After examining all three sources, I am astonished by the way the government has handled its citizens in poverty. Back in the 1930’s nobody expected the government to help the poor because the whole nation was in the Great Depression. Today, the government still doesn’t make a big enough impact to help the poor. For example, the lawmakers in Florida “... have rarely expressed outrages over such abuses...” This quote was from the article on slave labor in Florida. I would have never expected that there would be labor slaves still in America today. That same article also said that the average worker is being ruthlessly exploited. It seems like the whole lower class is being mistreated. The video also opened my eyes to child labor which I never thought existed in America. It is unfortunate that these children don’t even have time to enjoy their childhood. I also think the parents are at fault for making their children do backbreaking labor. I know they need the money, but it shouldn’t have to come at the expense of their children.
What factors make today’s society a lot like that of the 1930’s for the Americans in poverty?
Jarett, (his post is on the other page) I completely agree with your post. Children of any age should not be working on a plantation. It is ironic how Pablo thinks that the migrant workers are the happiest in the world when his children are clearly not happy. Slave labor may even be worse than child labor in some cases. These people were reduced to the status of animals with no rights that government guaranteed them. -Bob T 6
When I read that story about slavery in Florida, I was appalled. I had to recheck the date, to make sure I was reading it right. I can’t believe this story is from only two years ago. It disgusts me that slavery is even an issue in our country. To believe that this still goes on is unbelievable. Everyone should be treated with respect and should not be taken advantage of this way no matter how bad they need the work. The government really needs to crack down on this situation and make sure that slavery is abolished as it says so in our constitution.
In order to survive and provide for your family, would you submit to working conditions as poor as described in this article?
Hey Sophie, I think it is absolutely ridiculous that a child can work on a farm at twelve, but can’t work in a store until they are sixteen. Farms are much more dangerous and labor intensive, than let’s say selling clothes. To even think a child can operate machinery at that age surprises and appalls me. Jared is 13 and I don’t think he could even reach the petals, let alone operate and handle a tractor and such. There is a reason we have a minimum working age and it’s horrible to think that these kids will never have a real childhood. We really need to put an end to child labor and make sure these kids are treated properly. ~Jessica C P6
I've never wondered where the relatively cheap foods we buy in the grocery store stores come from. I never knew that they result from the expense of many young children's childhood. I'm really sorry that the kids come from a poor family, and I guess they should work extra hard to survive. But they shouldn't have to have all their time consumed laboring over picking vegetables and fruits. I really do feel lucky that I don't have to do that after watching the video. The fact that the tomato pickers in Florida are exploited and mistreated was a shocking news to me. The bosses who enslave people deserve deserve to be punished brutally because it's absolutely inhumane to exploit other people, just so they can make more profit.
~Jessica, Nope, I would not submit to working conditions as poor as described in this article even to support my family for survival. I would never agree to live my entire life in boxes, shacks, or trucks, or be forced to urinate and defecate in a corner of a vehicle, or have the foods and drink I eat controlled, or work without a good wage or labor protection. There has to be an alternative than living a ridiculous life like this. If there was none, I'd definitely fight for a better life.
Question: What can the consumers do to eliminate exploitation of the laborers? Anjita P-6
October 4th 2010 The two articles made me realize how ignorant people are and I learned that migrant workers are still being exploited and mistreated. Many migrant laborers are “getting paid by the bushel to do painful and dehumanizing “stoop labor.”’ (Migrant Farm Workers). I feel like nothing has improved for the migrant workers since the mid 1900s because their labor conditions aren’t so different from their conditions during the Depression. From the article “Americans Who Fled Drought in the 1930s…,” Mr. Tugwell said in a 1965 interview that because the Dust Bowl was such a tragedy for the poor we need to have records (like photos) to prevent something like it from happening again. However, we still have farm workers that are held as slaves. This made me wonder why people don’t learn from the first time and how many times people need to experience things like the Dust Bowl/Depression to be sure that it’ll never happen again. I was upset when I read that “ordinary citizens, have rarely expressed outrage over such abuses, and even fewer have raised a finger on behalf of farm workers” (Florida Fields…) People need to stand up for those who don’t have power. People shouldn’t ignore the migrant workers’ problems just because it’s not their problem.
Does history repeat itself because people are ignorant?
