Child Slave Labor Revelations Sweeping China: New York Times Article

Su Jinduo and Su Jinpeng, brother and sister, were traveling home by bus from a vacation visit to Qingdao during the Chinese New Year when they disappeared. Cheated out of their money when they sought to buy a ticket for the final leg of their journey home, they were taken in by a woman who offered them warm shelter and a meal on a cold winter night, and then later a chance to earn enough money to pay their fare by helping her sell fruit. The next thing they knew they were being loaded onto a minibus with several other children and taken to a factory in the next province, where they were pressed into service making bricks. Several days later, the boy, who is 16, escaped along with another boy and managed to reach home, enabling his father to rescue his 18-year-old sister a few days later. This story is one of hundreds like it that have swept China in recent days in an unfolding labor abuse scandal that involves the kidnapping in central China of hundreds of children, and perhaps more, some reportedly as young as 8, who have been forced to work under brutal conditions. 

Most Common Products

Carpet

Afghanistan, India, Iran, Nepal and Pakistan.

Cocoa

Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria

Coal

China, Colombia, Mongolia, North Korea, Pakistan and Ukraine.

Diamonds

Angola, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe.

Garments

Argentina, China, India, Jordan, Malaysia and Thailand.

Gold

Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Mali, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Niger, North Korea, Peru, Philippines, Senegal and Tanzania

Call + Response: Soundtrack

During class, I decided to purchase the soundtrack to the documentary. I thought it would be interesting to listen to these songs and decipher what they are about and what their message is. I enjoyed listening to many of the songs on the album. I especially enjoyed the songs recorded by the artist Matisyahu because I feel that his songs portrayed the message well. I also think that the songs sound very good and can be enjoyed by numerous people. At first, I was skeptical to listen to the soundtrack because I thought that all of the songs would be only about the campaign. The songs explore many different ideas and parts of life that are relevant to the Call + Response campaign. Throughout the album, there is commentary from Cornel West. During his commentary, he focuses on the importance of music and how ideas and messages can be spread through the power of music. I also purchased the album because I thought it would be a great aspect of my presentation by playing the music from the documentary at my station. I believe that this will make my station more appealing to other classmates.    

Call + Response Campaign

Vision: We believe the end of modern day slavery will come from individuals who gather together to push on businesses, media, and governments to support their existing values for human rights. We believe that this is a bottom-up movement that needs dynamic information, sustained inspiration, and most importantly, tactile activation.

Call + Response: a first of its kind feature documentary film that reveals the world's 27 million dirtiest secrets: there are more slaves today than ever before in human history. Call and Response goes deep undercover where slavery is thriving from the child brothels of Cambodia to the slave brick kilns of rural India to reveal that in 2009, Slave Traders made more money than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined.

People Involved: Cornel West, Madeleine Albright, Daryl Hannah, Julia Ormond, Ashley Judd, Nicholas Kristof, and many other prominent political and cultural figures. Performances from Grammy-winning and critically acclaimed artists including Moby, Natasha Bedingfield, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Imogen Heap, Talib Kweli, Five For Fighting, Switchfoot, members of Nickel Creek and Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, and Rocco Deluca.

Slave Labor: Call + Response Campaign

After completing my presentation on slave labor and the call and response campaign, I decided to continue my research and study slave labor in depth. Before researching, I was unaware that this actually took place and that products I have bought have been made by slaves. An interesting fact that I found is that there are more slaves now than there were when black people were slaves in America. I find this fact to be very troubling and I think this is a major issue that needs to be addressed and solved. The call and Response campaign is a group of musicians and activists who wish to spread their message about slave labor through music and other forms of media. After watching parts of their film, I became very interested in the topic and I want to learn more about it. The call and response film will provide me with a lot of information for my research and can be another aspect of my project that I can utilize. Overall, the information I have gathered and the research I am still completing will allow my project to be successful and informative. 

Hidden Bias

After completing the test, the results indicated that I preferred African Americans to European Americans. This test made very little sense to me and seemed to be more of a matching game than anything else. I think that everyone has hidden bias due to what they have learned, heard, or experienced with people. I do not think that a test like this can determine any conclusive data about your own opinions about people. A true person knows what they believe and how they feel about other races and ethnicities. It is something that an individual should decide for themselves and not something that should be told to you through a confusing test.  Everybody has their own beliefs in their own mind when they see a person of a different race or ethnicity and this is when your hidden bias is no longer hiding. These results did not provide me with any new knowledge about my opinions about race. This test made me more confused which I made sure they knew in the reflection part of the survey. Overall, I believe that everyone has hidden biases about people that they hide from others, but each individual knows what their bias is. 

