Child Labor
In America, people believe that child labor does not affect them, not realizing that the Persian rugs they put their feet on are made by suffering children in a dark, small room. They don't realize the soccer balls that their children are kicking around outside are made by children themselves, who slave away for little or no pay at all. In 1999, ap-proximately 250 million children are employed or enslaved across the world for little or no money at all (Gay 23). Imagine how these child workers are depraved from experi-ences the joys of childhood. These poor children never get to play outside or enjoy a simple game. Child labor is a harrowing experience for anyone involved in it. In order to end this travesty of child labor, the world must unite as one to create coalitions and companies that aid child laborers. All over the world children are laboring for little or no money. Desperate families sell their children in order to get a loan from corrupt employers. The child is treated like a slave; he has no say in the matter and can be forced to work up to 18 hours a day, seven days a week (Barry 1). The conditions of these children are of great publi
Children should not be forced to suffer adult maladies. Imagine a child aged seven, who is supposed to be full of vitality and energy, having arthritis, bad back, and cataracts. These are just some of the maladies that child laborers in Indian rug shops suf-fer from. Children often have to work in closet sized rooms, hunched over and squinting from lack of light. The woolen fluff they work with causes skin rashes and lung compli-cations (Williams 18). An even more serious malady happens on the sugar plantations in Brazil. The children use machetes, large knives, to cut the sugar cane crop. This poses a serious threat. Children have cut off appendages, mutilated themselves, and even killed themselves (Gay 14). Children toiling in Cambodia brick factories drop heavy bricks on their bare feet and hands. No child should be forced to suffer such health complications. Since several countries refuse to buy products created by child laborers, the countries that employ children have faltering economies. An example of this is how there is a coalition called the Foulball campaign that "ensures that 'children would not longer kick around the balls made by impoverished children half a world away."(Berry 3) This has lowered the amount of soccer balls purchased from Thailand. Reebok and Nike have guaranteed that children did not make their soccer balls. Another company that puts a dent in the economy of rug based markets, is the Rugmark Corporation. This also puts a guarantee that their rugs were not made by child laborers. In 1999, over 250,000 Rug-mark rugs were imported to different countries (4). These companies, along with others, are adversely effecting the countries that employ child laborers. In order to stop the decadent policy of child labor, the world must work as one and create coalitions and companies. An example of a company that is attempting to put an end to child labor is the Rugmark Corporation. The Rugm
Some common words found in the essay are:
Robert Reich, Rugmark Corporation, Labor America, United America, UNICEF UNICEF, United Europe, child labor, Reebok Nike, Hall English, child laborers, foulball campaign, sexual abuse, soccer balls, children forced, little money, rugmark corporation, child labor world, child learn, labor world, create coalitions companies,
Approximate Word count = 1313
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
