What’s the Problem with The Sound of Freedom?

I’ve been waiting to write about the movie, “The Sound of Freedom” until I watched it for myself. And last night I had that opportunity. Let me say up front, I’m not a movie critic and I don’t do movie reviews per se, but here comes one anyway. To me the reactions of people that are against the showing of this movie is more of a story than the actual movie itself. However, let’s start out with a few words on the movie. On a purely cinematic level, the movie is solid. Great story told with smart writing. While Jim Caviezel certainly did a great job portraying Tim Ballard, the supporting actors all did a good job with their characters as well. At no point does the movie devolve into gratuitous sexually explicit imagery or bloody violence. In fact, one of the few action scenes in the movie is filmed in such a way that none of the violence from a fight that is being depicted is shown. Another point that some of the movie’s detractors have pointed out, as if it takes away from the overarching message about child sex slaves, is that the story is focused on central and south America. This is true, but there is a tie in to the United States. And we’ll talk more about that in a bit.

Now let’s delve into the societal issues of this movie, which is much more my realm. For the readers that don’t know me, I spent 15 years working for a small police department in Northern California. While I have never dealt with anything near the level of “trafficking” shown in the movie, I have indeed seen child exploitation. I believe this films’ intent is to bring awareness to the masses of how widespread child sexual exploitation is all over the world. While how it happens may have differences from country to country, the core issue is the same; children being used for sex. *Minor spoilers ahead* This film depicts the plight of a brother who is 8 and his sister who is 11. They are both swept into a trafficking ring by a woman who tells the children’s father that she is a talent scout and wants the children to audition. Once the kids show up they are literally taken away, leaving the father in a panic when he returns to pick the kids up from where left them.  In reality, many children are brought into exploitive circumstances slowly, over time, it’s what is referred to as grooming. How do you think all the children involved in Epstein’s Island got there? I think it’s worth pointing out that not all child sexual exploitation happens like the Sound of Freedom depicts. Another way children get exploited is by the child’s caretakers allowing it. To most, this would seem insane. What kind of parents would allow such a thing? The kind that are strung out on drugs, that kind. The kind that are in debt to Mules that smuggled them into the United States. If you try to rationalize it through a sober mind, you’ll have difficulty. Another type of child exploitation that is shown early on in the movie, is the snatch and grab of small children. I have to say these scenes (which used actual real world surveillance footage) have a shock value that I feel the movie used well to convey the urgency of what is happening.  While this type of kidnapping is rare(er) it does indeed occur, even in the United States.

This brings us to the pushback against the Sound of Freedom by people. I’ve heard the argument that people feel that the Sound of Freedom is “Q-Anon” conspiracy stuff. Really? If you’re one of the people denying that the type of kidnappings depicted in the movie don’t happen, I can’t really be polite about it, you’re an idiot. So maybe you think the movie is overblowing an issue and that it is happening but not at the levels suggested. In that case, why push so hard against the movie. Wouldn’t energy be better spent eliminating ANY child exploitation, anywhere and everywhere? This movie was created over 5 years ago and multiple studios, including Disney refused to put it out. While I am not suggesting that all people who work at Disney are pedophiles, I am saying there’s a fair amount of people at Disney who’ve been arrested for child sex crimes. Don’t take my word for it, just Google it for yourself. And let’s look at Hollywood in general. How many stories have come out in the last 5 years alone about the rampant sexual perversion in the movie industry. Even further back than that child stars like Cory Haim who claimed that he was sexually abused at the age of 14. Or maybe look at Macaulay Culkin, the child actor of Home Alone fame. While admittedly no charges ever came out, he spent a lot of time alone with Michael Jackson. What kind of parent thinks it’s a good idea to leave their kids alone with strangers, famous or not? Maybe the type being sucked into the Hollywood cabal who are enticed by money and fame? Back to my point, maybe this movie hit a little too close to home for Hollywood. Most of the people not in the industry who are railing against the movie are just parroting talking points of the Hollywood detractors of the movie. I won’t even get into the political facets of politicians who have been involved with child sex exploitation, but you know it exists. Just look at the people who are implicated in the Epstein Island case.

I will leave you with some statistics that can shake your soul. If it doesn’t hurt your heart to ponder the sheer number of children exploited, maybe check your pulse. 

• Estimates show that there are up to 27 million modern day slaves world-wide.
• 50% of victims are children; 80% women and girls.
• 70% of female victims are trafficked into the commercial sex trade industry.
• The trafficking industry profits by $32 billion annually.
• 244,000 American children and youth were estimated to be at risk of child sexual exploitation, including commercial sexual exploitation in 2000.
• 12-14 is the average age of entry into sex trafficking.

This world has an evil sickness in it. And all good people should be fighting against it, period.