Race In America

Previous to studying this unit and learning about race in class, I had the opportunity to watch a film about being black in America. I thought that this film was very informative and truly gave me a perspective about being black in America. Since I come from a suburban neighborhood without diversity, I could not relate to what it is like to grow up and live in America being a black person. There are many unfair things that black people have to deal with on a regular basis such as stereotypes. I believe that the view and opinion of black people was purposely created so that they would be inferior to white people.  Since the country is somewhat set up so that this is the case, black people in America have much more obstacles to overcome. One segment that I remember from the film was the story about Michael Eric Dyson and his brother. I thought this was very interesting because it showed how two similar people could go in two completely opposite directions. Dyson’s brother allowed stereotypes and other obstacles to take the best of him. Dyson’s brother exemplifies the stereotypical black man in America and what the system creates for them. Michael Eric Dyson represents perseverance and hard work because he overcame numerous obstacles that stood in his way due to his race. Overall, I think that this website and film series is eye opening and very interesting. 

Mock Trial Recap and Response

The first trial that we did as a class involved a young girl who accused her boyfriend of raping her. I think that the result of this trial was very accurate and it was the correct outcome. Even though I argued that he did not rape her, I do not think that the opposing side could have possibly believed that she was actually raped. Since our argument was much stronger we ultimately won the case. I think that the most important fact to consider in this case was the fact that there was no definite sign of a struggle. The fact that her shirt ripped was not conclusive enough to show that there was in fact a struggle. There were no bruises on the victim. I think that this was the most important fact because without a struggle there is no proof that he did any harm to her. It made it seem like she was falsely accusing him of something when she knew he did not do it. In order for the jury to reach an opposite outcome, the opposing side would have had to present stronger arguments that proved he actually raped her and caused her harm.

The second trial involved a young woman who accused her employee of sexually harassing her. I think that the result of this trial was correct even though there were clear examples of sexual harassment. The most compelling facts in this case were the examples of when he sexually harassed her and the jokes that he made. I personally believe that the jokes were not meant to harm her and were simply said to provoke laughter. The jokes were in poor taste but Murphy was a comedian and an established lawyer. I did not think that his actions were bad enough to cause him to be found guilty of sexual harassment and ruin his reputation as a lawyer. I think that this woman was very sensitive and overreacted to his attempts to be friendly. I think that in order to reach an opposite outcome the opposing side should have provided stronger arguments to show how Murphy’s comments directly affected her work performance.

 I think that the issues of rape and sexual harassment are very significant problems in the United States but are not problems here at DHS. There are no students who sexually harass and rape each other because people know that it is wrong and that they can get in a lot of trouble for it. Since people who attend DHS are taught to act properly and follow the law, the culture creates an atmosphere at DHS where people are able to feel safe. I think that these are topics that students at DHS should be informed about but I do not think they are problems here at DHS.

What’s Going on in the World?

After browsing through many stories on the New York Times, I noticed that it was very informative and it had a lot of interesting topics. I liked that at the top of the website there were many different subjects to chose from such as Business, Technology, and Sports. These were the main subjects that I chose to look through and I read some interesting articles. Under the business category I read an article that discussed how YouTube wanted to buy Next New networks. The purchase of Next New Networks, which produces original programming and helps video creators distribute their films and make money, would be YouTube’s biggest attempt into creating its own programming. By doing this they will only have professionally created videos and will make money off of them. There will be more advertising and revenue generated by this purchase. Under the Technology Section, I read an article about how people who have iPhone’s spend more time using apps than talking to people or browsing the Internet. This means that people are spending more time on their phones playing games and using applications than using a phone for a phone. Phones are becoming new sources of entertainment and a new way to play games. I thought that this was interesting because this article made me realize how much time people spend on their phones. Under sports I read an article about the Miami Heat. This article discussed the trio of Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne wade and whether or not it was a good idea. The author states “Is there something in James’s makeup — or more likely, his skill set — that in end-game situations reduces him to less than the sum of his wondrously athletic parts”? I thought this author was very interesting and I read more articles that he wrote. Overall I think that the New York Times is a great website and source of information.

