Response to Carl's Final Project

Following reading The Blog, “Chronicles of the Chosen One”, I gained much knowledge on Ceaser Chavez, a man who I had no previous knowledge on. Ceaser Chavez said, “For we are in the midst of a great social movement and we will not stop struggling ‘til we die, or win!” This quote is a great representation of Ceaser Chavez because he was a very socially active person who fought for the rights of Hispanics not only in America but all over the world. Ceaser Chavez was very influential and gave many people the hope that change could be made, thus giving many Hispanics the will to stand up and fight for what they believed was rightfully theirs. Ceaser Chavez also organized the National Farm Workers Association. This group fought for equal rights for migrant workers. Some of the rights they fought for were to have clean water available while working, to be able to have a lunch break during the day to satisfy nourishment, and to receive fair wages for the work they were completing. These issues were very controversial and Chavez tried to do whatever he could to make it easier for Hispanics to have the same opportunity at success as any other person would have. Chavez’s main point was that unless Hispanics had sufficient education, they would not have a chance to rise from the lower class. Without the payment of fair wages, workers could not afford to send their kids to school for long, and needed them to help work to pay their bills. The fight for equality and opportunity was one Chavez fought his whole life and I admire him for his efforts in trying to give all Hispanics the chance to be more than lower class.

Response to Hannah's Final Project

After reading Hannah’s Blog, I have learned a lot about the human genome project that I did not already know. According to Hannah’s Blog, “On May 13th, 2008 at Cornell University in New York, the first human embryo was genetically engineered. The Cornell scientists took the gene for a fluorescent protein and put it into the single-celled human embryo they were testing. Above, the chromosome pairs the embryo had were glowing after three days. The head scientist, Dr. Rosenwak explained that the division of the daughter cells after this time period means that the gene for the fluorescent protein would be able to be passed on to future generations.” This captivating piece of information really shows the strides in technology we have made. We have made such great progress in technology and now we are getting close to being able to change and alter embryos. This is life altering information for some people, as through these strides we may be able to come up with cures for certain diseases such as cancer years before we even imagined possible. The human genome project is very interesting and I am excited to hear more about it in the coming years.

Response to Andrew's Final Project

As I read Andrew’s Blog’s final research project I was very fascinated because there are many events about same sex marriage that took place in the past that I had never heard about before. One of the topics discussed, “Boy Scouts of America vs. Dale,” was very enticing to read about because it is unbelievable to see what measures people will go to allowing them to be able to turn away from people that are different then themselves. James Dale was a homosexual male who had been a boy scout for many years, and when his sexuality was found out, he was kicked out. James dale decided to sue the “Boy Scouts” for violating the first amendment while kicking him out. This act of injustice was to me unfair, but to the courts it was okay. James Dale argued that, “his inclusion would not affect in any significant way existing members' ability to carry out their various purposes,” but the court decided that it was not necessary for the Boy Scouts to re-admit Dale as a member. This event reminds me of Plessey vs. Ferguson because the court ruled in that case that separate but equal was okay, and that Plessey did not have to be admitted into the white only seating. I believe that one day this issue, like Plessey vs. Ferguson, this case will be looked back on and the court will decide that this ruling was not the correct ruling, and sexuality should not keep one from participating in activities such as Boy Scouts.

Bibliography for Final Project

http://mancelovici.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/nike_child_labor.jpg

http://industrialchildlabor.wikispaces.com/file/view/child_labor.jpg/33783659/child_labor.jpg

http://weightofsilence.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/148048.jpg

http://home.comcast.net/~DiazStudents/IndustrialChildLabor2.jpg

http://www.stolenchildhood.net/images/child_labor_yemen.jpg

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7pMRHdXvS829bVDRatW1wLrJay1arDCI6aVoi2Kz6Urq_1C1lN5U8PyFpq0sPG0dxluALi8F91QUF7g7f_itb3Gx2-M6c_8BN6Ji9ehtBmQJR1DvpiN4d0NLzJ8CDi2pmFrq4aTZ4gg/s400/miner.jpg
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/images/061012-child-labor.jpg

http://kellenebishop.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/freedom-print-c100862651.jpg

http://www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/youth/issues/index.php?type=childlabour&gclid=CJD8mKfahqACFRMNDQod21UU1A

"child labor." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2010. http://www.americanhistory.abc-clio.com/.

http://www.worlded.org/WEIInternet/projects/ListProjects.cfm?Select=Topic&ID=14&ShowProjects=No&gclid=CP_ChczahqACFQwhDQod_0yTgg

www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/.../what_is_child_labor.html

