Eight Going on Thirty

This selection of reading about Rigoberta Menchu makes me so sad for her life growing up, and what she had to face at such an early age. There is so much she did not have to experience, but people are greedy and do not care how they treat people they see as below them in worth. At a young age she brought it upon herself to work the fields to help her mother get more money to keep the family afloat financially and physically. In what world would we imagine ourselves helping our parents bring home the money that puts food on the table? I know I wouldn't have been able to at her age; however, it makes you think of how quickly she had to mature versus people, like me, who grew up blissfully unaware of what it took to live life without worry. A child should not have to grow up so quickly or know what it feels like to carry the weight of your family’s burden on your shoulders. It makes me so grateful for what I have in my life.

After reading this I also feel hatred towards the people inflicting such cruelty on these workers. I mean, I know America had slaves and the cruelty experienced was similar if not worse, but this particular selection is different because they are not considered slaves who can never leave. They are forced to work because they have no other option. The people in charge know that and take advantage of that. Who does that? How do they sleep at night knowing that so many people are suffering because of their immense greed for making the most profit possible by ripping off the workers? My personality is pretty independent not really wanting to others who command me unfairly, so I cannot imagine my current self working in the fields and just taking the abuse they received. The entire time I was reading I wanted to fight back for them because I found it so unfair.. and unfair doesn't even come close to describe the treatment they received.