Sex slavery is illegal. This should be obvious to most Americans. However, a few people still fail to comprehend it. Some of these people are in a group called the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, better known as ACORN.
ACORN is one of the largest community organizing groups in America. With more than 1,200 neighborhood chapters in areas from Seattle to Miami, the leviathan company has its headquarters in a small house in New Orleans. From this building, ACORN provides tax assistance and warm bodies for protest marches. It has received federal funds in the past, and though the organization denies it at times, it has given political support to many Democratic campaigns as well.
In a sting operation conducted by an independent filmmaker, a man from the San Diego ACORN office advised the filmmaker and his confidante posing as a prostitute on how to pick up El Salvadorian sex slaves transported to Mexico, along with the best way to sneak them across the border. The undercover man unequivocally stated his intentions when he said, “We’re going to have a house with a dozen underage prostitutes.”
The man doesn’t bat an eye at this and advises them that he “knows a lot of people” in Tijuana and gives the two filmmakers his phone number.
Other branches included in the operation were Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Brooklyn and San Bernardino, Calif. All of these branches advised the filmmakers on how to set up an illegal brothel and report the income on their IRS statements.
After this stunt was revealed, ACORN’s initial reaction was the standard shotgun lawsuit threat. Parties to be sued included the two filmmakers, the Web site that posted the videos, and FOX News for playing them.
Currently, the organization seems to have given up on the lawsuit. Instead, ACORN has halted walk-in consultations.
The first mark against ACORN at the national level was voter registration fraud, where Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Mickey Mouse and other names were registered multiple times. The infraction was seen as relatively minor, because these fake people never voted.
However, ACORN was also supposed to help out in the 2010 census. The census determines which districts will gain and which will lose seats and electoral votes. 2010 is supposed to be a very good year for conservatives, but if ACORN registered a million-or-so illegal immigrants or nonexistent people, balance could be restored.
ACORN was recently turned down by the Census Bureau thanks to numerous complaints. This was before the tapes were released.
The House just decided to ban federal funding to ACORN. Despite the blatant nature of ACORN’s infractions, the vote against the corrupt organization was not unanimous – 75 House Democrats voted no.
A common excuse used by House members was the unconstitutionality of withholding funds from an organization just because members of Congress “don’t like them.”
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There is a difference between disliking a group and cutting funds from a group that helps with sex slavery.
Those who voted no include two from Washington, Rep. Jim McDermott and Rep. Rick Larsen.
The Seattle branch of ACORN is located in McDermott’s district. Because the line between politicians and prostitutes is quite thin, it comes as no surprise that McDermott would want to help the group. Larsen also decided his election chances were more important than stopping ACORN.
ACORN is a group with no morals. Having 75 Democrats support it shows the sad state of the party, whose members would rather sell their souls and values to criminals than condemn ACORN.
William Stetson is a columnist for the Daily Evergreen¸ serving Washington State University.
