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Ashton Kutcher testifies before US Senate committee on human trafficking (Video)

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S

Shaanyboi

Banned
Video of Kutcher's opening statement

http://globalnews.ca/news/3251001/ashton-kutcher-testifies-before-u-s-senate-committee-on-human-trafficking/

The That 70's Show actor is the co-founder of Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children, which is an organization that develops software to ”leverage technology to combat predatory behaviour, rescue victims, and protect vulnerable children, according to its website. He co-founded the organization with his ex-wife Demi Moore.

”This is about the time, when I start talking about politics, that the internet trolls tell me to stick to my day job, so I'd like to talk about my day job," Kutcher said on Wednesday.

”My day job is the chairman and co-founder of Thorn. We build software to fight human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children. That's our core mission ... We [are] their last line of defense ... That's my day job. And I'm sticking to it."

Kutcher nearly broke into tears describing his frustration at being unable to help the Department of Homeland Security locate a seven-year-old girl who was shown being raped on a video posted to the dark web.

”It devastated me," he said. ”It haunted me. Because every night, I had to go to sleep every night and think about that little girl who was still being abused, and the fact that if I built the right thing, we could save her. So that's what what we did. And now, if I got that phone call, the answer would be ‘yes.' "

”Technology can be used to enable slavery, but it can also be used to disable slavery," he told the senators.

Kutcher also took the time to address the foster care system. ”There are 500,000 kids in foster care today. I was astonished to find out that 70 per cent of the inmates in prison across this country have touched the foster care system and 80 per cent of the people on death row were, in some point and time, exposed to the foster care system."

”Fifty per cent of these kids will not graduate high school and 95 per cent of them will not get a college degree. But the most staggering statistic that I found was that foster care children are four times more likely to be exposed to sexual abuse."
Click to expand...
In a statement before the hearing on modern slavery, the father of two said, ”For years now, Thorn has been committed to building tech tools to combat child sexual exploitation and facilitating collaborations across [the] tech industry to disrupt these crimes. We have no intention of stopping until we win this battle."
Click to expand...
 
V

Valkerionseven

Member
Good stuff from him.

Always amazes me the numbers behind this stuff and how little we seemingly bring it to our attention in the west. Is it a "its other people" type thing? Not sure.

Heard America in particular is one of the easiest places to traffic through and from which is the scary part.
 
S

Shaanyboi

Banned
Valkerionseven said:
Good stuff from him.

Always amazes me the numbers behind this stuff and how little we seemingly bring it to our attention in the west. Is it a "its other people" type thing? Not sure.

Heard America in particular is one of the easiest places to traffic through and from which is the scary part.
Click to expand...

Wasn't there a massive bust just two weeks ago, arresting as many as like 500 people? The idea that that exists at all is fucking sickening.
 
C

CREMSteve

Member
I had no idea he was involved in this, mad props to him. This whole subject sickens me, and posts above me are bang on, we don't identify and publicize it near enough.

This should be a bigger fucking deal than it is.
 
J

- J - D -

Member
Ashton was always a smart person (chemical engineering major) despite what his choice of film roles may have suggested otherwise. Good to know that he's a great person as well.
 
C

clearacell

Member
It's weird how many people think we are currently regressing in this nation to archaic ideals and practices. Things like human trafficking and sexual abuse being such a big problem kind of shows all of this shit has always been here, but we are finally getting the means to expose it.

Much respect to Ashton this is the first I've heard of this software and his involvement.
 
F

fluffydelusions

Member
Just got done watching. What a speech. It's weird seeing him in all those goofy movies he does and here in this video the complete opposite. What a guy.
 
Sunster

Sunster

Member
God, I can't imagine seeing a sickening video like that and being able to work the next day. That would wreck me. Idk how the people who work on the front lines of stopping this stuff do it.
 
Thaedolus

Thaedolus

Member
Ok I guess I'll be the one:

What's up with the smirking chick right behind him? I can't even get through it she's so distracting.
 
M

MMarston

Was getting caught part of your plan?
Kutcher nearly broke into tears describing his frustration at being unable to help the Department of Homeland Security locate a seven-year-old girl who was shown being raped on a video posted to the dark web.
Click to expand...

I can't.


Fucking hell



I can't
 
N

nynt9

Member
Man, the comments of the video are a shitshow. How does one be against someone fighting against human trafficking?
 
L

Linkark07

Banned
Wow, I never expected him to do this. Always thought of him as a clown since he usually appeared as an idiot in his films and tv shows. Now, I respect him a lot.

Keep up the good fighting Ashton.
 
S

Sapientas

Member
nynt9 said:
Man, the comments of the video are a shitshow. How does one be against someone fighting against human trafficking?
Click to expand...

Tell me about it... what a mess. People can't believe he's acting in good will, despite factually fighting against human trafficking, because he's a Hollywood actor or something. Makes sense after all, since everyone knows Hollywood is a breeding ground for pedophilia right?
 
G

Griss

Member
Huge respect to Kutcher.

The 'Our Work' section of Thorn's website really shows just how overwhelming the task is. Fucking crazy amount of shit to be done, hard to know when you'd even start. This is no bullshit 'raising awareness' charity, that's for sure.
 
B

Big-E

Member
Respect for him actually doing something with his money and actively devoting his time opposed to doing the typical token donation thing.
 
V

valkillmore

Member
Well I didn't know this side of Ashton, huge respect to him. Always kind of had the impression he was a bit aloof and absent minded, but that is clearly not the case. Thanks for posting OP
 
E

Eblo

Member
Just watched the entire opening statement, really fascinating. It's good to see people of all walks of life fight this nasty business.
 
P

PillarEN

Member
nynt9 said:
Man, the comments of the video are a shitshow. How does one be against someone fighting against human trafficking?
Click to expand...

For real. Some people bring up Pizzagate and then say the Clinton Foundation is the biggest offender of human trafficking. 0_0

I would love for them to come to a county meeting and start talking about these to things among other adults. Might as well say the 9/11 was an inside job and the moon landing was faked. If their child was abducted and forced into sex slavery would they be like "no no no. I don't want these tools to be used in finding my child". Get real.

Or being like "fuck Hollywood, biggest pedos out there". How utterly dumb. The ring of sex slavery of adults and children goes so far beyond Hollywood that it doesn't even register on the map of sex slavery so that's one hell of a dumb logical fallacy to dismiss what Ashton is bringing up.
 
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