The whole business of tourist pilgrimages to Chinatown to follow strangers into back rooms to buy fake goods enrages me. I've heard so often of the bags (and other faux goods) being manufactured by child labor, much of it slave labor, and I wonder how people are so willing to buy into this. Mind you, I have no loyalty to the big companies whose brand values are being diluted by the counterfeits.
And then I read Nicholas Kristof's column in this morning's Times. Here's a link (The Times' requires free registration):
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www.nytimes.com]
And here's a comment that hit me right in the heart. (There's a link along the the column to read other comments.):
"Some ten years ago John Stossel did a 20/20 segment that completely opened my eyes to this matter, as we all seem to be in the darkness of our shell of ignorance. It was premised around the Kathy Lee Walmart clothing line debacle that had allegedly used child labor in Honduras factories. I was quite affected watching this just ten years old or so, as it was one of those things I can point to that burst the bubble I lived in.
"Humanitarian officials from blighted nations spoke out saying that the alternative for impoverished boys and girls was far worse than working in a factory. For boys it was an exhaustive life toiling on the farm, for girls the same - the only other option: prostitution. I recently watched Slumdog Millionaire - and too see those little kids digging through the trash, willing to do anything for money, because desperate times call for desperate measures - it was heartwrenching.
"The 20/20 expose segwayed into a clip of mostly white liberal college kids protesting Kathy Lee & Wal-Mart. The camera went back to a humanitarian official who scoffed at their ignorance. The factory was closed down, and the kids were kicked back out on the street to fend for themselves.
"Happiness is all relative. Some of us might think our 2-car garage air-conditioned lives are horrible, while some might welcome the opportunity to have a repetitive task in an air-conditioned factory compared to a life on the farm or on the streets. Our policies should embrace this reality. We should not simply ban child-labor, because the policy outcome is worse. We should work with these companies to ensure that children are not being over-worked, have educational opportunity, and are safe.
"Bleeding heart liberals can protest child labor, but it's like that old carmax commercial with the balloon. If you curb child factory labor, mouths will still look for a hand to feed them."
— Liz, NY
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What do y'all think about this?
for sharing this important information.