Analytical #3

In the news today, child labor, labor wages and Labor unions are the most important Labor issues. These issues are cycled around from every continent and argued maliciously by people who support and don’t support these issues or groups. In the United States, every single person has freedom of speech to say what they believe and because of this, there are many different ideas. With these topics, there will never be a resolution be merely arguing for the sense of arguing.
In the media today many people are not debating, but upset that child labor is still prevalent in the world. “In India there about 12.7 million child laborers and this increases by one million every decade.” This phenomenon is not right and is illegal in most countries around the world including India, which is the saddest part. Even though it is outlawed, people are still having children work for them in dangerous conditions for long hours. The story told of 12 year old whose identity has been kept secret, to ensure his safety, shows the terrible conditions one goes through during child labor. This one child was sold to a banker and has been doing manual labor for him for the past 6 years. Anything from scrubbing pots to cleaning rooms this boy would work on his hands and knees for hours a day. This is an example of a child who instead of being able to learn at school and obtain an education, he has to work all day in hard conditions as child labor.
In the news today, labor wages are becoming harder to manage as Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg plans to demand that teachers take smaller raises in their upcoming contracts, or else he and the city will be forced to cut 2,500 jobs from the teaching force. Due to the recession, people are asking for teachers to relinquish money so that they don't have cut jobs from hard working civilians. This sacrifice for teachers may not be possible as the fact that many teachers salaries as so low that they have to live on meats end and cannot afford to give up any extra money they will be receiving. This wage cut is affecting many people in the city of New York.
"With only 12 percent of U.S workers in unions, we can't afford to limit our numbers. We need to draw our strength from unity with migrant workers." In the news today, labor unions are telling mass immigrant workers to from large mass groups as it is one of the only ways that the people can get the wages that they truly deserve. Now though, people have a realization for what kind of wages they deserve and the mass organizations are one of the best ways to accomplish higher wages. This is having a humongous affect on all people as labor union workers are trying to, in this recession, receive the fair pay they deserve.
These issues are very important to the enitre country as they effect every single citizen. These are especially changing all the time because of the recession we are in. Hopefully we will all be able resolve these issues in time.

Analytical #2

As Dick went through everyday day the same, shining the boots of the men who would walk by and give him the work he needed to get through the day, he came upon the luck of meeting a customer who changed his life. Horatio Alger’s story of a man, who is poorer than poor can be, who finds a way to rise out of the depths to a better life. This is one of the many feel good stories Horatio wrote. In this novel, Dick is a shoe shiner who works long days, to come home to his bed, a stack of hay on a wagon. This life, Dick is okay with as he gets to spend money on things such as drinks at the Old Bowery and take people out to eat. One day he comes across a man who doesn’t have change and asks Dick to bring change for his shoe shine to his office.
In the chapter I read, there were many connections to what was going on in the 1800’s and 1900’s. There were many people who did not have enough money and had to sleep on a hay wagon for a bed, like Dick. Also, as Dick worked long days and very tough hours, like any other poor person, he spent all the money he made every day for nutrition and rent. This left him with no money to start the next day, and in a never ending cycle of having no money, to money, back to no money. Dick also like many people back then was working for wages far below those of the labor he was completing. He shined shoes for only ten cents, and on a good day made about one dollar. This was only if he had the amount of customers to shine ten pairs of shoes. Labor wages were non-existent and this is why people made such a small amount. Dick used what he had and what he made to get him to the next day.
The theme of rising up from the poor and becoming a part of the middle class, is one the Horatio Alger used often to bring hope to those who had no money to eat and no place to sleep. This story resembles what happened to those people who got very lucky and gave the people who were around them hope to aspire to the person they had become and live a fulfilling life. Dick was just a normal guy who was very poor and did what he had to so he could get through every day. He shined shoes for those people, which is a very tedious and hard work to do. From this, he met a customer who gave Dick a chance to be more than he could have imagined. He gave Dick the opportunity to be a gentleman and to have money to spend and start his day with. This story was one that made people believe in happy endings.

