Not up for driving out to Mansfield (Hi, Mom and Dad!) tonight in Friday-evening traffic to talk about children who are bought and sold into sexual slavery and will probably live an average of seven years before dying as a result of the danger and trauma of the industry? No? Not your fun idea of a weekend kick-off? Well, be mollified: You can watch tonight's Traffick911 Shared Hope Town Hall Meeting online from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Online viewers can also submit questions for the event Q&A moderated by the Rebecca Project. On hand will be: Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead, Sgt. Byron Fassett of Dallas PD's Crimes Against Children unit and former U.S. Congresswoman Linda Smith.
Traffick911, a faith-based organization from Fort Worth, is on high alert in advance of the Super Bowl, which is expected to increase Texas's already high population of human trafficking victims. Their "I'm Not Buying It" campaign has been launched in advance of the big game in hopes of discouraging those who would buy child prostitutes, wittingly or otherwise
If you're interested in attending the town hall in person, the event's at the Aristede Event and Conference Center.