Bob, I agree that it’s unfortunate for kids that don’t even have enough time to enjoy their childhood. Therefore, I feel very lucky that I don’t have to work and that I can get a good education. This motivates me because I know I shouldn’t waste opportunities that other people don’t have. Ash P.6
After watching the “Children of the Harvest” video, I can understand what Pablo Flores means when he says that the migrant man is the happiest man in the world. Although many would consider the fact that children still work the fields in America, absurd, the fact of the matter is the actual workers don’t think so. In my opinion and what I gathered from the video, these children are proud to be helping their families. It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s a job that needs to be done, and there is pride in hard work.
Question: Most of the workers that appear to be working the fields don’t seem to be American. Why do you think most Americans won’t perform jobs such as this?
I don't think the parents are to blame for the work these children have to do. In the video, many children said they were proud to be helping their families with such important work. Ofcourse it's hard work for a child of 12 years old to be doing, but many of them choose to be there. This is not to say, however, that things shouldn't change soon. Child labor needs to end soon. I agree with you on that Bobby.
I thought that in the Americans Who Fled Drought an interesting quote was, "No one expected the federal government to alleviate these people's suffering. the country was in the grip of the Great Depresssion, and food stamps, Medicaid and most other large-scal relief programs hadn't been invented." I think this shows that americans in the 1930's weren't looking for a government handout just because they are experiencing hard times. They didn't think that what was happening to them was the governments fault so they thought that they should try and fix their problems themselves. Today, many, but not all, are living off of welfare, or waiting for the next government payout instead of working or fighting to make their lives better. I'm astonished that more political otrage didn't occur during the dustbowl as it would have if it was to occur today.
Why do people tend to rely more on the government today then they did 80 years ago? -Stacy B. period 6
I thought the quote, "The ugly truth is that most Americans rarely think about the inhumanity of the process responsible for the fresyh, inexpensive produse on their tables. Until consumers become sensitive to that process and to the plight of the laborers, the abuse and exploitation, even slavery, will continue." (Florida fields being picked by slave labor.) This article made me mad because slavery has been ended in America for over 100 years, and how can civlization progress and move backwards at the same time?
Stacy, I think more people rely on the gonvernment today compared to 80 years ago because the government has become more involved in everyday life. We've also become more involved in the government. I think in order to make people less dependent on the government, it would have to become less involved in the people's lives.
1. I was shocked when watching “Children of the Harvest” because I just didn’t know that things like that still went on. I can’t believe that those kids didn’t have a normal childhood because they started working at 8. I think kids shouldn’t be allowed to work in the fields until they’re atleast 16 years old. It doesn’t seem fair to them that they begin working so young. I was in disbelief when I read “Florida Fields Being Picked by Slave Labor”. I can’t believe we still have people who are cruel enough to treat other human beings in such a horrible way. I never even imagined that slavery was still an issue in our country. Then after reading “Americans Who Fled Drought in the 1930’s Found Little Sympathy” I felt bad for the families who were in the same situation as the Joads. No one cared enough to help them out and the government wasn’t making sure the families were healthy. Instead, many people died. I think that’s horrible but I’m glad that nowadays that we can hopefully prevent that from happening again.
Do you think that our country can be doing more to prevent slavery and to prevent under aged children from working in the fields?
Stacy, I thought your reaction comment was interesting because I hadn’t thought of the article “Americans Who Fled Drought in the 1930’s Found Little Sympathy” in that way. I see your point in how too many people have become dependent on our government nowadays. People who can help themselves should better their lives on their own without expecting anything from our government. However, I do believe that our government does have the responsibility to help people out if they’re dying from not having enough money to buy food. It wasn’t the dust bowl families’ faults that they were in that situation and they were trying their best to improve their lives. I think families like the Joads could have been helped out a little more in order to prevent starvation. Our government is here to protect us so they should have had some responsibility in helping those people during the Dust Bowl. -Alexis A. Period 6
After reading that article I felt completely disgusted. How can the federal government just sit there while "slavery" continues? The thing that gets to me the most is that we as a people still have not learned from our past mistakes. I don't think it should matter how desperate one is for work, he or she does not deserve to be treated like an animal.
How can those in charge, such as police etc, stand by while this is happening?
