subject of SOF & former founder of OUR: accused of sexual misconduct, removed from OUR, relationship with his LDS church severed.

- Paul Hutchinson, executive producer of SOF: molestation of an under-age trafficking victim.

- Fabian Marta, SOF funder: arrested & charged with felony child kidnapping; & ran "Sugar Daddy/Sugar Baby" parties. Marta claims he "rescued the film after Disney tried to bury it".

- Leo Severino, SOF co-producer: groomed a 15 year old when he was a 30 year old youth counsellor

Most recent updates:

November 21, 2003

* Several of the women allege Ballard manipulated and groomed them while having them pose as their girlfriend or wife while on undercover missions.
* Mike Borys, another plaintiff, called Ballard an "evil man," and a "bully (who) has been allowed to carry out his disgusting deeds for far too long." 
* The group also accuses Operation Underground Railroad and its board of protecting Ballard when the women reported they had been sexually assaulted (by Ballard).

Listen to the women speak in their own words. He used his "couple's ruse" not to trick actual sex traffickers ... but to manipulate, exploit, bully and molest genuine Christian women who only served at Operation Underground Railroad because they genuinely wanted to combat the scourge of sex trafficking.

Women accusing OUR founder Tim Ballard of sexual assault speak out

"Speaking publicly for the first time, five women suing Operation Underground Railroad founder Tim Ballard for allegations of sexual misconduct and assault said he and the nonprofit need to be held accountable. The women contend OUR leadership and board members knew about internal accusations of sexual assault against Ballard and did nothing to protect them or stop his alleged behavior. Celeste Borys, who served as Ballard’s executive assistant and frequently traveled around the globe with him, and the four other women also said they had never seen a single child rescued on any OUR operations. The women filed a lawsuit in October alleging that Ballard would in some instances fly women who would be posing as his wife or partner from across the country to Utah, because he wanted to hone their sexual chemistry for the so-called “couples ruse.”

My fellow Christians and conservatives: if you really want to stop human trafficking, bust pedophile networks and rescue victims:

1. Delete porn

2. Promote gender equality

3. Support reputable, evidence-based organizations with proper accountability

4. Buy Fair Trade 

5. LISTEN to the voices of actual survivors.

So that's your 60 second read. 

Now, I'll go into detail and provide the receipts.

Sound of Freedom gives a nod to Qanon conspiracy theories that project blame onto Jewish "elites" and ignore the rampant sex abuse by pastors & church leaders.
 
Anti-trafficking groups have long been warning that these lurid hashtag "Save Our Children" conspiracy theories are UNDER-MINING real anti-trafficking work. 
 
Although the film isn't a Qanon film per se, it is definitely Qanon adjacent - especially in the minds of those caught up in that far right conspiracy theory. 
 
There's no explicit Qanon content in the film. 
 
But, the actors & makers were (are?) fully into Qanon and sharing those harmful tropes. 
 
Others have serious concerns about the organisation, OUR. Which is a whole different layer of concern.
 
I personally have major concerns about Qanon and the pornographer dudes (Jim Watkins & Ron Watkins etc ) who cooked it up. 
 
 
In many people's minds, that distills down to mean "Democrats = evil" and "Republicans = good". 
 
This is a tactic of demonizing  and de-personalizing one's political and culture war opponents by depicting them as evil pedophiles, Satanists, Communists etc.
 
But all (real) anti-trafficking organizations confirm that these horrific crimes occur across the political spectrum and are perpetrated by people from all walks of life.
 
Pornography use is greatest in Bible belt regions.

Sexual abuse and pedophilia are rife throughout the leadership of the evangelical church
 
Same again with the leadership of the Republican Party. 
 
So, this "pizzagate" projection onto Democrats, based on lies, hate speech, delusions and conspiracy theories, is dangerous, misleading & unhelpful.
 
There are other articles discussing why the operational practices and financial practices of OUR are counter-productive and not above board.

We need to do better than what OUR, Tom Ballard and Jim Caviezel, Out of Shadows, Pizzagate, and hashtag Save Our Children. are serving up to avid consumers.
 
