Letter to the Editor from Susan Vaughan

Dear Editor,

In April 10th's "The Daily Break," in the section titled "People," is a story implying a child labor scandal compiled from wire reports and quoting "New York Post" as a source.

Robert Redford is accused of selling items made by child members of "a controversial cult"...."described as racist, isolationist" and one that "forces young children to work alongside their parents in its various cottage industries."

I have visited this so-called cult which I see as similar to the Amish in many ways. The children attend school part of the day then work with their parents or other role models the remainder of the day to learn a useful trade.

They work with a group of people who do organic farming and are otherwise environmentally conscious, unlike many other American children who attend overcrowded, poorly ventilated schools sprayed regularly with toxic chemicals and which serve pesticide-laced and sugary foods.

This group lives among the people in different communities throughout the world, and they are honest, modest, and very hardworking.

They welcome anyone to visit and see for themselves.

Children have been working on family farms and businesses along with their clan or family members for thousands of years.

We are not talking about a sweat-shop, child labor issue here. This is media trying to drum up a story, not knowing the facts.

It is very unfair for the media, by printing half-truths, to take away a source of this community's much-needed income."

Susan Wells Vaughan
Kitty Hawk, NC