Sophia, I think it is disgusting that a child of a certain age can work on a farm in the hot blazing sun and operate dangerous machinery when a child of the same age isn't allowed to work in a store. I feel that children in this predicament are being robbed of not only their childhood but also of a chance to truly make something of themselves.
After reading all of the articles and watching the video I have learned that America is very different then it is made out to be. America is always perceived as the country that treats everyone great and fair and helps everyone. After reading the articles I learned this is not true. America is very different. There are still acts of slave labor in the south. Migrant farmers are comprised of both adults and kids not old enough to work. The government sometimes neglects the issues at hand and looks the other way. Overall there is not enough government action overseeing migrant farming and farming in the south. Also there should greater punishment for those who break the rules. What should the government do to reduce the number of children under 12 in migrant farming?
Alexis, I had the same question. I think our country could be doing a lot more to prevent slavery and underage children working in fields. The government should create stricter penalties and more control of the farms. There should be officials from the government that go around to check and make sure all of the farms are following the rules and regulations. As a country I think the United States is responsible to fix this problem that is still going on. Austin C. Period 6
I found these articles very revealing and interesting. I think that it is awful that young children are working inder dangerous conditions on farms and such, but what I found ironic was that 70 years ago someone didn't even think twice if there was a child working in the factory or on the farm. In fact it was expected and necessary at the time for children to be working these jobs because families needed the extra money and because many times, children were perfect for those kinds of jobs because of thier size. They were able to get into small spaces. I was apalled when I read about the slave labor that still goes on down south. I thought that slavery was completely done and over with in this country. After reading about this issue I thought back to my Euro class and realized that slave labor has always been around, pretty much as long as humans have bee around. There have been different kinds of slavery and servitude, such as light servitude in which the servant is treated as a member of the family or extreme slavery where humans are viewed as property. So it made me realize that if history repeats itself as it has in many aspects, slavery is sure to still be in issue in human history to come. Then reading the article about the migrant families really made me sympthasize for them, because they were kicked out of thier homes and jobs, (essentially thier lives) and the government couldn't care less if the families lived or died.
Do you think that much of America is ignorant, including ourselves, to much of the things that go on, even in our own country? We simply think,"Oh that could never happen here in America".
Stacy, I found your question to be insightful but at the same time I think that America's reliance on the government has a been a heavy pattern of inconsistency. For instance, a little after the great depression the governemnt implemented many social/economical programs to help Americans get out of the ditch that they were in. I think that America remained heavily reliant on this programs for quite awhile.
The only thing that really hit me after reading the articles and watching the clip, was our lack of compassion for one another. Today we are so busy and so into our day to day routines, that we don't even take the time to just stop and look beyond ourselves. America, in general, is a great country, and I think that the whole idea of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" it stands on is great. However, we need to face reality that this idea is still not applying to everyone that lives in this country. Would you ever think that children, as young as 11 years old, are doing such hard labor in 2010 America to help their parents provide for their families? It's mind blowing. We need to start putting ourselves in each other's shoes and stop being so ignorant. In the "American Who Fled Drought in the 1930s Found Little Sympathy" the fact that the Los Angeles police officers during that time were told to arrest "'all persons who have no definite purpose for entering the state, and are without visible means of support'" just shows the ignorance and lack of compassion that I'm speaking of. I mean what other "definite purpose" should they have if they lost everything, their families are starving and they have nothing else to hope for besides the jobs that were offered in California? They, and the rest of the nation, should have looked beyond the fact that they were poor and dirty and just remembered that they were still human beings and should have just helped them.
Hey Ashley, I really agree with what you said about "People shouldn’t ignore the migrant workers’ problems just because it’s not their problem." That is my main issue with all this information. Why can't we just be concerned more about each other's well-being? We need to stop thinking "me,me,me" and start caring about each other. Really good point. :)
In the WPA article, it mentions how the WPA during the Depression era did a lot of writing and more decorative art so my question is why would the WPA be so active in creating art during the Depression?
Honestly, Children of the Harvest makes me feel guilty and ungrateful. It really affected me seeing n eleven year old boy help pick vegetables instead of going to summer school to help provide for his family. He wasn't alone either; kids were all over the farms. Agraculture is an exception to the child labor laws; if someone is 12, then they're leagle. Some farmers children, such as Pablo's 11 year old, work in the fields anyways. One girl had been working sense she was eight years old and when asked if she could have one with from a genie she responded, "to rest for a while." Most of the kids I know and have known don't have it that bad, and don't have that pressure. They have most of their opportunities with school and are fortunate enough to have parents to support them.
