The screen faded to black, the words, “now you know.” appeared, followed shortly by, “let the world know, too.” The statement was simple, but spoke volumes after the hour and a half of footage that appeared before it.

India, Cambodia, Guatemala, Africa, Europe and even the United States are just some examples places that have been infiltrated by some form of human trafficking. It’s scary to think one of my little cousins or my friends could be kidnapped and sold into some form of forced labor.

By the time the movie ended, I wasn’t sure whether I should cry, puke or punch something. There were moments when my reactions were visible to the people around me in the darkened theater. There were moments when I whispered, “Oh my goodness,” and “Oh no.”

Spring Arbor University senior Andrew VanValin introduced the movie by saying that we are likely to respond in extreme ways as the movie explores the intimate and horrific moments that unfold over the course of the movie, and we should be aware of these feelings. He also warned to not dehumanize or demonize anyone that was featured.

Human trafficking was called in the movie, the worst manifestation of what people can do to other people. As a $32 million a year business it is obvious that people all over the world are invested in it in some way or another.

The movie told the stories of trafficking survivors including a 14-year-old girl from Wichita, Kan., but the most prominent was of Grace, a child soldier, who escaped the captivity. She was part of a group who was forced by the rebels to kill a girl who had tried to escape. She also witnessed the Rebels beat a man and his pregnant wife to death.

Following the murders, they marched to Sudan. The walk was long, hot and tiring. Other children around Grace were taking their guns and killing themselves. In the video she described it as a march of death. She ended the story by saying, “We reached Sudan – not safe, but not dead.”

When Grace escaped, she left a close friend named Miram behind. Miram and Grace were both taken on the same day and were in the same group. As Grace looked directly into the camera she said, “It is my faith that she is still alive because she deserves life.”

The movie was emotional. Nothing about it was soft. There were no moments to relax. Each individual interviewed had something to say and most of the time it reinforced the stories that were being told before it.

I know hearing the words “having her vagina sewn shut and sold as a virgin” almost made me puke. I couldn’t even comprehend that feeling. Seeing the faces of little girls that were no more than three or four made me want to cry. Listening to men tell about how they kidnapped girls and sold them made me want to punch something.

This is something that I believe we have the power to change. We should be using that power. One man said, “I’m impatient because we should be out there fighting.” I agree. We should join our voices together and fight for change when it comes to human trafficking.

Nothing will change if we don’t step up and do something. It could be as simple as downloading the the Free2Work app or you could go as far as look into ways to become involved with organizations like Not For Sale.

Actress Glenn Close narrated the film and her final words left me awestruck. “We are all part of the human family and it is now time to come home.”

Starting now, let’s join together and bring everyone who has been trafficked in some way or another home.

[WRITER’S NOTE: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE MARCH 2012 EDITION OF “THE PULSE”]