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Duskwynd · 09-11-2009, 07:22 PM

This is my first real post to the forum in general and I'm not entirely sure of the lay of the land, so I just wanted to state that my response to this thread is not particularly politically correct.

Anyway, from the article: "It is impossible today to imagine that the slave trade could have been tolerated by the world for so long."

Is it? How many people take even a moment to think about where the products they purchase at Wal-Mart or the dollar store come from and why they are so much cheaper than elsewhere? Speaking of Wal-Mart, last I heard it was the most litigated against company in the world for human rights and labour rights violations (the stories a friend told of what she had to do when she worked there and the ways they got out of paying her are astounding). But that's okay? Because everything is so much cheaper we can ignore that?

How many people have given a second thought to those folks in our cities who are working in deplorable conditions in sweatshops because they are underemployed, undereducated and have no other way to put food on the table? And I don't see only women being subject to this though, admittedly, there are more women than men in these situations. I see people working two and three minimum wage jobs just to be able to afford to house and feed their families and half the time if it weren't for local food banks they'd starve. How is this not slavery?

I'm not saying that this is not happening in third world countries and that the conditions are not infinitely worse, because I know that they are, but slavery IS also happening in the communities we live in, only it's dressed up much prettier. Should we be ignoring it because of that?

Again, from the article: "So, our duty is to deny future historians the opportunity to question how this generation allowed and participated in the abuse and suppression of girls and women."

How about we amend this to say "...deny future historians the opportunity to question how this generation allowed and participated in the abuse and suppression of people"? How about we started in our own communities? Isn't it kind of hypocritical to do otherwise? Look at Apartheid; Canada was one of the most vocal countries decrying the evils of Apartheid. I guess it was more convenient to completely ignore that South Africa used how the Canadian government and people treated (and in many ways still treat) its own Aboriginal population as the model to set up Apartheid.

Oops.

So yeah, while it is important to take action against the atrocities happening elsewhere, I think it would be negligent to do so while ignoring the atrocities happening in our own back yards.

Blessings!
Duskwynd

09-11-2009, 07:22 PM	#7 (permalink)
Duskwynd Upright Location: Toronto, Ontario	This is my first real post to the forum in general and I'm not entirely sure of the lay of the land, so I just wanted to state that my response to this thread is not particularly politically correct. Anyway, from the article: "It is impossible today to imagine that the slave trade could have been tolerated by the world for so long." Is it? How many people take even a moment to think about where the products they purchase at Wal-Mart or the dollar store come from and why they are so much cheaper than elsewhere? Speaking of Wal-Mart, last I heard it was the most litigated against company in the world for human rights and labour rights violations (the stories a friend told of what she had to do when she worked there and the ways they got out of paying her are astounding). But that's okay? Because everything is so much cheaper we can ignore that? How many people have given a second thought to those folks in our cities who are working in deplorable conditions in sweatshops because they are underemployed, undereducated and have no other way to put food on the table? And I don't see only women being subject to this though, admittedly, there are more women than men in these situations. I see people working two and three minimum wage jobs just to be able to afford to house and feed their families and half the time if it weren't for local food banks they'd starve. How is this not slavery? I'm not saying that this is not happening in third world countries and that the conditions are not infinitely worse, because I know that they are, but slavery IS also happening in the communities we live in, only it's dressed up much prettier. Should we be ignoring it because of that? Again, from the article: "So, our duty is to deny future historians the opportunity to question how this generation allowed and participated in the abuse and suppression of girls and women." How about we amend this to say "...deny future historians the opportunity to question how this generation allowed and participated in the abuse and suppression of people"? How about we started in our own communities? Isn't it kind of hypocritical to do otherwise? Look at Apartheid; Canada was one of the most vocal countries decrying the evils of Apartheid. I guess it was more convenient to completely ignore that South Africa used how the Canadian government and people treated (and in many ways still treat) its own Aboriginal population as the model to set up Apartheid. Oops. So yeah, while it is important to take action against the atrocities happening elsewhere, I think it would be negligent to do so while ignoring the atrocities happening in our own back yards. Blessings! Duskwynd __________________ "A true master makes a life not a living." ~ Unknown