We used to own our slaves but now we just rent them

From The Independent:

Three Florida fruit-pickers, held captive and brutalised by their employer for more than a year, finally broke free of their bonds by punching their way through the ventilator hatch of the van in which they were imprisoned. Once outside, they dashed for freedom.

When they found sanctuary one recent Sunday morning, all bore the marks of heavy beatings to the head and body. One of the pickers had a nasty, untreated knife wound on his arm. Police would learn later that another man had his hands chained behind his back every night to prevent him escaping, leaving his wrists swollen.

The migrants were not only forced to work in sub-human conditions but mistreated and forced into debt. They were locked up at night and had to pay for sub-standard food. If they took a shower with a garden hose or bucket, it cost them $5.

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Somebody should explain the either/or fallacy to that Burger King executive who implies that it is useless to pay the extra penny @ pound because the additional $100 @ year each worker would earn wouldn't _completely_ solve the problem of the exploitation of farm workers. Who said it had to? From the article, it is obvious that other reforms will be necessary, but why refuse to do what you can while waiting for the legislature to act? Scratch Burger King from the list of places that will receive any of _my_ pennies.