Now, for this week's topic, I would like to address the conditions that factory workers are subject to. I know that some of the more jaded readers will say, "Well, they are uneducated immigrants who may not even be here legally, so what do they expect?" But let me counter that with the fact that we have an abundance of fruits and vegetables at very reasonable costs due to the hard, back-breaking work of these people. Does it matter that they are not here legally? I do not think that anyone deserves the treatment these people receive.Take a look at this article on how workers are treated in this blog: The Politics of the Plate: The Price of Tomatoes. I am familiar with the extreme disparity of wealth in this area because my family spent summer vacations on Marco Island, and we would often take the trip across the bridge to the upscale town of Naples. The elegant mansions--some with a canal and yacht--are in stark contrast to the trailer homes on the outskirts of town.
One agency that is providing help for these workers is the Southern Poverty Law Center. If you honestly can read the stories of abuse here and not have sympathy for these workers, I will be surprised.
Some of you may think, aren't these workers taking away jobs from Americans? Well, take a look at this Huffington Post article, Americans Don't Want Farm Work, Despite Economy.
I think we need to ask ourselves, why do we not value those workers who provide the sustenance for our country? Readers, please let me know your thoughts!
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Americans don't want farm jobs, and they don't want immigrants or migrant workers to have them. We don't want to spend more on our produce, and we don't want anyone to be in this country who doesn't have the right paperwork. We are a nation of contradictions, most of which defy logic. We put up with the poor and disenfranchised only as long as they are "Americans." If immigrants were to complain about the treatment they receive, they would certainly be told to "go home." Not only are these workers not valued, they are vilified and relegated to the lowest level of society. And I believe that in a nation such as ours, such a practice should not be allowed. Period.
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