Do people take for granite the things that they expect, when others don't even have THAT?
Your response to "Americans Who Fled Drought in the 1930’s Found Little Sympathy” was interesting to me because I feel like it was unique. I like the comparason you made to weifare and the government to bail them out when during the dust bowl the people worked themselves. The government, if anything was hurting them more during the dust bowl with some of the camp treatments. I think that may be because the dust bowl really did suck though. Not only were they broke and falling apart- they were dusty. Reaally dusty. Imagine how much worse this would be if the east cost was covered in dust. People would actually be going crazy; they are absolutely reckless these days. Good discussion.
Why do people still do this? It makes no sense. People work better under better conditions, so why make their working conditions as bad as they possibly can? Also, how could someone morally do this? I cant even find the words to describe how outraged even the thought of treating other human beings like that makes me feel. Even during the Dust Bowl, the migrants were treated as less than people. In some ways this is worse than slavery, because they can leave physically, but they need the work and the money so they have to deal with the criticism and the abuse. The slaves have no choice in the matter. It's one of those things that hurts to think about, and I suspect that's why people ignore it, because it's easier.
I forgot to put this with my comment: Why do you think people ignore issues like this and assume others wont, that someone will do something about it, so they don't have to?
Caitlyn, I totally agree. People are going against the Constitution and people know about it, but the people who are supposed to stop things like that from happening didn't notice for a long time. It's outrageous. Then when they do notice, it takes way too long to do anything, and it continues, while people know about it. The police cant just stands around twiddling their thumbs, and if they do they might as well be helping the people doing these awful crimes.
After examining all three sources, I am astonished by the way the government has handled its citizens in poverty. Back in the 1930’s nobody expected the government to help the poor because the whole nation was in the Great Depression. Today, the government still doesn’t make a big enough impact to help the poor. For example, the lawmakers in Florida “... have rarely expressed outrages over such abuses...” This quote was from the article on slave labor in Florida. I would have never expected that there would be labor slaves still in America today. That same article also said that the average worker is being ruthlessly exploited. It seems like the whole lower class is being mistreated. The video also opened my eyes to child labor which I never thought existed in America. It is unfortunate that these children don’t even have time to enjoy their childhood. I also think the parents are at fault for making their children do backbreaking labor. I know they need the money, but it shouldn’t have to come at the expense of their children.
ReplyDeleteWhat factors make today’s society a lot like that of the 1930’s for the Americans in poverty?
-Bob T 6
Jarett, (his post is on the other page)
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your post. Children of any age should not be working on a plantation. It is ironic how Pablo thinks that the migrant workers are the happiest in the world when his children are clearly not happy. Slave labor may even be worse than child labor in some cases. These people were reduced to the status of animals with no rights that government guaranteed them.
-Bob T 6
When I read that story about slavery in Florida, I was appalled. I had to recheck the date, to make sure I was reading it right. I can’t believe this story is from only two years ago. It disgusts me that slavery is even an issue in our country. To believe that this still goes on is unbelievable. Everyone should be treated with respect and should not be taken advantage of this way no matter how bad they need the work. The government really needs to crack down on this situation and make sure that slavery is abolished as it says so in our constitution.
ReplyDeleteIn order to survive and provide for your family, would you submit to working conditions as poor as described in this article?
~Jessica C P6
Hey Sophie,
ReplyDeleteI think it is absolutely ridiculous that a child can work on a farm at twelve, but can’t work in a store until they are sixteen. Farms are much more dangerous and labor intensive, than let’s say selling clothes. To even think a child can operate machinery at that age surprises and appalls me. Jared is 13 and I don’t think he could even reach the petals, let alone operate and handle a tractor and such. There is a reason we have a minimum working age and it’s horrible to think that these kids will never have a real childhood. We really need to put an end to child labor and make sure these kids are treated properly.
