Our society moves forward slowly along a moral trajectory, but we count on our progress to be permanent.

What was common two hundred years ago was controversial a century later and is unacceptable now.

Why, then, does our state still lack legislation that definitively outlaws all iterations of slavery?

Human trafficking is a growing problem in the United States. The most recent government statistics (from 2004) indicate that an estimated 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the country every year. This number does not include people who are trafficked within our borders.

Alabama is among the six states that have not yet passed human trafficking laws.

Now is the time to eradicate slavery for good!

House Bill 432, if passed, would create new human trafficking crimes and penalties and create protections for victims of human trafficking.

House Bill 432 needs your support. Help Alabama join the 44 states that have taken action against human trafficking: look up your state representative on the Alabama Legislature Web site and make a quick phone call to let him or her know your feelings. Thirty seconds is all it takes.

We are the only ones who can effect forward motion.

Take a moment to show your support for HB432; you can be the difference between a step backward and a stride in the direction of progress.