Living Free

When I was little, I remember begging my parents to go to DisneyWorld. I wanted to see the princesses, I wanted to ride the rides, meet Mickey Mouse in person, get all of the autographs...you get the point. When I was little I loved my AmericanGirl dolls, I had one that looked just like me. I loved caring for them, taking them everywhere as if they were a real little girl. Little did I know that ten years later I would be finding out about the tears that went into making those dolls and the famed Disney T-Shirts. I would find out that the very items that make so many American children skip with glee are the same ones that chain children of the same age to work areas, forcing them to sew the shirts or put together the dolls for me to play with. 

Sitting at my computer, I am disgusted. The very thought of slavery in general [especially after this country long ago abolished it] makes me cringe, but thinking about the children sweating over, crying over, being beaten over, longing for their next meal over the very things that brought me joy and companionship as a child is repulsing. 

I sat at my computer tonight and looked up companies that were not free trade [free of slavery] the list was shocking. Things that I use to get by on a daily basis were all made through blood, sweat and tears.....mostly of drastically underpaid and abused children. CoverGirl, Crest, Cologate, Pepsi, Nestle, Hershey, Apple, Dell, Kelloggs...I could make the list go on and on. [go to http://chainstorereaction .com/home/ to see a list of more companies]

A little boy harvesting the chocolate that would soon be in my candy bars

Beauty products often use children to mine the mica, one of the main ingredients found in most make-up. Chocolate companies use children to harvest the cocoa while drastically underpaying them. Clothing companies higher children to sew the clothes and operate machinery [though child labor has long been outlawed].

I came away from Chapel tonight with my heart being pulled to live a fair trade life. I went to a survey to see how many slaves that I owned based on the items that I consume and it turned out that I was responsible for nearly 36 slaves! [go to slaveryfootprint.org to take the 11 question survey] Yes, this number could be off....and it's not like I own these slaves, but I do keep them in work by buying from the companies that abuse them. I was determined that I was not going to be responsible for the blood sweat and tears any longer. I got on the list to see what companies I needed to stop shopping with....only to find the list consumed nearly every product I use, making it nearly impossible, for me a poor college student to afford to shop elsewhere. My heart sank.

So I may not be completely able to live a free life [which sickens me], but I can cut down on the things that I don't need. I can cut out chocolate and pop [it'd be a good life decision anyway], I can try to avoid shopping at certain stores that are notorious for supporting slavery. I can write a blog and spread the word in order to challenge others who are more able. I can make people aware of the labor behind their everyday supplies, their childhood joys. But in the end, I pass the buck to you: I keep on praying because it's all I can do. I can not let my heart grow calloused to modern-day slavery and hope that it will soon be just another chapter in the history books. 

If you're heart is now plagued [like it should be] check out these apps that will provide you with the fair trade grades of companies...carry it with you as you shop! free2work and free world are just two of the many apps. 

two child minners

"It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
   be compassionate and loyal in your love"

~Micah 6:8 (the message)