LETTERS; THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO PROTEST

To the editor:

World trade in itself is a good idea. This is not what the protesters are angry about. What angers this nation's people and people from all over the world is the way they plan to implement it.

I was in a store the other day, and I complained about something being made in China. The checkout gal said she didn't care where it was from if it was cheap enough. She said she can't afford to pay higher prices. I bet she has plenty of food probably wastes some of it and throws away old clothes, and her daughter doesn't have to worry about much more than her next test at school.

What she does not understand is that someone, maybe a child, worked long hours, was paid very little and still went to bed hungry in the rags that have never quite fit.

This is what the protests in Seattle are all about. They don't want communist countries who allow child labor and sweat shops to thrive. These are the countries that our companies are going to, companies that exploit low wages, and children. There is something that you can do: You can protest, and here is how.

I check labels. If I have a choice, I pick the label that tells me the manufacturer is in a country that has a fair wage. There are many countries that do: Japan, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Italy, United Kingdom, France, and the United States.

I have been protesting for a long time. I buy from these countries when ever possible. Go, Seattle.

CAROL POOLE

Jackson