State of the Union

After watching the State of the Union speech made by President Obama, I thought it was very interesting how the two parties were not separated. I think that this made the speech and the overall presentation much better because it allowed the focus to be more on the issues rather than what the party believed. It caused people to be individuals rather than following a group. I liked how President Obama urged Congress members, no matter their party, to seek a common ground so they could meet challenges facing the United States. President Obama argued that by supporting innovation, the government would actually help create jobs, and would help to decrease the American unemployment rate by nearly ten percent. With new technology, it allows for new industries to develop and for new jobs to be created. I also found it very interesting how President Obama stressed the importance of parenting. His main focus was the future, and the kids are the future of the country. The president pointed out, though, that Congress can only do so much about the kids, and he urged parents to continue stressing the importance of education. "That responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities.  It’s family that first instills the love of learning in a child," he said. "Only parents can make sure the TV is turned off and homework gets done”. Overall, I think that the President made a good speech and it did not need to be critiqued. 

Bikeman: Closure

            I truly enjoyed reading Bikeman, which has opened my eyes to a new perspective of the September 11^th attacks. At first, I was skeptical about reading another detailed explanation about the World Trade Center disaster, but I am thankful that I chose to read this book. The art of storytelling is something that is very difficult to do well, but the author, Tom Flynn, uses poetry to his advantage. Although, I have never read a story in the form of a poem, I think that it was very effective and allowed me to feel what he was feeling at the time of the attack. Tom Flynn tells an amazing story and ventures into a new lane of storytelling through poetry. I think that the issue of September 11^th is one that will never cease to exist and will forever remain a topic for debate and discussion. The information available on the topic of September 11^th is so vast and my thoughts about Bikeman are so detailed, that I do not have enough space on this blog, so due to this realization I will end on that note. 

Bikeman: #5

Tom Flynn’s journey slowly ends as the second tower is crumbling down. Before this moment, Tom Flynn feels as though it cannot get any worse, but to his amazement, more lives are taken. He explains, “The pain will come later for all who are here. The pain will come later for all” (68). His surroundings do not feel real and as time progresses, more events occur that create a feeling of shock. Mr. Flynn is unable to fully experience the emotions that he should be feeling because he is shocked at what has happened. Most people who were informed about the terrorist attacks were extremely shocked, but as time elapsed people began to realize the enormity of what had occurred and the pain set in. The feelings that Americans shared forced us to become united as a nation and become stronger than ever. This tragedy allowed conversation for some and a chance to help for others. Tom noticed that “we are one now, we must look out for each other, care for each other. We are one now, fellow citizens in a city crushed by anguish and agony. We are one now” (73). The attacks caused the United States to unite with the common interest of helping others and seeking revenge against the terrorists.  Many people in America were supportive of the war because people felt as though we needed to fight the terrorists back in order for everything to be okay. This overall feeling of revenge may not be the best option because it can cause more harm than good. The war in Iraq has proven this because we have lost innocent lives and we have lost an endless amount of money funding the war. Many conspirators believe that the United States Government orchestrated the September 11th attacks in order to have a reason to go to war. This clearly gave the United States a reason to go to war and definitely caused more American citizens to support the idea of war. The general public will never know the underlying intentions of the United States government. The impact that the attacks have on people will not change and the effects on Tom Flynn will be eternal. 

Bikeman: #4

As Tom Flynn continues his ride, he is faced with the aftermath of the towers falling and the struggles of human survival. Along with many other people, he feels as though his previous life is over and that a new chapter lies ahead of him. At times he believes he is going to die, and at others, he wonders how this experience will affect him in the future. He explains, “What will I feel? Who will I be, when I regain my life? Or will the great doors of life having closed once, not a slow creaking closing but the sudden slam shutting ever reopen” (56)? This feeling of not knowing what lies ahead is something that he feels throughout the story and is something that he is very afraid of. He does not understand what his future will be and he does not know how he will feel. He is unable to understand that he is a witness to the biggest terrorist attack in United States history.  At that time, he is unable to realize the effects that this incident will have on himself and on the country as a whole. The September 11^th attacks caused a nation who felt secure to suddenly feel as though anywhere they walked, they could potentially be in danger. The fear that this attack caused on the people of America overpowered their ability to think and operate normally. Through this book, I am able to understand the feelings that someone had while experiencing the incident with their own eyes. I can only imagine the effect that the attack had on a person because just by hearing about it through other sources I find myself greatly affected by the tragedy. As Tom attempts to escape death, he senses death in the air and everywhere he goes. He explains walking through the streets like being “on a blanket of death in mortal silence” (66). 

