By Kyle Kim Santa Monica
I recently learned in Ms. Kennedy’s 11th grade English class at Samohi of the ongoing problems surrounding modern day slavery. It came to my surprise that such practices still go on in today’s society, as slavery was supposedly abolished when President Lincoln and the North won the American Civil War. Even more staggering is the fact that it is not only still around, it is thriving. Slavery is more predominant today than ever before.
Slavery is commonly found in places such as India and Cote D’Ivoire, but it is also practiced in Western countries like Great Britain and the United States. The jobs range from cocoa bean plantation workers to domestic servants. These individuals share the same burdens: All are mistreated, and all are misrepresented. In fact, nearly 90 percent of the cocoa sold from Cote D’Ivoire is tainted by the work of slaves. Young men, ranging from teens to adults, are lured by promises of steady pay to work on these plantations, but instead are presented with a life less desired than the one they left behind.
In many cases promises are overlooked completely, specifically, people are kidnapped. Remote villages in India deal with this problem as children go missing every day. Young children are forced into labor more strenuous than the average adult could endure. The carpet industry utilizes child slavery making them work as much as 20 hours in a single day, weaving hand made carpets in dark rooms away from everything they know.
Why is this happening? Money. Economically, a business stands more to gain when it does not need to pay for proper wages or working conditions. With the cost down on expenses it allows these businesses to sell their items for a few dollars cheaper, making them much more desirable to the average consumer. This makes these unaware customers benefactors to the practice of slavery. Please spread awareness of the tragic fate of these millions around the world by sharing with your readers what is happening today. The Daily Press has expressed its interest in such issues by stating it is “Our mission to inform and educate our readers about ongoing issues that affect the quality of life and business in Santa Monica.” Now it is time to expand that to the quality of life globally.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 29, 2008. Read the original PDF.