What is the point of fawning over an appealing "big white guy" action movie ... when over-whelmingly, "big white guys" are the very ones addicted to porn, too repressed and insecure to treat women as actual EQUALS, that drives the demand in the first place?
 
Where are the voices, sovereignty and agency of women in this movie?
 
Jim Caviezel, I appeal to you to do better. 
 
If even I, a middle-aged, suburban mum & former missionary living in Australia, could "do my own research" and figure out the Qanon was a load of utter nonsense, cooked up by a couple of computer-hacking, collective meme-trolling coders with ties to pornography, sex trafficking, Gamer-gate misogyny, incel culture & the "manosphere", LARPing, data-mining, neo-Naziism and mass shooters, I expect you to have enough nouse to do the same. 
 
You have a huge platform, you could potentially do so much good to combat misogyny, gender inequality, rape culture, the pornocracy, the sex-slave trade and human trafficking - but instead you have let yourself be bamboozled by a con, you've fallen down a rabbit hole of hateful conspiracy theories, and you've amplified absolute delusional bunkum that was merely a device to undermine democracy in your country.

Jim, I don't have a problem with you being as conservative-minded as you want.

I don't have a problem with you wanting to save children. 

I do have a problem with you spreading lies and disinformation that not only harm your fellow Americans who hold a different perspective on how to solve these very real problems to you, but also counter-productively undermine real efforts to thwart pedophile rings & stop trafficking.

I need you to be the kind of hero who speaks for mothers like ME.

I need you to be the kind of hero who stands in solidarity with women like THESE.

Do you really want to help stop porn-fed sex slave trade & human trafficking?
 
                    IF YOU CARE
 
PLEASE do your homework. This is going to take more than gasping in horror at an "influencer's" video or the latest 3-line 'hashtag-save-our-children" meme going viral (with the help of Russian troll farms).
 
Instead:
 
 
* Read the Institute for Strategic Dialogue briefings - to better undersand the dynamics of extremism, polarization, conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns
 
* Listen to reports from law enforcement specialised units actually going after, and busting human trafficking and pedophile rings, like Operation Ironside in Australia

* Buy FAIR TRADE!
 
* Sign this petition:
 
 
* Follow these reputable organizations (below) with their decades of experience and proven track record in these fields.
 
 
 
 
 
 
(Notice that one organization on their "Dirty Dozen" list, in amongst huge corporations and social media platforms, is Kanakuk, a CHRISTIAN kids camp.)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
If we truly want to fight sex trafficking we need to...
 
 Invest in safe houses & restoration centers.
 
 Reach out to local women working in the commercial sex industry.
 
Value family & invest in young boys & girls about their worth & create safe places.
 
Talk with children about their own safety & boundaries with others. Teach consent. Teach accurate names for genitalia, i.e. vulva/penis.
 
Diligently manage children/teen social media usage.
 
Invest time & resource into the foster care/adoption system.
 
Understand the very real connection between pornography and sex trafficking. STOP the demand.
 
Help take care of the most vulnerable around us…help safeguard them from being vulnerable to trafficking.
 
Set up your churches, daycares, schools and organizations to safeguard from abuse. 
 
Let that information change the way that we:
 
Create an understanding that 70% of female trafficking victims are trafficked into the commercial sex industry…Prostitution, massage parlors, pornography, stripping and escorting.

Set a standard in our communities that we value people… Not bodies. We don’t use people. We validate people’s experiences. We speak up for justice. We come alongside. We truly love our neighbors.
 
Books to read -
 
Scars & Stilletos- Harmony Dust
 
Girls Like Us- Rachel Lloyd
 
Paid For- Rachel Moran 
 
Sold - Patricia McCormick
 
Groomed - Elizabeth Melendez Fisher
 
FILMS TO WATCH:
 

 
I'm seeing posts on social media implying that any criticism of SoF and OUR is only because concerns & critique of the culture war politics and poor organizational practices & lack of accountability is only because we're all a pack of pedophiles or pedophile-enablers. 
 
