Over the last few weeks, our community has had several occasions to remember the struggles for civil rights waged over the last several decades and honor those who contributed to the advances we have achieved. And, as many have pointed out, this struggle is in no way over.

In his recent State of the Union address, President Barack Obama laid out an ambitious domestic agenda for his final two years in office. He also touched on foreign policy, saying, “If there’s one thing this new century has taught us, it’s that we cannot separate our work at home from challenges beyond our shores.”

Unfortunately, one such issue that crosses national boundaries — modern slavery and human trafficking — was not mentioned.

The president recently visited India, home to the highest number of slaves in the world.

Partisan talking heads would have us believe there are no points of agreement between the new Congress and the president, but ending modern-day slavery is an achievable goal that everyone can get behind. I fully expect our elected leaders can and will work together to marshal our nation’s resources and diplomatic power to end this crime once and for all, so that the rights that we Americans believe in so strongly can extend to the victims of these crimes both here in the United States and in other areas of our globe.

Martha Nielsen

Manchester

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