Remember when we used to sing to this song from the Disney movie “Mary Poppins”? 

I also remember how I thought that all chimney sweeps were older men (like Bert) and were happy go lucky because they could see the soot mixed with the deep sunset creating something wonderful to sing about. 

NOT! Most chimney sweeps were young, homeless boys between the ages of 4-12 who were malnourished because the smaller the child, the better he could fit into the tiny chimney.  

What is up with Disney and romanticizing and skewing our perception of LIFE? Chimney sweeps was just one “occupation” in which child labor was exploited and grossly misused. Most boys who started out as chimney sweeps ended up with parts of the chimney permanently scarred into their lives. For example, many children would have to climb up the chimney while they were still hot (don’t you know how cold Britain can be like most of the time?) and if the child refused to clean all the way to the top of the chimney, the owner would light the fire.  What the hell is wrong with people? 

Honestly, there’s nothing new under the sun.  Child labor today MIGHT not be as gruesome in America, but imagine how children are treated in less “democratic” countries? 

However, being angry at Disney and at the wretchedness of the human population won’t do anything. How do we demand! with our consumer points that children AND adults not be exploited for the “greater good” of capitalism? 

Well first start by signing a petition online (here). Find a human rights issue that pulls at your heartstring and inform people. Did you know that if you told three people close to you about this issue and they told three people and they told three other people, you would eventually reach all of the U.S? 

Let’s engage in something productive - I know that there has to be more good than fucking evil in this world. Don’t you?