Analytical #1

Labor is the work one puts forth in order to support themselves and/or their family. There are many different problems occurring today with labor such as, child labor, labor wages, and the strength of labor unions. These problems all correlate with each other and are directly related to one another. If labor wages decrease, then child labor increases so that families have enough money to live and labor unions strength rises as people are upset that they are not being paid enough money. All three of these topics are widely debated and have a humongous affect on our country.
During the industrial revolution, there were no laws against child labor and how old one must be to work. During this time, one in every three American factory workers was between the ages of seven and twelve. These kids worked hard ten to twelve hour days, in very dirty and dangerous conditions causing many kids to get sick and die at young ages. Not until 1916 did congress do anything to try and stop such young kids from working, by putting a thirty day suspension on goods that were manufactured by children, making the manufacturers wait thirty days to transport their goods. In 1924, the child labor amendment was made by Congress and in the next few years 28 states ratified it. This amendment said, "The Congress shall have power to limit, regulate, and prohibit the labor of persons under 18 years of age. This amendment changed child labor forever and helped child labor come to an end.
In the mid to late 1800’s and early 1900’s labor unions were very powerful. In 1886, Samuel Gompers established the AFL, American Federation of Labor, which became the largest and most important organization of its kind the country had ever seen. The AFL did things such as helping people receive better wages. Many people joined labor unions to grow strong and get the wages that were rightfully theirs. Another Labor group like the AFL, Knights of Labor, was very productive and successful gaining more than 750,000 members. After the Haymarket square riot, the Knights of Labor was badly injured as some members were directly responsible for the death of police officers trying to break up the riot. The Knights of Labor eventually merged with the AFL and continued to help millions of people in the United States.
Labor wages was a very important topic in the 19th and 20th century and continues to be today. In the 1800’s one of the biggest wage issues was determining whether or not people should be paid determining on the amount of work they do, or the amount of time they work. These questions were raised time and time again and the end result was that the employer would choose. Minimum wage has always been changing and is different in every state. There was no minimum wage until 1938, so employers could choose how much they wanted to pay their employees even if the amount was very unfair. Labor unions would then come in and help people fight for the wages they deserved.
Labor work is demanding but yet very satisfactory when finished. Child Labor, Labor unions, and labor wages have been and will always be critical issues. These issues are a humongous part of our economy and will always be. When the day comes that figure out how to balance of wages, end child labor and make labor wages fair for all, our economy will skyrocket and never look back.

Current Event #4: Labor Unions and Immigrant workers must support each other

"With only 12 percent of U.S workers in unions, we can't afford to limit our numbers. We need to draw our strength from unity with migrant workers." This article talks about how though in the past the U.S labor unions have tried to stay away from encouraging people to have mass immigration, fearing that people would accept wages that were lower than they deserved. Now, labor unions are telling mass immigrant workers to from large mass groups as it is one of the only ways that the people can get the wages that they truly deserve. This directly connects to the fact that many people back in the 1800's would make mass groups and settle for wages that were lower than the wages they deserved. Now though, people have a realization for what kind of wages they deserve and the mass organizations are one of the best ways to accomplish higher wages. By doing this i think that laborers have the greatest chance to receive the wages that are fair and that they deserve.

Current Event #3: Prevailing Wage law would deter development

In Pittsburgh, new measures are being taken as the government is near passing a new law which could give many architects and developers a reason to re-think building in Pittsburgh. The new law could give up to three dollars an hour more than the eight dollar wage, to workers that are working on developments while being built. This law is supposed to help workers who have families have an easier time supporting their families. This may also keep work away from these people though, as developers may not want to pay these new wages to workers. This is very similar to the labor wages problems in the 1800's as many people were trying to gain more money so that they can better support their families. This is only going to support the economy because the more money the workers make, the more they can spend in the economy and help us get out of this recession. This was a problem also back in the 1800's until the labor unions finally won and granted the workers who do the jobs most of us would never even dream of , the money they deserved for the hard labor they accomplished every day and the lard labor that kept our country going.

Current Event #2: Wages in New York

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg plans to demand that teachers take smaller raises in their upcoming contracts, or else he and the city will be forced to cut 2,500 jobs from the teaching force. This contradicts with wages in the 19th and 20th century because during those times people were fighting to give laborers more money as many of them feel they deserved more money. Now, due to the recession, people are asking for teachers to relinquish money so that they don't have cut jobs from hard working civilians. This is a very important issue because the mayor is asking teachers to give money back from their all ready underpaid salaries to help them keep other teachers in a job. This sacrifice for teachers may not be possible as the fact that many teachers salaries as so low that they have to live on meats end and cannot afford to give up any extra money they will be receiving. I feel bad for the teachers, but i feel that they must give up these extra raises to ensure it will not be them whose contract is terminated. This is directly opposite of what used to happen because in the 19th and 20th century with the economy on the rise, more jobs were available and people were only asking for the money they deserved so that they could feed their family, and now they may have to give back money that they use to feed their family. I hope that they can find another way to let the teachers keep the money and not have to cut jobs, especially in these hard times.

