preview

The Pros And Cons Of Labor

Decent Essays

In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, Dr. Martin Luther King said, “For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never."” Dr. King’s words are resonant and relevant in current struggles worldwide. In the U.S., marginalized groups have fought for emancipation for decades. We have been told to vote and to participate in politics for our liberation. The problem is that when we vote for officials who enact legislation suppressing one type of oppression, another type is quickly formed. When lynching was out, police brutality came in. When child labor was out, prison labor came in. It’s a never-ending cycle. One form of oppression takes the place of whichever form is removed. We have been programmed to be dependent on voting for officials with progressive ideals who are meant to free us from our persecution. We are sold dreams of reform to convince us to vote for one candidate over another. We are told to adhere to a dominant political party for our freedom. Throughout history, we are told lies and are manipulated by the ruling class as if though it is a generational tradition.
Trying to reform an institution that has a foundation built on marginalization and oppression is counterproductive. We all need to comprehend that our governmental and societal institutions are working as they were built to, and therefore reform is not revolutionary. Reform is also an unstable goal for the long

Get Access