~Jessica C P6
I've never wondered where the relatively cheap foods we buy in the grocery store stores come from. I never knew that they result from the expense of many young children's childhood. I'm really sorry that the kids come from a poor family, and I guess they should work extra hard to survive. But they shouldn't have to have all their time consumed laboring over picking vegetables and fruits. I really do feel lucky that I don't have to do that after watching the video.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the tomato pickers in Florida are exploited and mistreated was a shocking news to me. The bosses who enslave people deserve deserve to be punished brutally because it's absolutely inhumane to exploit other people, just so they can make more profit.
~Jessica,
Nope, I would not submit to working conditions as poor as described in this article even to support my family for survival. I would never agree to live my entire life in boxes, shacks, or trucks, or be forced to urinate and defecate in a corner of a vehicle, or have the foods and drink I eat controlled, or work without a good wage or labor protection. There has to be an alternative than living a ridiculous life like this. If there was none, I'd definitely fight for a better life.
Question: What can the consumers do to eliminate exploitation of the laborers?
Anjita P-6
October 4th 2010
ReplyDeleteThe two articles made me realize how ignorant people are and I learned that migrant workers are still being exploited and mistreated. Many migrant laborers are “getting paid by the bushel to do painful and dehumanizing “stoop labor.”’ (Migrant Farm Workers). I feel like nothing has improved for the migrant workers since the mid 1900s because their labor conditions aren’t so different from their conditions during the Depression. From the article “Americans Who Fled Drought in the 1930s…,” Mr. Tugwell said in a 1965 interview that because the Dust Bowl was such a tragedy for the poor we need to have records (like photos) to prevent something like it from happening again. However, we still have farm workers that are held as slaves. This made me wonder why people don’t learn from the first time and how many times people need to experience things like the Dust Bowl/Depression to be sure that it’ll never happen again. I was upset when I read that “ordinary citizens, have rarely expressed outrage over such abuses, and even fewer have raised a finger on behalf of farm workers” (Florida Fields…) People need to stand up for those who don’t have power. People shouldn’t ignore the migrant workers’ problems just because it’s not their problem.
Does history repeat itself because people are ignorant?
Bob,
I agree that it’s unfortunate for kids that don’t even have enough time to enjoy their childhood. Therefore, I feel very lucky that I don’t have to work and that I can get a good education. This motivates me because I know I shouldn’t waste opportunities that other people don’t have.
Ash P.6
After watching the “Children of the Harvest” video, I can understand what Pablo Flores means when he says that the migrant man is the happiest man in the world. Although many would consider the fact that children still work the fields in America, absurd, the fact of the matter is the actual workers don’t think so. In my opinion and what I gathered from the video, these children are proud to be helping their families. It’s not a glamorous job, but it’s a job that needs to be done, and there is pride in hard work.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Most of the workers that appear to be working the fields don’t seem to be American. Why do you think most Americans won’t perform jobs such as this?
Sam B. Per. 5
Bobby,
ReplyDeleteI don't think the parents are to blame for the work these children have to do. In the video, many children said they were proud to be helping their families with such important work. Ofcourse it's hard work for a child of 12 years old to be doing, but many of them choose to be there. This is not to say, however, that things shouldn't change soon. Child labor needs to end soon. I agree with you on that Bobby.
Sam B. Per. 5
I thought that in the Americans Who Fled Drought an interesting quote was, "No one expected the federal government to alleviate these people's suffering. the country was in the grip of the Great Depresssion, and food stamps, Medicaid and most other large-scal relief programs hadn't been invented." I think this shows that americans in the 1930's weren't looking for a government handout just because they are experiencing hard times. They didn't think that what was happening to them was the governments fault so they thought that they should try and fix their problems themselves. Today, many, but not all, are living off of welfare, or waiting for the next government payout instead of working or fighting to make their lives better. I'm astonished that more political otrage didn't occur during the dustbowl as it would have if it was to occur today.
ReplyDeleteWhy do people tend to rely more on the government today then they did 80 years ago?
-Stacy B. period 6
I thought the quote, "The ugly truth is that most Americans rarely think about the inhumanity of the process responsible for the fresyh, inexpensive produse on their tables. Until consumers become sensitive to that process and to the plight of the laborers, the abuse and exploitation, even slavery, will continue." (Florida fields being picked by slave labor.)
ReplyDeleteThis article made me mad because slavery has been ended in America for over 100 years, and how can civlization progress and move backwards at the same time?
