Slavery still exists in the United States, though most Americans believe the Civil War firmly ended the practice. Sadly, you may walk right by someone enslaved without realizing it.
This was the situation on Milpas Street recently when one of the authors encountered a female panhandler with two children during a school day. She inquired about the woman's situation: Was Santa Barbara their home? Were they in need of shelter? Were they perhaps stranded here, seeking emergency funds to get back home?
The female panhandler, whose accent indicated foreign birth, became extremely fearful and agitated, looking around anxiously, and repeatedly asked to please be left alone. The children clung to each other; they didn’t resemble the woman. Nor did they look to her to protect them.