Essay 1070

Riding high with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• A lawsuit was filed in Miami for thousands of young boys claiming they were slaves of rich rulers from the United Arab Emirates and forced to work as camel jockeys. The suit shows more than 30,000 boys may have been victimized. “Boys as young as 2 years old were stolen from their parents, trafficked to foreign lands, and put under the watch of brutal overseers in camel camps throughout the region,” the suit said. “These claims are brought to punish the perpetrators and compensate the victims of child slavery and an international slave trade in small children that seems unimaginable in the 21st century.” And folks thought Joe Camel was outrageous.

• A new study shows Spanish disappears and English becomes the dominant language among immigrants after a few generations. “Even in the nation’s largest Spanish-speaking enclave, within a border region that historically belonged to Mexico, Spanish appears to be well on the way to a natural death by the third generation of U.S. residence,” said the study. So “Hasta la vista, baby” becomes “Whaddup, dawg.”

• Hanesbrands announced plans to cut 2,200 jobs and shut down three North American plants. Talk about a major wedgie.

• Chicago Mayor Richard Daley successfully vetoed a proposal to raise the minimum wage and require benefits for employees at big-box retailers like Wal-Mart and Target. So for Wal-Mart employees, it’s “Low Wages — Always.” And for Target employees, it’s “Expect More. Get Paid Less.”

• Claudia Mitchell is being named the first “bionic woman,” with a robotic arm that responds to her thoughts. The battery-operated arm has six motors to perform a variety of functions with the hand, wrist and elbow. Meanwhile, the original bionic woman is hawking Sleep Number Beds.