A Christmas Gift for Shaniya Davis

Hopefully not erased from your memory is the case of 5yr old Shaniya Davis. I discussed her case in a recent post on child prostitution on this blog. With Christmas day being a day that brings out the inner child in us all just around the corner, unfortunately, Shaniya won't be opening any presents this year - Shanyia Davis is dead. However, be that as it may, you can still do something for her and the other millions of innocent children here in America and across the world. And the best thing about it is that it's not going to cost you a dime.

You see folks, child prostitution is a huge problem. Yes, and right now children are being trafficked for sex in American-owned hotels all around the world. But thankfully, a child protection-focused non profit organization, EPCAT-USA, has stepped up to do something about this as it has since 2004. In their attempt to eradicate the problem of child trafficking and prostitution, they have created an EPCAT CODE OF CONDUCT (www.thecode.org). Amanda Kloer of change.org had this to say, and this is where you can help:

"Beginning in  2004, the child protection-focused nonprofit ECPAT-USA has asked major U.S.-based hotel chains to sign the Code of Conduct. Carlson Companies -- owners of Radisson, Country Inn & Suites, and others -- proudly declared their commitment to protecting children. A few others made some positive steps, but ultimately failed to embrace the full range of actions they can and should take. Choice Hotels has not returned correspondence regarding the recent tragedy at one of their hotels or outlined the steps they intend to take to prevent what happened to Shaniya from happening to other girls. Why won't Choice Hotels prevent child prostitution?

The most shocking thing about the pimping of Shaniya Davis for sex at a North Carolina Choice Hotels property is that this is not the first child prostitution scandal the brand has faced. Earlier this year, a 14-year-old girl was reported to have been forced into prostitution at a Quality Inn in Ontario, also owned by Choice. In Pittsburgh, law enforcement agents caught one man trying to buy sex with a 10-year-old girl in the parking lot of another Quality Inn. Given these troublesome incidents, you would think Choice Hotels would want to address this problem before it grows. How many more children must be sold on their properties before they take action?" - (Source: change.org)

If you remember what happened to Shaniya, it was at a North Carolina Comfort Inn Hotel where she was caught on surveillance tape after being sold for sex shortly before she met her demise. Choice Hotels is the parent company that owns Comfort Inn where Shaniya was last seen alive before she met her eventual and unfortunate death as a 5yr old child at the hands of a very sick individual.

Choice Hotels has not signed the EPCAT-USA CODE OF CONDUCT as have very few American owned companies - to date, over 900 companies worldwide has signed in an attempt to stop child prostitution. You can send a letter to Choice Hotels CEO Steve Joyce, urging him to commit to the prevention of child sex trafficking in Choice Hotel owned establishments across the country and worldwide below. One last thing: can you do a huge favor of sharing this information with as much people as you can?

SIGN & SEND THE LETTER