Childhood and Child Labor

Hundreds of thousands of adolescent farm workers are laboring under dangerous and grueling conditions in the United States. These children often work 12-hour days, and during peak season, may work 14 hours a day or more, seven days a week. One-third of those interviewed by Human Rights Watch (an international human rights organization) reported earning significantly less than the minimum wage. Some workers were paid as little as $2.00 an hour." ("Fingers To The Bone: United States Failure To Protect Child Farm Workers." Human Rights Watch. New York. June 2000.)

http://www.nfwm.org/content/childhood-and-...

Thursday, July 09, 2009

“Disappointed but not surprised,” is how Jason and Amy Davis feel about the sentence handed down Wednesday to the local FBI agent who shot and killed their 3-pound Chihuahua, Sassy.

Lovett Leslie Ledger, 40, was sentenced Wednesday by 54th State District Judge Matt Johnson to two years’ deferred probation and 300 hours of community service after pleading no contest to state jail felony animal cruelty charges. Deferred probation means there will be no final judgment of guilt if Ledger successfully completes deferred probation.

“This is closure for us,” Jason Davis said. “We’re here for our children. They still ask us questions we don’t know how to answer.”

Jason Davis said the appropriate punishment would have been for Ledger to be in the Davis home the night when the Davises had to tell their children, now ages 9 and 6, that their pet, Sassy, had been killed.

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content/news/...