Bikeman: #3

The story continues, as the first tower collapses. Tom Flynn explains, “I am momentarily struck deaf. I do not hear the awful final roar of the tower in death. My mind blocks out the last sounds of the powerful collapse, the ripping, renting, relentless break up raining down. But with all the growling and gnashing of its dentilations, I do not recall the cruel noise. I am deaf, as deaf as I was, to those voices crying vainly for help” (38). The author uses the literary device, imagery, as a tool to create a scene for the reader and as a method to portray the images of the attacks through words. Not only does this story create an image or picture for the reader, but also creates a feeling in the minds of the reader.  This book has impacted my understanding of the attacks much more than actual pictures or videos. This form of journalism provides a picture for the reader along with words that explain the feelings that surrounded people in New York City. I found it to be very interesting how he compared the sound of the tower crashing to the screams and cries for help. As deaf as he was to the towers crashing, he was just as deaf to the pleas for help. He could hear the cries for help but he could not do anything about it. That feeling alone is something that an outside viewer cannot understand but can only be told. He watched the lives of so many vanish within moments and as a witness could not do anything about it. As he was running from the dark cloud of debris that was coming his way he explains, “an ambulance man runs with me. He is there to assist the hurt, the wounded, but finds none. They are not hurt this September morning. They die or they live. The ambulance man has no job to do” (40). Even people, whose job it was to help, could not do anything about it because there was nothing that anyone could do to help these people. The mere fact that these people were helpless affected Tom Flynn and others very strongly. The idea of help for others was no longer an idea because people were forced to be focused on helping themselves and protecting their own lives. He describes the black cloud approaching him as “thousands of horses and millions of soldiers are stampeding across a desert, threatening clouds rise at their hooves and heels, pushing the frightened air ahead” (42). This image is stuck in my head as I continue to read the story. 

Bikeman: #2

            Bikeman begins, as Tom is in his home not knowing that the September 11^th attacks will no longer be his future but soon become his present. Tom explains the emotion of the unknown. I thought that this first poem was very interesting because it explains his feelings right before he was informed about the attacks. This feeling of the unknown is a very scary concept because it forces you to realize that something that life altering can happen within a matter of seconds.  You can be doing one thing such as reading a book and within a minute, your entire life can be changed along with the lives of millions of other people. The story continues with Tom Flynn recounting his feeling of curiosity. He says, “Curiosity is a fearless companion. If this coming event were a mythical beast breathing fire from its nostrils, grasping at me with sharpened claws, my muse would not counsel caution nor guide me to a protected place but push me closer to the flames. My muse cannot see a difference between good fortune or ill. So without care or caution, we ride into this latest of life’s unanswered questions” (9). This feeling of curiosity overwhelms him and causes him to proceed towards the danger but not away from it. His curiosity overpowers his feelings of fear because every person seeks information and knowledge. Tom Flynn is curious about the unknown and dives into ground zero, as others would more commonly run away. As he approaches the towers, he explains what he sees such as papers falling from the sky as well as people. He compares the business documents falling from the sky as useless as dandruff dusting down. As he sees people falling, he mentions one woman who he watched fall from the towers. He explains his feelings towards his vision and he feels like “I am a witness to this and embarrassed. I am an intruder on the most private moment of her life: her death” (15).  This idea and perspective jumped out at me because it allows you to understand the circumstances of the attacks. He felt embarrassed because her death is not something that he should have seen, but something that should have happened much differently. This perspective causes the reader to contemplate those things that only a person who witnessed it with their own eyes would ever think about. 

Bikeman: #1

For my outside reading assignment, I have chosen to read the book Bikeman. Tom Flynn, a reporter and former employee of CBS News, describes his eyewitness account to the September 11th attacks. Through the use of poetry in many forms such as songs and verses he tells his story. I chose to read this book for numerous reasons. Although, I have never read a book that tells a story through poetry, I think that this method is very effective because it causes the author to only include the important details that are essential to the story. I am also very interested in the September 11^th attacks and I enjoy hearing first hand accounts of the tragedy. This allows me to get the best perspective of the incident since I did not witness the attack myself. The September 11^th attacks are very controversial and have been a major issue in our country since it occurred. There are many questions and concerns that surround the September 11^th attacks, which is why it is a major topic in the United States. A consistent issue is whether or not the United States had prior knowledge to the impending terrorism and could have prevented the disaster. Tom Flynn is considered not only a journalist, but also a participant, observer, and survivor of these attacks. This story is told through someone who “did not live through it” but “just did not die”. His perspective truly reveals the struggles of the many surviving victims because it explains it through the eyes of someone who escaped death. Mr. Flynn does not see his survival as something that he overcame but as something that he escaped. Bikeman is the story of one man and his journey on a bike to the World Trade Center towers. On his journey, he experiences the devastation that faced New York City, and the United States of America.