Current Event #1: Children in India are exploited

The article "children in India are exploited", directly correlates to my article on child labor because in India now, children are worked long hours and even beaten at times, which was prevalent during child labor in the 19th century. Child Labor though outlawed in India has grown to about 12.7 million child laborers and is supposedly increasing by about one million every decade. Child Labor back in the 19th century was increasing heavily as well until their were labor laws prohibiting child labor. In the article its showing a contradiction of that, as child labor has increased every decade even with laws against it. This shows how in different cultures, though the law has been set in stone, it takes longer and sometimes doesn't even work to get the law to be followed. The story told of 12 year old whose identity has been kept secret, to ensure his safety, shows the terrible conditions one goes through during child labor. This one child was sold to a banker and has been doing manual labor for him for the past 6 years. Anything from scrubbing pots to cleaning rooms this boy would work on his hands and knees for hours a day. This child labor shows the dangerous environment kids go through all over the world to produce child labor and how it has gotten worse all over the world.

"Street Life in New York with Boot Blacks" book response

After reading a chapter in the book Street Life in New York with the Boot Blacks, i was able to see how laborers worked for money years ago. Dick worked very hard and recieved only ten cents for a time he shined someones shoes. This amount of money,a fairly small amount, was still enough to get Dick through his day and allowed him to do such things as go to the Old Bowery, where he could get a few beers with his friends and have fun activities to participate in. Though Dick made money, he didn't make enough for a comfterable living enviroment. Dick slept on a bucket with hay inside and payed rent for this. Most Laborers such as Dick during this time had a difficult time living, and didn't have money to pay for such things as a normal bad set or their own home. Dick's life though hard was a fairly simple and easily obtainable life, one filled with enjoyment and satisfaction. These feelings were not felt by most laborers, but by the ones like Dick who had felt self reliance that their life made them happy.

The National Labor Congress

The National Congress met on Oct 1st 1886, to discuss labor issues such as "the growing and alarming encroachments of capital render necessary the employment of means to arrest them," and "that co-operative stores and workshops should be encouraged. These issues and ideas were met with the discussion of 400 laboring men who were all trying to find the most successful way to earn money and provide the best living conditions for their families. The Congress also said, that "The congress adopts the motto that the whole public domain shall be disposed of settlers only." This means that the public is trying to keep settlers from coming in and taking away business but rather is encouraging that settlers come in and work co-operatively with the community to bring in revenue. This will only increase the success of workers throughout the public and help them make more money. Also, this is a chance for laborers to find work because with bigger businesses run by more people, there is a higher need for employees to work the shops and sell merchandise.

"The National Labor Congress." Chicago Tribune (1860-1872) Chicago, Ill.: Oct 1, 1866 pg. 1 http://hn.bigchalk.com/hnweb/hn/do/document?set=search&start=1&rendition=x-article-image&inmylist=false&urn=urn%3Aproquest%3AUS%3BPQDOC%3BHNP%3BPQD%3BHNP%3BPROD%3Bx-article-image%3B703441672&mylisturn=urn%3Aproquest%3AUS%3BPQDOC%3BHNP%3BPQD%3BHNP%3BPROD%3Bx-citation%3B703441672

Labor Wages in the mid 1800's

On July 19th 1865, a article in the tribune called "The eight hour question" was published. This paper went over the ideas that men thought it was absurd that they could get the same wages from eight hour work as they could from ten hour work. The article states that men can only be paid the money proportional to the amount of work they do, so if a man works eight hours and does as much work as a man who works ten hours, they should receive the same compensation. The idea of good quality also comes up because it is true that someone who completes a task in ten hours will be more matriculate than someone who completes a task in eight hours, because the one who uses less time will be hastier in the completion process. The tribune states that they believe the wages of labor depend, not only on the employee and employer, but on the value of the things being produced by the laborer. This i agree with because someone who in ten hours makes a teddy bear, should be paid less money than someone who in ten hours acts upon court cases as Judge. The importance of the tasks at hand are very important and essential to the compensation one receives during their daily work.

"The Eight Hour Question." Chicago Tribune (1860-1872) Chicago, Ill.: Jul 19, 1865 pg. 1 http://hn.bigchalk.com/hnweb/hn/do/document?set=search&start=1&rendition=x-article-image&inmylist=false&urn=urn%3Aproquest%3AUS%3BPQDOC%3BHNP%3BPQD%3BHNP%3BPROD%3Bx-article-image%3B717608092&mylisturn=urn%3Aproquest%3AUS%3BPQDOC%3BHNP%3BPQD%3BHNP%3BPROD%3Bx-citation%3B717608092