ENROLLED
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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 138
BY REPRESENTATIVES HODGES, ANDERS, ARNOLD, BARRAS, BARROW,
BILLIOT, WESLEY BISHOP, BROADWATER, BROWN, BURFORD, HENRY
BURNS, TIM BURNS, BURRELL, CARMODY, CARTER, CHAMPAGNE,
CHANEY, COX, CROMER, DIXON, DOVE, EDWARDS, FOIL, FRANKLIN,
GAROFALO, GEYMANN, GI SCLAIR, GREENE, GUI NN, HARRIS,
HARRISON, HAZEL, HENRY, HILL, HOFFMANN, HONORE, HOWARD,
HUNTER, IVEY, KATRINA JACKSON, JAMES, JEFFERSON, JOHNSON,
JONES, KLECKLEY, NANCY LANDRY, TERRY LANDRY, LEGER,
LEOPOLD, LORUSSO, MILLER, MORENO, JAY MORRIS, JIM MORRIS,
NORTON, ORTEGO, PIERRE, PONTI, POPE, PRICE, PUGH, PYLANT,
REYNOLDS, RICHARD, RITCHIE, SCHEXNAYDER, SI MON, SMITH,
STOKES, TALBOT, THIBAUT, THIERRY, THOMPSON, WHITNEY,
WILLMOTT, AND WOODRUFF AND SENATORS AMEDEE, APPEL,
BROOME, BROWN, CLAITOR, CROWE, DONAHUE, DORSEY-COL OMB,
ERDEY, GUILLORY, HEITMEIER, LAFLEUR, LONG, MILLS, NEVERS,
PEACOCK, PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH, THOMPSON,
WALSWORTH, WARD, AND WHI TE
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to raise
awareness of the issue of human trafficking and sex trafficking to abolish this
modern-day slavery and continue to aid Nigeria in the plight of finding the two-
hundred seventy-six remaining missing girls.
WHEREAS, on April 14, 2014, three hundred twenty-nine girls were kidnapped from
their school in Chibok, Nigeria, by dozens of gunmen who stormed the girls' dormitories
while they were sleeping; and
WHEREAS, in a region where only four percent of girls complete secondary
schooling, the kidnapped girls were the best and the brightest; looking forward to bright
futures as global leaders, teachers, or lawyers; and
WHEREAS, the girls were abducted by a radical Islamic group called Boko Haram,
which in English, means "Western education is sinful"; and
WHEREAS, on January 31, 2012, in testimony before United States Congress, the
director of national intelligence, James Clapper, included Boko Haram in his worldwide
threat assessment, stating, "There are also fears that Boko Haram, elements of which have ENROLLEDHCR NO. 138
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engaged al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb, is interested in hitting Western targets, such as
the United States Embassy and hotels frequented by Westerners"; and
WHEREAS, the United States has offered a seven million dollar bounty for the
group's elusive leader, Abubakar Shekau; and
WHEREAS, the Department of State designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist
Organization in November 2013, recognizing the threat posed by the group's large-scale and
indiscriminate attacks against civilians, including women and children; and
WHEREAS, fifty-three girls were able to escape and have described their
experiences as extremely distressing; and
WHEREAS, concern is growing about the safety of those who are still missing; and
WHEREAS, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has accepted offers from the
United States of military personnel, law enforcement officials, and other experts; and
WHEREAS, Boko Haram's militant leader, Abubakar Shekau, released a video in
which he expresses his abhorrence of Western education, saying that the girls should be
married instead of being educated and further claims that he will sell the women as he has
been commanded by Allah; and
WHEREAS, Abubakar Shekau referred to the girls as slaves and stated that he plans
to kidnap more girls; and
WHEREAS, United Nations and the United States have both stressed an absolute
prohibition against slavery and sexual slavery in international law, making these actions
crimes against humanity; and
WHEREAS, the White House press secretary has said that appropriate action must
be taken to locate and to free these young women before they are trafficked or killed; and
WHEREAS, Louisiana has taken a most aggressive stand to abolish and condemn
slavery among women in Louisiana and worldwide.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to raise
awareness of human trafficking and sex trafficking to abolish this modern-day slavery and
continue to aid Nigeria in the plight of finding the remaining two hundred seventy-six
missing girls. ENROLLEDHCR NO. 138
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
presiding officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Congress of the
United States of America and to each member of the Louisiana congressional delegation.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE