Human Trafficking & Black Markets
Over 27.6 million men, women, and children are victims of human trafficking worldwide [1]. A global issue that robs people of their freedom, violates basic human rights, and exploits others through dangerous extreme practices. Before preying on their next victim, the traffickers go through three steps—act, means, and purpose—to exploit them.
We see only 5% of the entire internet, such as Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, X, and so on. The remaining 95% is restricted to the most common engines, such as Chromes, Safari, Firefox, and others. Browsing at the Black Market is illegal, and anyone who goes there runs the risk of falling under the FBI's radar. (Photo credit: Giorgos Georgiou/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The Black Market, also known as the Deep Web, includes illicit drug markets, child pornography, human experimentation, illegal sales (e.g., human "slaves," living organs, human leather), active hitmen, cannibal forums, etc.
More than 365,000 children are reported missing in the United States each year. 30 percent of those who go missing become involved in a human trafficking ring—approximately 109,000 children. The average reward for rescuing a child in state is $7,500 per child, whereas rescuing a child from out of state costs $15,000 per child.
The Urban Legend of Human Sex Dolls
I am sure we have all heard about sex dolls that make our sex experiences more enjoyable. However, one of the most bizarre cases seen on the dark web is known as "Human Dolls." It's not a toy, but an actual human being who is mutilated and gets sexually tortured.
The legend started with a 4Chan user's claim that the black market "sells human sex dolls." It stated that a company website called Lolita Slave Toys on the deep web promises that all of their sex dolls are made of limbless humans who are unable to see, walk, feel, or react. The cost of a human doll is over $1 million.
According to this urban legend, a surgeon in Eastern Europe adopted orphaned girls to amputate their arms and legs. He'd pull out their teeth and fill their mouths with rubber. He would then torture them for months until their senses of touch, hearing, and sight are completely gone—turning them mute slaves. All of this is intended to make them look like real-life sex dolls. They are fed from a dog bowl or bottle to stay alive before being sold on the black market to a sociopath buyer.
However, the story itself is an urban legend that has not been proven to be true, despite the fact that one 4Chan user claimed it was true. Do you think this urban legend is real?
“Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them”
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, known as the "Queen of Tejano," was a trusting and compassionate singer known for her music, Mexican-American roots, and fashion sense. Her influence left a life-lasting impact on the Latinx community.
However, there was a lot of disrespect in the media after Selena’s death in 1995 through magazines, newspapers, and radio hosts, who made false narratives and mocked her.
E.g., Radio talk show host Howard Stern wore blackface and said Mexicans live in cardboard boxes and are criminals. He also disrespected Selena after her funeral by playing her music live on air with gunshot sound effects and laughing alongside with his co-hosts, saying, "Spanish people have the worst taste in music."
I couldn't believe what my ears were hearing after listening to Howard's radio talk episode about Selena. I was shocked that a man would act in such a manner. I wanted to share his past so we can avoid a bad history of mistreating others.
This was a time in 1995 when a lot of people didn't really know who Selena was after her death. Still, her story touched many people from different backgrounds. From childhood to young adulthood, she achieved Tejano superstardom.
Selena's Quintanilla-Pérez's Killer: Yolanda Saldivar
Yolanda Saldivar, a former nurse, resigned her job to become president of Selena's fan club. While working for Selena, she developed an unhealthy obsession with the singer. Yolanda was immediately fired after stealing over $60,000 from Selena's boutiques and fan club.
Selena kept in touch with Yolanda to retrieve missing bank statements. Yolanda realized that if she gave Selena the missing bank statements, it would be evidence of her embezzlement, and she would be arrested. So Yolanda brought a gun, made a false claim of being raped to lure Selena into the motel alone, and shot her out of rage, killing her.
Selena was betrayed with a bullet to the heart by Yolanda. Selena fled, crying and screaming for help as she ran to the motel lobby, leaving a blood trail behind her. She fought until the very end to stay alive. On her last day on 03/31/95, she collapsed on the floor and said her final breath: "Yolanda…158."
So, I don't understand Yolanda's decision to appear on Oxygen to "set the story straight" by claiming it was an accident when there was enough evidence that her motive was murder. People like Yolanda rarely change, even if it takes years to realize what they did was wrong.
Life update of mine as a 22-years old
I remember a time when I got out of bed and remembered a bad past that was haunting me, and I began to cry about it on the dining room table. My father saw me crying and told me, "Mikey, get over it!" And that was a shocking realization that took me a while to accept because I needed to hear it, and he's right: I have to get over it in order to move on.
I've been working on self-care and self-improvement, like going to the gym and the library to improve a set of skill. I've spent time interviewing locals in Chicago, mostly my college friends, to gain experience writing transcripts, using a voice recorder, and interacting with others.
I've been reading books on time management and job haunting. I've also been eating healthily by including healthy fats in my meals. For better sleep, I completely eliminated caffeine from my diet. As the old saying goes, "you are what you eat."
However, in all seriousness, as an dog lover, I intend to purchase several puppies after college and give them all the same name so I can call them by that one name and have them run and jump all over me. A priceless moment that I hope to experience someday.
What I've learned about screenwriting, storytelling
What I've learned about screenwriting is that when a script is submitted to a movie production, a story analyst reviews it to determine whether or not the film will be made.
If the script includes the main character(s) in the story, the story analyst will look for character development by skimming through the first and last pages. If the main character(s) remain the same from beginning to end, with no character development, the script will be rejected and deemed a bad movie.
Everyone will be confused if you write a story with no structure and publish it with a timeline that doesn't make sense to you. So it's not the reader's fault that they don't understand your story; all five fingers should be pointed at the person who wrote it.
Flash cards, sticky notes, or sketching on paper are excellent tools for structuring a story from start to finish and staying organized while writing. Your reader can experience a range of emotions—inspiration, laugher, fear, and frustration—through the use of structure.
Credits:
Head Editor/Freelance Writer: Michael David Melero
Assistant Editor/Proofreader: Jasmine Ramirez
Assistant Editor/Proofreader: Dazay Green
02.28.2024
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