Category: Opinions (Page 9 of 11)

in addition to voting for Morgan Mack-Rose for the San Leandro School Board at large seat, you should vote for Hermy Almonte for the District 1 seat. Hermy is a father of two, one of his children just graduated from San Leandro High School and the other is still there. He’s been very involved in the schools, serving in their United Parents organization, the English Learners Advisory Committee and the School Council. His opponent, just like the guy running against Morgan, has taken a policy of rubberstamping the decisions of the Superintendent – even when these have led to severe conflicts with teachers and parents
So please, vote for Morgan and Hermy Almonte.

By now, we all know or should know the great evils that have come from the diamond industry: endless wars in Africa, slavery, the use of child soldiers (and the atrocities they’ve been made to commit), and so on. I think it’s apparent to anyone with any kind of moral sense, that buying diamonds is just wrong.
But it’s not just diamonds that must be avoided, the following article from AP shows how in the mining of gold, even children as young as 4 years old are put to work. And this is dangerous work. Mercury is used to mine gold, it attracts it like a magnet, “but it also attacks the brain and can cause tremors, speech impediments, retardation, kidney damage and blindness.” The article goes on to describe many more of the evils committed on these children. And to ascertain that if you buy gold of any kind, it’s likely to be at the expense of those children.
Now, if you think silver is the answer, think again. Much of that silver is also mined by children in just as hazardous conditions – not to speak of the environmental damage that gold and silver mining causes. If you have the time, I recommend you watch The Devil’s Miner, an amazing documentary about a young miner boy in Potosi, Bolivia. His father died, he’s left to support his mother and sister, and he has no choice but to work in the mines. He knows he will die early, he dreams of studying instead. And I hope that the documentary saved his life.
And all for our own frivolity!
I know that this will not convince anyone to give up buying jewelry. Kids far away of other races and colors are too hypothetical, too removed, gold is shiny. And I’m not a big jewelery buyer myself – but did get a couple of pieces last year. No more.

Continue reading

One of Camila’s favorite dolls has long blond hair in a braid, eyes that open and close. It has a soft body, but a plastic head, hands and shoes. It’s pretty nice all in all. We bought it at the dollar store for, you guessed it, one dollar.
I can’t but wonder at the person or persons who made this doll. How little must they be paid, if after the cost of materials, transportation, and several levels of profit, they can sell the doll for only $1. Was it made by a child who doesn’t even have her own doll? Was it made by a woman who must work countless hours to make ends meet? Whatever the answer, I’m sure it’s not pretty. And yet I bought the doll.

My husband’s political opponent on his race for School Board (School Board!), a solid Republican until a few days ago, has now turned coats and joined the Democratic party. Of course, he realizes that in a city with a strong Democratic majority, his relationship with the Republican party is unlikely to win him any votes. So, in the name of political expediency, he switches parties.
That, in itself, amuses me. It’s an act of desperation that I predicted would happen. It’s a pity, because even though I know the man is only running to give another School Board member a hold over the Board, he seemed like a nice guy. He may not realize just how unethical his behavior is – just like he didn’t seem to realize that telling me how attractive he finds women to be, was inappropriate if not outright sexist.
But for some reason I am bothered by the fact that his campaign manager has allowed him (encouraged him?) to perform such an obvious trick. Forget how laughable and counterproductive it’s likely to be for his candidate (a turncoat Republican surely sounds worse than a registered Republican), just how unethical is this? Of course, one expects campaign managers to be somewhat unethical, but to that extent? I’m frankly disgusted. OK, maybe not too disgusted, as I expected it, but sad that this is playing out just like I thought.
My next thought is that they’re going to start playing dirty, a negative campaign. We’ll see – but mark my words. They have nothing going for them (as the candidate has no interest in the school system) so mudslinging makes sense. Of course, that’s what won Ellen the election 🙂