Stacy, I think more people rely on the gonvernment today compared to 80 years ago because the government has become more involved in everyday life. We've also become more involved in the government. I think in order to make people less dependent on the government, it would have to become less involved in the people's lives.
Shama K p6
1. I was shocked when watching “Children of the Harvest” because I just didn’t know that things like that still went on. I can’t believe that those kids didn’t have a normal childhood because they started working at 8. I think kids shouldn’t be allowed to work in the fields until they’re atleast 16 years old. It doesn’t seem fair to them that they begin working so young. I was in disbelief when I read “Florida Fields Being Picked by Slave Labor”. I can’t believe we still have people who are cruel enough to treat other human beings in such a horrible way. I never even imagined that slavery was still an issue in our country. Then after reading “Americans Who Fled Drought in the 1930’s Found Little Sympathy” I felt bad for the families who were in the same situation as the Joads. No one cared enough to help them out and the government wasn’t making sure the families were healthy. Instead, many people died. I think that’s horrible but I’m glad that nowadays that we can hopefully prevent that from happening again.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that our country can be doing more to prevent slavery and to prevent under aged children from working in the fields?
Stacy, I thought your reaction comment was interesting because I hadn’t thought of the article “Americans Who Fled Drought in the 1930’s Found Little Sympathy” in that way. I see your point in how too many people have become dependent on our government nowadays. People who can help themselves should better their lives on their own without expecting anything from our government. However, I do believe that our government does have the responsibility to help people out if they’re dying from not having enough money to buy food. It wasn’t the dust bowl families’ faults that they were in that situation and they were trying their best to improve their lives. I think families like the Joads could have been helped out a little more in order to prevent starvation. Our government is here to protect us so they should have had some responsibility in helping those people during the Dust Bowl.
-Alexis A. Period 6
After reading that article I felt completely disgusted. How can the federal government just sit there while "slavery" continues? The thing that gets to me the most is that we as a people still have not learned from our past mistakes. I don't think it should matter how desperate one is for work, he or she does not deserve to be treated like an animal.
ReplyDeleteHow can those in charge, such as police etc, stand by while this is happening?
Sophia,
I think it is disgusting that a child of a certain age can work on a farm in the hot blazing sun and operate dangerous machinery when a child of the same age isn't allowed to work in a store. I feel that children in this predicament are being robbed of not only their childhood but also of a chance to truly make something of themselves.
Caitlyn L Period 5
After reading all of the articles and watching the video I have learned that America is very different then it is made out to be. America is always perceived as the country that treats everyone great and fair and helps everyone. After reading the articles I learned this is not true. America is very different. There are still acts of slave labor in the south. Migrant farmers are comprised of both adults and kids not old enough to work. The government sometimes neglects the issues at hand and looks the other way. Overall there is not enough government action overseeing migrant farming and farming in the south. Also there should greater punishment for those who break the rules.
ReplyDeleteWhat should the government do to reduce the number of children under 12 in migrant farming?
Austin C. Period 6
Alexis,
ReplyDeleteI had the same question. I think our country could be doing a lot more to prevent slavery and underage children working in fields. The government should create stricter penalties and more control of the farms. There should be officials from the government that go around to check and make sure all of the farms are following the rules and regulations. As a country I think the United States is responsible to fix this problem that is still going on.
Austin C. Period 6
I found these articles very revealing and interesting. I think that it is awful that young children are working inder dangerous conditions on farms and such, but what I found ironic was that 70 years ago someone didn't even think twice if there was a child working in the factory or on the farm. In fact it was expected and necessary at the time for children to be working these jobs because families needed the extra money and because many times, children were perfect for those kinds of jobs because of thier size. They were able to get into small spaces. I was apalled when I read about the slave labor that still goes on down south. I thought that slavery was completely done and over with in this country. After reading about this issue I thought back to my Euro class and realized that slave labor has always been around, pretty much as long as humans have bee around. There have been different kinds of slavery and servitude, such as light servitude in which the servant is treated as a member of the family or extreme slavery where humans are viewed as property. So it made me realize that if history repeats itself as it has in many aspects, slavery is sure to still be in issue in human history to come. Then reading the article about the migrant families really made me sympthasize for them, because they were kicked out of thier homes and jobs, (essentially thier lives) and the government couldn't care less if the families lived or died.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that much of America is ignorant, including ourselves, to much of the things that go on, even in our own country? We simply think,"Oh that could never happen here in America".