See that? Buy the narrative 100% or you're a Bad Guy. No critical thinking allowed. No calls for proper accountability permitted. 
 
Our doubts and questions are all because " we just want to keep the scourge of child sex trafficking hidden".
 
Friends, we don't want the scourge of HT "hidden", we just want the lies, exaggerations and disinformation brought to light & corrected, so that real anti-trafficking work is not undermined.
 
Is OUR willing to listen to victim survivors, advocates & anti-trafficking experts to correct their harmful practices? 
 
International Justice Mission did.
 
Are we, the evangelical church, willing to act to PREVENT porn addiction and the sex trafficking demand that it drives?

We've had screaming headlines every day about the scourge of child sexual abuse, rape and pedophilia by CHURCH PASTORS, the very men who lecture us on morality, and it's just *crickets* from most of the religious right. 
 
They only like it when the men of the white evangelical church are framed as the righteous rescuing heroes.

That's not good enough.

Listen to victims, survivors and experts.

Stop preaching misogyny, male headship and female subjugation to male rule, and stop covering up abuse in Christian homes, schools, camps & churches.

Delete porn. Christian men are the biggest addicts. Josh Duggar (19 Children & Counting; Family Research Council; Shiny Happy People) is only one high profile case.

This is what we need to do, rather than project the blame for the rape slave trade & trafficking onto "others" and styling ourselves as the righteous rescuing heroes.

This white fragility nonsense, where we can never be *wrong* and can never own up to our own culpability in a problem, has got to stop.
 
Whipping up sympathy that we all naturally feel for little kids, to incite culture war aggression against political opponents while we sweep under the rug the fact that the vast majority of people caught in the global sex slave trade are WOMEN, because the church has been steeped in "bad girl" misogyny for decades, is not good enough.

Church, we need to get our facts straight, repent of spiritualizing misogyny and normalizing sexual servitude for girls & women, and DO BETTER.

Reporting on the movie, Sound of Freedom (SoF) and the organization it show-cases, Operation Underground Railroad (OUR):

Opinion: ‘Sound of Freedom’ Doesn’t Tell True Story of Operation Underground Railroad
"The charity’s methodology seemed to actually encourage trafficking behavior in some instances, sources said."
 
.

Sound of Freedom: the QAnon-adjacent thriller seducing America

"The first rule of QAnon: you don’t talk about QAnon where the normals can hear you. Caviezel has saved that for his promotional media appearances, such as a recent drop-in to Steve Bannon’s show War Room; and on MyPillow proprietor Mike Lindell’s streaming channel Lindell TV."

.

Why Anti-Trafficking Experts Are Torching ‘Sound of Freedom’

The new movie offers a "false perception" of child trafficking that experts worry could further harm the real victims 
 
.

Anti-Trafficking Group With Long History of False Claims Gets Its Hollywood Moment

Operation Underground Railroad has spent years making big, often unprovable claims about its paramilitary missions and role in rescuing trafficked kids. 

Now, let's hear from some other voices. 
 
Did anyone really consult with the Black community before deciding to co-opt the name, "Underground Railroad"?
 
 By Chris Utley:
 
"As a Black man, I find it incredibly offensive that they chose the term Operation Underground Railroad to name their cause. I find it equally offensive that they besmirched the legacy of Harriet Tubman by curating a photo of her bowing down to him in reverence as he carries a child to their freedom. These are just continual examples of how white men feel that they can just co-op the legacies of my people for their own benefit. 
 
Disagree if you must. But it is absolutely hypocritical to know that this man is declaring that God’s children aren’t for sale when his ancestors endorsed the selling and wholesale destruction of my ancestors who were ALSO God’s children. It is sickening." 
 
How does it go over with people actually working in the anti-trafficking field?
 
