The impetus behind my book, The Virtuous Consumer, was to learn how to avoid sweatshops and child labor. At that time — as a new mom — I was less aware of environmental issues, but well-versed in social justice concerns. I wanted to ensure that I was not clothing and equipping my kids on the backs of other moms, dads or children. The info was hard to find…and still is.
Fortunately, as the green movement continues to gain steam, there’s an increasing concensus that environmental issues ARE civil rights issues. That lack of concern about harming the planet goes hand in hand with a cavalier attitude about the people we with whom we share it.
Whether those people live next door or on the other side of the globe doesn’t matter. Their problems are our problems; their struggles mirror our own.
Which is why I still agonize over how to avoid sweatshops and child labor. It’s a grey area, for sure. The argument that putting a kid out of work doesn’t mean he’s going to show up tomorrow, face scrubbed and eager, ready for school. Rather, it frequently means less income for his family and a more dangerous, lower-paying job for him. But we have to press onward and hold firm to our principles. A child without an education is sentenced to a life of poverty and exploitation. We all have a right to live with dignity and purpose.
A recent article is eye-opening. To read it, click here:
http://www.alternet.org/workplace/83767/?page=entire