Common Book Presentation Common Book: “Ending Slavery: How We Free Today’s Slaves” By Kevin Bale Presentation By Stephanie Cobb

Issue one: Did Louis do the right thing by helping the girls escape a life of slavery?

Conclusion: Yes, Louis did the right thing by saving the three girls from a life of slavery.

Reasons: 1. If Louis did not help those three girls, he would not have been able to tell their parents that what they were told about their children dying was wrong, and they were in fact alive and safe. 2. In getting those girls out of slavery, he was able to get them in a court room where they were awarded the restitution for the time spent in slavery. 3. In helping the girls, he gave them a chance at a better life, and helped the victims put their enslavers in jail.

Opposing conclusion: No, Louis was not in the right for helping the girls out of their life of slavery.

Opposing reasoning: 1. He should have turned Rose away as the other families she sought out had done. 2. He did not know her and he was not properly trained to take care of this type of a situation. 3. He could have put himself in danger from freeing the other two girls.

Issue two: Is slavery more popular because the cost is much less now?

Conclusion: Yes, slavery has become much more popular now due to lowered costs.

Reasons: 1. In the 1800’s, the cost of a slave was about $40,000 and it is now about $100.00. 2. The supply and demand of slaves has gone up quite a bit due to lowered costs. 3. People don’t need as many slaves because the land or the property they will be working is much less than it was, so it is cheaper to keep less slaves.

Opposing conclusion: No, slavery has not become more popular due to lowered costs.

Opposing reasoning: 1. Finding a dollar amount today that is equivalent to the amounts in the 1800’s is nearly impossible so we don’t know costs have truly lowered. 2. The equipment used in the 1800’s was much different and the work that got done took more slaves and more work, so it is hard to equal out the dollar amount to today when everything is much more simple to use and more time effective. 3. Due to a lowered cost, slaves would now be considered a bad investment to make.

Issue three: Are the police of the slavery problem?

Conclusion: Yes, the police are a huge part of the slavery problem.

Reasons: 1. Where you can find slaves, you are able to find police officers who have been bribed to look the other way on the enslavers. 2. Due to bribing the police officers, the enslavers are able to take out their slaves without having to worry anyone will arrest them or question them about having slaves. 3. In some areas, slavery is considered to be a booming business because the police officers are open to payments.

Opposing conclusion: No, the police officers are not at fault for the slavery problem.

Opposing reasons: 1. Slavery would continue to be an issue no matter what the police decide to do. 2. Being a police officer is tough work, and it is hard to take down every criminal that exists. 3. The police officers all over the world are under a huge amount of pressure from their commanding officers, and many have to do what they are told to keep their jobs and take care of their family.

Connection made with the book? This was a very powerful book and it definitely yanks the emotional string of anyone reading it. Within the first chapter of the book, I felt an immediate connection with this book. I felt horrible for the victims and all throughout reading the book, I kept trying to put myself in their shoes. When I was looking at the issues of the book, before coming to a conclusion I tried to think about what I would do or whether I would feel right doing the act myself. Before reading this book, I knew very little about the modern day slavery and what an issue it had become. I am so glad I got the opportunity to read the book and see what is truly going on in the world.

Works cited: Bales, Kevin. (2007). Ending Slavery: How We Free Today’s Slaves. California: University of California Press.