"Raising awareness of human trafficking has been one of my biggest passions for eleven years. I’ve gone through trainings, I consistently listen to lectures, speeches, discussions, etc. about it, I’ve done volunteer work, and I advocate as much as possible. I refuse to watch movies like that and encourage others not to either. Tim Ballard and OUR are VERY problematic. He’s a serial liar who uses and manipulates people and stories. OUR uses questionable methods. They spread lies. They don’t even understand the whole issue of trafficking or sex work. People who work with them have been accused of SA. Their financials are questionable at best. OUR has even been under investigation. Ballard only cares about gaining popularity and money.
This movie and others like it are irresponsible. Real victims have even said before that they didn’t realize they were being trafficked because it wasn’t like the movies. That’s so sad.
And yes, both Tim Ballard and Jim Caviezel spread Qanon conspiracies. Even when every other organization doing the REAL work does what they can to get the facts out to everyone. It’s not okay."
 

From Mindy E Summers on Instagram:
 
Mindy writes:

"I’m gonna lose some people here with this one but for those who have ears to hear…hang with me here for a second.

I have had my eyes and ears in the anti sex trafficking world for a long long time.

Some know about our efforts - some don’t and that’s okay. This isn’t about that.

But this is what I want to say…

I am so so weary of sex trafficking advocacy being…

1-sensationalized
2- misinformed
3- harmful
4- a distraction from the real issue

I’ve sat with victims.
I’ve waited in the ER.
I’ve held sobbing women.
I’ve prayed and helped make connections.
I’ve sat on coalition boards & community teams to help solve an ongoing injustice.
I’ve talked with many groups about many aspects of this nuanced horror.

& I’m not sure much makes me more grieved than to see the real pain and suffering being mislabeled & dramatized.

The work of anti trafficking is restorative. It’s not sexy. It’s not glamorous. No one looks like a hero. It’s LONG. It’s slow work of rebuilding trust. It takes years of butts on the same chairs looking hurting people in the eyes.

Awareness is important. But when our awareness shows a skewed portrayal of the issue & centers around a hero…that’s not helpful.

Please don’t rush to theaters and find poster boards with “save our children”… and miss what very credible organizations teach us about how trafficking most commonly works.

There’s a new movie out. It features an org that has a massive list of allegations against them. Lacking integrity. Getting rich. Victims often left behind. But drama sells. So here we are.

If you want to fight sex trafficking here are some ways:

-educate yourself about the vulnerabilities of the foster care system
-learn about how children are groomed by people they know and trust
-support your local sexual abuse response team
-raise awareness on the harms of porn
-invest in young people
-resource under resourced communities
-know that 90% of sex trafficking happens in the commercial sex industry
-care for runaway youth
-be close to the most vulnerable
-spend your $, time, prayer & investment in credible spaces.

Check with orgs like @polarisproject to learn more.
 
Let’s stop sensationalizing."
 
FURTHER LINKS & COMMENTARY ABOUT SOF, OUR AND THE DAMAGE DISINFORMATION DOES TO REAL ANTI-TRAFFICKING WORK:
 
Jim Stewartson is an anti-disinformation activist who has been tracking Qanon & related conspirarcy theories for years.
 
Jim uncovered news that one of the funders of the Sound of Freedom movie has been arrested for child kidnapping. 
 

 

In this thread:
 
 
Jim writes:
 
"Please meet Fabia Marta who runs “Sugar Daddy/Sugar Baby” parties, who is also credited at the end of “Sound of Freedom.”

He claims that he rescued the film after “Disney tried to bury it.” 



.

The church cannot speak against sex trafficking until it admits its own abuse problems

"If we can awaken the church to speak up about its own secrets, then we can eradicate sex trafficking,” she said. “We have to see the sexual sin in our own pews before we can see that healing and before churches can fire on all cylinders.”

That begins with recognizing how the sexual exploitation of children and human trafficking are connected, she said. “Child sex abuse is the hidden root of sex trafficking.”

 - Elizabeth Melendez Fisher Good

How the messages of patriarchy, male supremacy/female subjugation, male sexual entitlement/female sexual obligation, and purity culture in our evangelical churches contribute to sexual exploitation and sex trafficking:

Wild At Heart: QAnon, Sex Trafficking, and Evangelical Masculinity

"The rise of QAnon conspiracy is rooted in the same fantasies of rescue as those found in much mainstream evangelical mission culture, and we ignore this link at the risk of missing the next insurgence of this disenchanted fairytale."

