Opposition to child trafficking is presumably a cause that every decent American can rally around. However, as proven by the leftist backlash to the recent blockbuster “Sound of Freedom,” many Democrats are shy about taking forceful steps against pedophiles.
The latest example of this puzzling phenomenon is found in California. Lawmakers there were poised to pass a seemingly noncontroversial law making child trafficking a felony.
But even this bill inexplicably was derailed by leftists.
Initially, Democrats on the Public Safety Committee voted against it in July. But siding with child traffickers tends to be noticed by law-abiding Americans and a public outcry ensured.
Even Gov. Gavin Newsom got involved, likely because he has aspirations higher than watching the Golden State circle the drain. With pressure coming in from all sides, legislators thought better of their previous opposition and passed the trafficking bill out of committee.
But on Wednesday, the apparent return of common sense and normalcy to Sacramento proved to be only an illusion. Democrats once again were successful in defending the indefensible.
“Car-jacking is a felony, but selling a child for sex is not.”
Senator @ShannonGroveCA, who introduced the #SB14 Child Trafficking bill, joins the conversation to reveal the inner mechanisms of the #California legislation.https://t.co/XRdRyCHqWppic.twitter.com/0DyXpqfSDF
— Siyamak Khorrami (@SiyamakKhorrami) August 10, 2023
State Sen. Shannon Grove’s AB 14 was diverted into the Assembly Appropriations Committee’s “suspense file.” This is where lawmakers shuffle unwanted bills so they may die a painless death.
Trafficking of a minor for indecent purposes in California currently carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison. If force, violence or threats and other mitigating factors are used, the sentence may go as high as 15 years.
The new bill, if passed, would impose much harsher sentences on those who exploit children for financial gain. They would face decades behind bars and even the possibility of a life sentence. How many decent people do not support such punishment for the worst of the worst?
And it’s not the first time California liberals have shot down efforts to strengthen child protection laws.
In 2011, then-Assemblymember Richard Pan attempted to add five new crimes related to human trafficking and children to the serious felony list. The measure introduced by the Democrat never cleared the committee.
Pan said recently that he is unaware of the cause for the difference in public reaction between then and now. Perhaps it’s simply a heartbreaking movie that leftists tried to suppress before it exploded into the public consciousness.
Either way, the true nature of leftism is once again laid bare for all to see.
