Poverty Response

Live Free and Starve:
Chitra Divakaruni suggests in her article that when The United States passed a bill that wouldn't allow the import of goods from forced child labor factories, the nation failed to think past their own minds and into the world of these children. She says the children lived a very different life and to them, being able to have money to eat or for their families was much more important than the freedom we Americans know so well. To oppose her side, I say that Americans were doing the right thing. To be raised in a country where freedom is allowed is such a wonderful opportunity, it would only make sense to spread the philosophy to other nations. By not purchasing from factories that force children into working, we are decreasing their sales and hopefully putting the indentured children out of work. As Divakaruni says, "If the children themselves were asked whether they would rather work under such harsh conditions or enjoy a leisure that comes without the benefit of food or clothing or shelter, I wonder what their response would be." Although the author has a point, saying the children would be without food or clothing or shelter, the ultimate reason the bill was passed was because the harsh conditions they were working in was so unethical to our standards. Because we know of freedom and its joy, we could only want to spread the idea of freedom into other countries. Because the concept of indentured children is so wrong to us, it must be universally wrong by the vast majority of our country's reasoning.
The Singer Solution to World Poverty:
Peter Singer feels that Americans should be doing more than they are to help those in deep poverty. He also states that although we are often quick to chastise those who do something horrible (say selling an unknown homeless kid to organ peddlers), not donating to those in need is just as bad. Singer blatantly shows his point, "In the end, what is the ethical distinction between a Brazilian who sells a homeless child to organ peddlers and an American who already has a T and upgrade to a better one, knowing that the money could be donated to an organization that would use it to save the lives of kids in need?" It is agreeable that Americans could be doing more to help the poor or sick, but in no way does being face to face with a child in need compare to being thousands of miles from those you could potentially help. To take affirmative action, one must act as soon as they have the chance. If you have a situation right in front of you, you should take immediate action and help whatever is going on. You have the direct opportunity and if you choose to ignore it, you know for a fact you have potentially ended any chances a person had. Americans could do more by sending money to non profit charities that benefit the sick or poor, but when they are face to face with a problem, they must address it.