In 1865, slavery ended in the United States, however, according to Kevin Bales, author of "Disposable People," slavery is thriving everywhere. Slavery is the total control of one person by another for the purpose of economic exploitation. Kevin Bales argues that there is an estimated 27 million slaves in existence, meaning there are more today than any other time in history. There is a huge difference between slavery in the 1800s and slavery today.

With new slavery there is a low purchase cost. Slaves used to be sold for $40,000, but today they are sold for only $40 thus making them disposable. No longer does enslavement focus on race, rather it focuses on "weakness, gullibility, and deprivation." Bales says that new slavery is like a new disease for which no vaccine exists.

It amazes me that we as Americans are so unaware of the fact that slaves constitute a vast workforce supporting the global economy. The shoes that we wear, the rugs that we stand on, the sugar we use to flavor foods, and the toys we played with as children were for the most part made by slaves.

We as Americans need to become more aware of modern slavery and put a stop to this violence and abuse. We are blinded by the fact that slavery is everywhere around us touching our lives directly as well as indirectly. It is time that we take a stand on this issue and become more involved by educating others about this problem. For further information about new slavery visit www.freetheslaves.com.