- Kimberly Rose Pendleton

Inside Argos, the police task force that has rescued thousands of children from their abusers

"One such operation, reported by 7.30, led to the arrest of Shannon McCoole, a South Australian child protection worker revealed to be a child-sex offender and the administrator of a paedophile chat board with 45,000 members. In collaboration with overseas police agencies, Task Force Argos has rescued thousands of children from their abusers."

.

Secret 'dark net' operation saves scores of children from abuse; ringleader Shannon McCoole behind bars after police take over child porn site

A Suspicious "Sound of Freedom" - The child-sex-trafficking action movie, "Sound of Freedom" has exploded onto the scene, especially among right-wing conservatives. But there's reason to suspect the producers and star are using a legitimate human rights horror to fuel Q conspiracies.

.

QAnon supporters are promoting 'Sound of Freedom.' Here's why

"But Ballard recently told right-wing podcadster Jordan Peterson that adrenochrome harvesting is real."

"In press appearances promoting Sound of Freedom, Caviezel continues to spout QAnon falsehoods. On a recent episode of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon's podcast, Caviezel claimed "the whole adrenochrome empire" is driving demand for trafficked children. "It's an elite drug that they've used for many years," he asserted, falsely claiming it is "10 times more potent than heroin" and "has some mystical qualities as far as making you look younger."

.

The Adrenochrome Conspiracy Theory—Pushed By ‘Sound Of Freedom’ Star—Explained

How Sound of Freedom Misrepresents Its Subject—and Why the Movie Is So Seductive

"This is the exact point where a legitimate problem and dangerous conspiracy theory meet."

"Perhaps mass-distributed misinformation about child abductions wouldn’t be so bad, except we know that overblown fears of this kind of practice lead to widespread paranoia and societal scapegoating ..."

 .

By Jodi Sauders Wahba

Many people have asked me about the new movie Sounds of Freedom (SoF) which focuses on Human Trafficking (HT). 

I just saw the movie & can share my insights.

First, remember it is a movie (not a documentary).  

While it is based on real events, some parts are enhanced & fictionalized. Such as, unfortunately they DID NOT RECOVER THE SISTER. This scene is mainly about another recovery mission. I am including a link to an article going over the truths of the movie.   

HT involves both Labor & Sex Trafficking. HT happens in ALL Countries & is in EVERY USA STATE. In 2021, the USA had over 16,000 reported victims of HT & this number is expected to be grossly below the actual number.

SoF is portraying an INTERNATIONAL HT situation. Keep in mind this is very different from USA/DOMESTIC HT.  Internationally, it is not uncommon for HT to occur through abduction. In the USA HT is RARELY AN ABDUCTION (ONLY 3% of the time). In the USA HT HAPPENS THROUGH A RELATIONSHIP (family, romantic, friend, neighbor).  This is VERY important to understand. You do not have to worry about being kidnapped at a store, marks on a tire in a parking lot or your kids walking around a neighborhood. You need to focus on who they are in a relationship with (especially online)! 

In SoF the rescue work was done in collaboration with professionals (police/military). Private individuals are NOT equipped to physically remove HT individuals. Internationally, when people are trafficking through abduction, they know they are somewhere they should not be and a rescue mission will look differently.  

DOMESTICALLY, where individuals are NOT ABDUCTED, they often do not view themselves as being trafficked. It takes building a RELATIONSHIP with the victim for them to understand what is happening to them is not ok.  This often takes many interactions to create trust with a person.

IMO, the biggest fictionalized problem with the movie was the inaccurate portrayal of the TRAUMA the SURVIVORS endure and the LONG RECOVERY process they will go through for YEARS. When we watch a movie we want to feel good at the end of it, but in reality, Survivors would not be smiling and clapping to We Will Rock You moments after a recovery. This is important because resources for Survivor's Recovery is so very essential for their healing process.  They need extensive resources from the organizations and the government (see NC HB 591 for Child Restitution that Shield NC is helping to get passed). If we believe they will just be so happy to be rescued then we are missing the trauma they experienced, the trauma of the rescue/getting out, and the long ongoing recovery.
SoF starts off by focusing on arresting pedophiles & implies this is not enough.

However, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT!  Focusing on reducing the demand for HT is essential for ending HT. Individuals continue to be trafficked because people are willing to purchase other humans. It is important to understand how the USA contributes to the DEMAND Internationally & Domestically. The USA DRIVES the DEMAND! We are the #1 consumer of child exploitation material. Whether it's traveling to other countries, bringing trafficked individuals here or trafficking within our borders, the USA is the one highly funding the demand. Trafficking happens in ALL areas of the sex industry including: Prostitution, Pornography, Strip Clubs & Illicit Massage.  The USA MUST FOCUS ON THE PURCHASERS/CONSUMERS.   

Seeing SoF, does not help end HT if you just stop there!  Here are some ways you can help end HT: 

** Support financially/resources/volunteer with local Nonprofits in the Anti-Human Trafficking Movement. I of course support Shield NC but there are others as well (Designed For Joy/ NC Stop Human Trafficking, & others).

**Support legislation & nonprofits (financial/resources) that reduce vulnerabilities such as: Affordable Housing, Foster Care, Food Insecurity and  LGBTQ+ (esp. teens).

**Learn accurate HT signs & how to respond (sign up for the next HT 101 training through Shield NC https://shieldnc.org ). 

**There have been large improvements over the years in Federal, State & Local policies & these need to continue to expand. Stay up to date on what Bills are being proposed.

**Learn about LABOR TRAFFICKING & commit to buying more fair trade products. 

 

By Gail Chance:

"With Joe (my husband) working as an investigator in ICAC, doing this work for roughly 10 years… working within the federal task force and even working to solve cases that cross national borders…. I trust his insights along with the many others we have met along the way doing the work. 

ATTENTION to this matter is essential, just make sure you are educating yourself with proper resources. Ok here are words from someone I know in the field: 

“No one of real knowledge and expertise in the industry (think the national human trafficking hotline, Polaris Project, Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International, I could go on) is backing this film or recommending this film or sponsoring it."

You know who is?? Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), an arm of The Nazarene Fund (TNF), a non-profit that is owned by right wing conservatives & QAnon folks. Glenn Beck is the founder of TNF. 

The movie is basically a glorification of the man who runs OUR, Tim Ballard, who claims to have saved thousands from human trafficking. 

There’s a couple of problems with that assertion: (1) no one can account for these thousands of victims, not even Tim Ballard, Glenn Beck, OUR, or TNF and (2) it has been found, via information from the National trafficking hotline and law enforcement information on victim retrievals that the majority of victims are brought into trafficking by people they know - family members, intimate partners, and friends - so the whole premise of Ballard’s rescues doesn’t match what the statistics of known cases show. 

It’s just another way to fear monger against people who don’t fit their molds, making them out to be villainous and evil, when facts show that not to be the case.

OUR, Ballard, Beck don't do any post-“rescue” support, advocacy, rehabilitation, reentry, nothing. They “rescue” and leave. 

And no one can really vouch for their rescues - multiple reputable journalists and media outlets over the past 10 years can’t find proof they happened, or didn’t happen, outside of the videos Tim Ballard takes when doing them. He claims to have saved thousands of kids, but no one can ever find any to say they’ve been saved by him. He won’t even allow journalists to validate his credentials (he claims to be former CIA and DHS). There isn’t much info on him outside of his tightly controlled narrative based out of his non-profit.

The Atlantic did a piece about finding the true statistics of human trafficking which, in part, also touched on Ballard and OUR - (the audio version of the article is free, in case you find the written article is behind a paywall).

As someone who works against human trafficking, I’m all for getting all eyes on it, but this film isn’t doing that. It’s glorifying 1 guy, who may or may not be worth glorifying (most likely not) and perpetuating myths and conspiracies.

OUR’s approach to NGO work in the human trafficking space is unsavory and dangerous. It spreads really bad misinformation that keeps the facts about human trafficking hidden and the real traffickers safe.