Stacy,
I found your question to be insightful but at the same time I think that America's reliance on the government has a been a heavy pattern of inconsistency. For instance, a little after the great depression the governemnt implemented many social/economical programs to help Americans get out of the ditch that they were in. I think that America remained heavily reliant on this programs for quite awhile.
Jake O Period 6
The only thing that really hit me after reading the articles and watching the clip, was our lack of compassion for one another. Today we are so busy and so into our day to day routines, that we don't even take the time to just stop and look beyond ourselves. America, in general, is a great country, and I think that the whole idea of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" it stands on is great. However, we need to face reality that this idea is still not applying to everyone that lives in this country. Would you ever think that children, as young as 11 years old, are doing such hard labor in 2010 America to help their parents provide for their families? It's mind blowing. We need to start putting ourselves in each other's shoes and stop being so ignorant. In the "American Who Fled Drought in the 1930s Found Little Sympathy" the fact that the Los Angeles police officers during that time were told to arrest "'all persons who have no definite purpose for entering the state, and are without visible means of support'" just shows the ignorance and lack of compassion that I'm speaking of. I mean what other "definite purpose" should they have if they lost everything, their families are starving and they have nothing else to hope for besides the jobs that were offered in California? They, and the rest of the nation, should have looked beyond the fact that they were poor and dirty and just remembered that they were still human beings and should have just helped them.
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley, I really agree with what you said about
"People shouldn’t ignore the migrant workers’ problems just because it’s not their problem." That
is my main issue with all this information. Why can't we just be concerned more about each other's
well-being? We need to stop thinking "me,me,me" and start caring about each other. Really good point. :)
In the WPA article, it mentions how the WPA during the Depression era did a lot of writing and more decorative art so my question is why would the WPA be so active in creating art during the Depression?
Treasure p6
Honestly, Children of the Harvest makes me feel guilty and ungrateful. It really affected me seeing n eleven year old boy help pick vegetables instead of going to summer school to help provide for his family. He wasn't alone either; kids were all over the farms. Agraculture is an exception to the child labor laws; if someone is 12, then they're leagle. Some farmers children, such as Pablo's 11 year old, work in the fields anyways. One girl had been working sense she was eight years old and when asked if she could have one with from a genie she responded, "to rest for a while." Most of the kids I know and have known don't have it that bad, and don't have that pressure. They have most of their opportunities with school and are fortunate enough to have parents to support them.
ReplyDeleteDo people take for granite the things that they expect, when others don't even have THAT?
JACKIE G5 TSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Stacy,
ReplyDeleteYour response to "Americans Who Fled Drought in the 1930’s Found Little Sympathy” was interesting to me because I feel like it was unique. I like the comparason you made to weifare and the government to bail them out when during the dust bowl the people worked themselves. The government, if anything was hurting them more during the dust bowl with some of the camp treatments. I think that may be because the dust bowl really did suck though. Not only were they broke and falling apart- they were dusty. Reaally dusty. Imagine how much worse this would be if the east cost was covered in dust. People would actually be going crazy; they are absolutely reckless these days. Good discussion.
signed,
JACKIE G5
Why do people still do this? It makes no sense. People work better under better conditions, so why make their working conditions as bad as they possibly can? Also, how could someone morally do this? I cant even find the words to describe how outraged even the thought of treating other human beings like that makes me feel. Even during the Dust Bowl, the migrants were treated as less than people. In some ways this is worse than slavery, because they can leave physically, but they need the work and the money so they have to deal with the criticism and the abuse. The slaves have no choice in the matter. It's one of those things that hurts to think about, and I suspect that's why people ignore it, because it's easier.
ReplyDeleteGretchen Gara
period 5
I forgot to put this with my comment:
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think people ignore issues like this and assume others wont, that someone will do something about it, so they don't have to?
Gretchen Gara
period 5
Caitlyn, I totally agree. People are going against the Constitution and people know about it, but the people who are supposed to stop things like that from happening didn't notice for a long time. It's outrageous. Then when they do notice, it takes way too long to do anything, and it continues, while people know about it. The police cant just stands around twiddling their thumbs, and if they do they might as well be helping the people doing these awful crimes.
ReplyDeleteGretchen G
period 5