Why Teaching Is Simply the Best Job. Period.

My students researched modern day slavery this week. They wrote letters to the President or Governor of Alabama about what they learned, and what they hope his response will be. These letters will placed in the mail this weekend. As an English teacher, I was proud to see their use of pathos, ethos, and logos. I was proud of their awareness of their audience.

I was proud to see transition words.

But as a human, I was proud of their outrage. I was proud that they were shocked and appalled by this new information. I was proud that they insisted their President or Governor do something about one of the most shameful human rights issues of our time. I was proud that their minds are not clouded with dollar signs and politics, but are instead firmly fixed on what is just and what is unjust.

Everyday, but especially today, I am proud to be their teacher.

Dear President Obama/Governor Bentley,

You might think slavery is a relic of the past, but in actuality it is an ongoing unchecked issue. – Ryan Smith

These victims live all over the world, within 101 different countries.– Brenda Chang

What shocked me was that there are as many as thirty million people that live as slaves in the entire world. Some goods are even made by children as young as five years old. – Brady Long

Nearly 11.7 million people are stuck in bonded labor in India. That’s about the population of Ohio. – Layne Woodall

Pakistan is home to over four million modern day slaves which is one of the highest rates in the world. – Shamiracle Thomas 

One type of slavery that I want to address is child slavery. I have read things about child slavery in one day that have made me sick, mad, and want to fight for every child that needs help. – Tyrone Williams

If you have not really seen slavery in your life or just don’t think it is a huge problem, I would like you to sit down with “Abuk Bak” without saying, “I want to help you”.  Her village where she lived was in southern Sudan. In 1987 Abuk was only 12; she was kidnapped and enslaved for 10 years.

– Zachary Hunter

Do you enjoy chocolate? I do. I enjoy all kinds of chocolate! As I mentioned earlier West Africa is the second largest producer of cocoa in the world. Slaves right now as you're reading this are chopping up cocoa beans. – Nykiah Williams

There is a type of slavery called bonded labor, where a person owes another person money and he/she are forced to work for that person until the amount of money is paid back. – Madison Bevis

How would you feel if you were Ramphal, who was a slave in India? He had to ask permission to do anything he wanted to do. How would you feel if you had to do dangerous work in unsafe conditions all the time and not get any freedom? – Lane Galloway

 

I was astonished that our country is home to about 60,000 modern slaves. – Tamya Tolbert

Even in “the land of the free” around 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked. – Anthony Moncrief

I know we have many other issues to solve as a country but I think the United States should lend a hand in helping these countries overcome slavery. As the governor you know the negative legacy Alabama has associated with slavery; however we have the opportunity of becoming leaders in the movement against slavery, and we can change that legacy forever. – Cionni Yates

While all of this is heartbreaking, there are some steps you can take to end this horrible act. First of all, you could crack down on traffickers, track them down, and then arrest them. This could eliminate some human trafficking.  In order to stop child labor, you should ban the companies that are participating in it. Another thing you could do is fund anti-slavery work worldwide. – Ellie Hart

If we all know that slavery is bad then why don’t we stop it, we should have stopped it years ago. Anyway, if you don’t stop it, who will? – Axel Baltazar

Imagine a world free of slavery. – Luis Cabello

Respectfully,

The Students of Mrs. Raville's English 9 Classes