Seeing the film is simply lining Glenn Beck’s pockets and detracting from the ability of legitimate non-profits/NGOs to help victims and spread the true facts of trafficking.”

Never mind that according to the DOJ of those charged for sex trafficking 63% are white, but once again there is a white savior complex, and of course the antagonists are of color when in reality they are more likely to be white."

This post by Aleassa Jarvis is the best thing I've read so far:

PORN AND PATRIARCHY SHARE THE SAME CORE BELIEFS

"Not only do porn and patriarchy share the same core belief, they also share the same dehumanizing message—you were made to serve me. You are valued to the extent that you fulfill my wishes.
Let’s just say it like it is. When we say “68% of church-going men struggle with porn” what we are actually saying is 68% of church-going men struggle to see women as fully human.
You can’t say that church-going women today are viewed as equals by church-going men when they are repeatedly dehumanized and objectified by their Christian brothers on a regular basis.

As long as there are churches in this country teaching women that they are more easily deceived than men,
that men are entitled to unconditional respect,
that men will turn to porn or adultery if they aren’t given sex on demand,
that marital rape does not exist,
that wives dishonor God when they leave abusive marriages,
that female bodies of all ages are threats to men’s fragile sexual integrity,
that God calls women to martyr themselves to evil husbands,
that women and children can provoke rape or assault with their clothing,
that God wants children to obey and keep quiet about their abusive parents,
that blames teenage victims of clergy sexual abuse,
that praises women for remaining married to men in prison for consuming child sex abuse materials or sexually abusing children—
then we cannot claim to see women or children as equal to men.
You cannot use, abuse, consume, or dominate another person without first lowering their humanity."

- by Aleassa Jarvis

Lauren Pinkston has an educational piece critiquing the whole thing: it’s worth reading. This is her lane. 

 

Sound of Freedom: An anti-trafficking movie plagued by controversy has just landed in Australia

Protecting children from traffickers is a dignified cause. But this movie has been caught in a web of controversy.

“Sound of Freedom”—Gateway Drug to Genocide
A film funded, performed and promoted by grifters, propagandists and fascists should not be normalized

 Re

Tizzy Ent - Why I don't support SoF

 

Out of Shadows - we've seen these propaganda tactics before

 

Catching Pedophiles in a Global Pornocracy - if only that really was the agenda

 

Hashtag Save Our Children - is it really save our children - or save our president? 

 

Pots & Kettles - sexual abuse is rampant throughout the leadership of the evangelical church 

 

Q Sent Me - the conspiracy theory has yielded quite a body count

 

The Qanon scam was cooked up by pornographer Jim Watkins, called "the King of Porn", who set up porn sites to evade regulation by Asian governments, and directly contributed to widespread child sex abuse & trafficking in The Philippines & other Asian countries, and his son Ron Watkins - a hacker who was part of Steve Bannon's "Gamergate" misogyny-fest.

Given that Qanon claims to be about "saving children" from a "global pedophile elite" (really just a regurgitation of old anti-Semitic tropes blaming Jews for everything from pandemics to recessions to child sacrifice), it seems ironic that so many of these pedophilia-obsessed, hash-tag-save-our-children types turn out to be depraved perpetrators themselves.

 

Regarding the men across social media, that are so incensed about the allegations against such as Trump, Tate, Giuliani, Tom Ballard (of Sound of Freedom), Russell Brand, the hundreds of thousands of church pastors etc:
 
"These men are INNOCENT of sexual assault!"
 
... is not where they're headed.
 
Their end goal is: 
 
"There's nothing WRONG with sexual assault!"
 
And after that comes:
 
"It's our RIGHT to commit sexual assault, and women are obligated to accept it!"
 
Just watch.

 

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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 17, 2023 at 7:53 PM

    So a movie that’s doing more to call attention to this horror has a few warts - in your opinion-I see only negative in tearing at this movie.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Julie DowseSeptember 7, 2023 at 3:17 AM

    Here is another reputable registered with ACNC Aussie charity doing anti trafficking work. www.auscamfreedomproject.org

    ReplyDelete

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