Sound of Freedom: This Summer’s Must-See Movie
By Emily Huseman
“God’s children are not for sale” is a line heard in the new acclaimed movie Sound of Freedom.
The film is a rallying cry to end the evil of child sex trafficking. It is based on the true story of former Department of Homeland Security agent Tim Ballard, who leaves his post to lead undercover operations to rescue children from sex slavery. On its opening day, the poignant presentation hit number one on the box-office charts, surpassing Disney’s woke Indiana Jones sequel, which bombed at the box office.
Disney might be regretting its choices right about now. The entertainment giant initially refused to release Sound of Freedom after it bought 21st Century Fox, which initially owned the rights to the movie. Angel Studios, its new distributor, is putting Disney to shame twice over by putting mission above profit. It's offering viewers a “pay it forward” option so that people can gift tickets to friends and family for this essential viewing.
Today, there are more people in slavery than at any other point in history. Human trafficking is the second-fastest growing criminal industry in the world. Specifically, sex trafficking makes an estimated $99 billion per year with 4.5 million victims worldwide. Two million children are among those victims each year. Sadly, progressive corporations often ignore this crisis of modern-day slavery. While the silence is alarming, what is even more troubling is what many of these film companies are advocating for: the sexualization of children.
Disney made headlines last year when a company-wide zoom call revealed that executives were planning to add numerous LGBT characters to future shows for young audiences. The company’s woke agenda became even more apparent when it voiced its opposition to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, misleadingly dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law by critics. When it passed, the measure prohibited the teaching of sexual orientation or gender identity to children in K-3. In other words, it shields young children from sexually explicit, disturbing content.
Isn't that a no-brainer? Why would Disney have a problem with protecting children's innocence? Because it is now an ideological machine more than a movie maker. If you have any doubt about the intentions of LGBT activists, many of whom work at these firms, listen to their own words. At a drag march last month, trans protesters chanted, “we’re here, we’re queer, we’re coming for your children.”
In a recent interview with the Daily Signal, Tim Ballard, the agent whose heroic story Sound of Freedom is derived from, explained the Left's indoctrination of children with radical gender ideology is a recipe for sex abuse.
“What they’re saying is, children can consent to having their bodies filled with a chemical that will destroy their reproductive system,” Ballard said. “They can consent to ripping apart their genitalia. This is insanity, in and of itself it’s horrible, but what it’s going to lead to is what the pedophiles have been asking for. If you can consent to that, guess what? What’s more fluid than gender? Age.”
Sound of Freedom sheds light on a widespread wickedness taking place today. But the movie’s message, “God’s children are not for sale,” has broader applications beyond sex slavery. Conservatives should use this message as a call to action to defend children from sexualization, which is confusing their minds, corrupting their souls, and denying them a normal, stabilized adolescence.
That fight may take place at local school board meetings, or it might look like boycotting a woke store. We may not know the setting or strategy now, but we must support Sound of Freedom for the single reason that it reminds Americans of their moral duty to defend the most vulnerable: children.
Watch the Daily Signal interview with Tim Ballard and Jim Caviezel, who played Ballard in the film.
Emily Huseman is a columnist for The Conservateur and works with the Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University.
All media via Angel Studios, Jim Caviezel Twitter
