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Allegations of
child labor — not evidence, but mere allegations…
Just the mention of an allegation of this nature and those
who’ve spent years, even generations, building a
reputation face the ruin of all they’ve labored for.
This speaks of something terribly wrong.
Child labor —
filthy conditions, dangerous situations, children deprived
of the right to an education, forced labor... It was such
conditions that fostered many of the present day child
labor laws. But was this the experience of all children
whose life included “labor” in varying degrees
and conditions?
The issue of child
labor requires mature thought. It requires a look into
the past — both at the abuses and the successes.
To say that all labor was abusive is to deny one of the
most fundamental pillars of this nation’s greatness.
There’s just too much history and personal testimony
to ignore — then and even now. Such a shallow view
as the news headlines present overlooks the real issues.
The fact that companies
such as Sundance would drop us on a mere allegation from
a Tabloid — with no evidence or even a report from
government officials — reveals the sad reality that
America is losing its inherent rights, and is succumbing
to the manipulative powers of persuasion from the media
— the type of persuasion that is devoid of mature
thought, waved in the faces of cognitive people with good
intentions only to intimidate them into thinking they
are doing wrong.
Where is the abuse
of children? Is it labor that abuses children? Or is it
children that are left to themselves that are the abused
ones? There is a Proverb that says, “A child left
to himself brings shame to his parents.” America
is groaning under the weight of children who cannot pay
attention because no one will take the time to pay attention
to them — for so many of them are too busy working
in occupations where there is no room for children. But
who is facing this squarely — this attention deficit
disorder — other than certain pharmaceutical companies
that make fortunes from a generation dependent on Ritalin
and Prozac?
The Encarta Desk
Encyclopedia in its introduction to an article on child
labor says this:
“Child Labor
— a term used to denote the employment of minors
generally, especially in work that may interfere with
their education or endanger their health. Throughout the
ages and in all cultures children joined with their parents
to work in the fields, in the marketplace, and around
the home as soon as they were old enough to perform simple
tasks. The use of child labor was not regarded a social
problem until the introduction of the factory system.”
We have our children’s
future and welfare in mind when we set about to do business.
The businesses we run are designed to complement and enhance
the education of our children. The atmosphere we work
in is in no way a detriment to their health. Look around
the building you are standing in today. This is a building
designed for those that matter most — our people.
Before this building existed as a Common Sense facility,
we functioned out of another unique facility that was
also designed with the same quality of life in mind —
a skin care cottage industry that we set up in a former
grocery store in a residential neighborhood. That facility
is still functioning today. Our success in that facility,
due in part to our work for Origins, created a problem
— there was no more room to expand.
Since the quality
of life of our workers is a deeply held conviction, rather
than a conveniently held opinion, we were not going to
sacrifice that quality of life for the prospect of an
increased economy. Origins respected that conviction,
and we respected their business integrity, and thus found
a way to work together to meet each other’s objectives.
Origins
stated
that
when
they
saw
children
in
our
facility,
we
gave
insufficient
answers.
We
respect
their
decision
to
terminate
their
relationship
with
us.
Origins
as
a
corporation
cannot
assume
the
risk
of
association
with
an
entity
like
ours
that
comes
so
close
to
the
limits
of
the
letter
of
the
law.
We
aren’t
afraid
of
that
risk,
for
we
understand
the
spirit
of
the
law.
Despite
the
termination,
we
still
hold
Estée
Lauder
and
Origins
in
high
regard
due
to
their
business
integrity,
and
have
reason
to
believe
that
they
will
continue
to
respect
us
as
well.
We welcome the
visit of Labor Department officials. In fact we have already
met with them, and sense in them what we have always believed
about true public servants. And that’s a willingness
to work with people to help them to understand the law
and be in full compliance. We may not know all the complexities
of the law, but we do understand the spirit of the law,
and therefore say, as we have said before, We Make No
Apology.
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