Jacob
Edited version for reflection essay on child labor
There’s Revising and then there’s Editing
        One of the main problems in the world and in the U.S. is child labor and child abuse.  The reason this is a problem is because these children should have an encouraging life and not an abusive one.  Children have been abused and even murdered throughout many years.  There are several ways this abuse can be stopped.  First, people can become sponsors to help improve the child labor situation.  Next, people need to get Congress to pass new child labor laws that force harsher consequences on child abusers.  Finally, the local, national and international governments need to enforce those new child labor laws.  Children have been abused for so many years in so many awful ways that finally people can try to stop it.
        First, there are several ways of trying to stop these kids from being abused.  People need to try to protest against the current unfair child labor laws.  These current laws are very outdated and don’t really protect the kids.  Next, people need to speak out against child abuse and become the voices of the kids who should have the same rights as adults have because they are people too.  Last, kids have to obey rules and laws that protect their safety.  If no one can speak up for the kids, then the abuse will continue.  People can help to change the current child labor laws by getting other parents and other people who care about children involved in revising these current laws.
        Second, people need to lobby Congress to change and enact new child labor laws and get the courts to enforce these revised laws.  These lobbyists have to meet every time Congress meets to discuss changes in the current child labor laws.  The lobbyists need to suggest new child labor laws that will put the kids safety first, force harsher consequences on the child abusers, and get Congress to adopt these revised laws.  Once Congress accepts and adopts these revised laws, the courts will have to enforce these new laws, and the courts have not always enforced the child labor laws in the past years.  Their cooperation is vital in helping these revised laws to work and become effective in helping the kids.  The police will also have to help in enforcing these revised laws.  The courts and police play important roles to ensure these revised laws become effective in helping to stop child abuse.
        Third, people need to get sponsors to donate funds for safe houses.  Some of the sponsors will provide financial donations to help purchase the building materials to build the safe houses.  Other sponsors will provide the manpower to help build them.  There should also be other sponsors that can donate their time to help run the safe houses.  The kids will go to these safe houses when the courts remove them from abusive homes.  Many kids have died in abusive homes because the courts would not remove the kids in time.  The social workers need to show more responsibility by removing abused kids when they see early signs of child abuse.  The school officials and pediatricians need to also notify police when they see early signs of abuse.   The safe houses will be more successful if everyone from all these different areas can work together.
        Finally, we can try to end many of years of unnecessary child abuse and abusive child labor laws.  We have to make better child abuse laws, enforce those new laws, and develop more safe houses for the abused kids.  Children need to be able to feel safe at home.  They should not have to be forced to work in unsafe conditions.  Kids should be able to grow up as normal kids do.  Children should be able to play games, have an education, and just enjoy being a child.  Children are not able to speak up for themselves, so the police, courts, teachers, pediatricians and other caring adults need to help make the laws that will keep our kids safe.  By taking these actions child abuse can be reduced or eliminated.