Exposing the Pimp's Game
A couple of years ago I was doing research on domestic human trafficking, that is trafficking that takes place in America. My heart was (and still is) troubled by the fact that slavery exists in a place I believed to be safe. It upset me even more to know it takes place in my hometown. The Lord had made my heart so heavy for those innocent people who were trapped in slavery, and I wanted to understand more about it so I could learn ways to help prevent, or even stop it. One day I was reading an article online, and I ran across something that opened my eyes in ways I never thought, or wanted, them to be opened.
What I stumbled upon is nothing more than evil in written form. It is the most disgusting thing I have ever read, so much so that I was not able to read it in its entirety. To call what I found “a book” gives it too much credit. It is, however, a handbook, a training manual, written by Mickey Royal to help guide young men (or women, I suppose) in becoming a well-rounded pimp. The Pimp Game gives advice from a seasoned pimp on how to perfect the “art” of pimping. How sickening.
Let me emphasize that I do not recommend reading this handbook. As I stated earlier, I was not even able to finish the book. It is completely demented and dripping with so much evil that I could not imagine reading the entire thing. However, I felt it very necessary to mention Mickey Royal and The Pimp Game because not only is it the perfect example of how modern day trafficking in America often works, but also it gives unintentional insight on how to help prevent children from being trafficked in the future.
I believe a common misconception is that all young ladies (or even men) who are under the control of a pimp are there by choice. In some cases one will make a conscious choice to become a prostitute. I want to stress that this is not always the case. A pimp can be a form of a trafficker and can lure a young person into his confidence by promising to provide certain needs the young person may have. Once he has the child where he wants her, she is his to sell.
One major point Royal stresses is how to spot easy prey. He teaches pimps to learn how to recognize when a “ho” is in need of something. He tells his readers to see the need and then fill it in order to win her confidence. Once she sees him as the person she needs (a boyfriend, a father, etc.), and he has filled any immediate needs, she is his. Royal puts it this way, “A ho has low self-esteem, a low sense of self-worth. A ho has to want something in order to be pimped. To be led or misled, one has to want to go somewhere. A ho believes a pimp can get her what she needs. A ho looking for a new life, will most likely choose a pimp…By the time she realizes she's been had, she's trapped.”
Heartbreaking.
The average age of a trafficking victim is 13 years old, and at that age, feeling a sense of belonging is everything. Children and teenagers need love, attention, and their basic needs met. They do not need to feel unwanted or that they are a mistake. If a 13-year-old girl was to run away from her horrible home life, she is easy prey. She has basic needs that need to be met, like food and shelter, and she’s very vulnerable. A pimp can sense her vulnerability and knows just what to say to make her feel secure with him.
Build a false trust, meet the need, take her home, and sell her. It’s as simple as that. The sad reality is this happens all too often in our country and in our city. We need to be the hands and feet of Christ and help bring this destructive pattern to a screeching halt.
