Nike should be banned from the USA!

I hope that you and all who may be watching us, may see the morals that are at stake here, in America, the home of the brave. I would like to agree to some of my opponents points, well, only one of them. Yes Phil Knight is aware of the working conditions. Unfortunately it is apparent that he has done no further research into what Mr. Knight has done. Phil Knight promised a variety of things, of which he has not allowed anybody to monitor. Health regulations are scarce and the factories that the heath inspectors visit have months notice (to fix up their problems just in time, then to let them sag once again), the promised increased wages were not enacted (instead a loaning system was enacted which wouldn't be needed if they kept their promises of better wages), the promise that other heath inspecting companies would be used to validate their own inspectors has been put into action in only one factory in which the company is allowed to visit once a year. Their conclusions are not given to the public, and their promise to increase the funding to universities for the countries that contain Nike's factories has been ignored completely. [1] Next in your own piece of evidence (which I don't think you fully read) on the last page it shows that these testers of the factories have been given "sanitized views" of the company. Additionally, when The University of Oregon joined the group trying to gain better conditions, Nike withdrew the donation it was going to give. What does this tell you? Obviously Nike has some kind of problem with people working to make the factories a better place. [2] Next, on the topic of ripping off the consumers, you ignored my point. People don't realize that they are paying more money for the same shoe! Not only have you failed to meet my point, but also you have completely ignored it. There is a huge issue with teenagers when it comes to the topic of being cool. Nike has and is breeding its brand to be cool. (See chapter 2 in No Logo [3]) If you aren't cool, it is a huge emotional and social blow. There are people who wont look at you if you don't wear what's cool. In my school I see almost every kid with some sort of name brand sneaker, why? Because they have been told, TOLD that it is cool. By whom? Not themselves, they have been led to believe from an early age that Nike is cool because Nike told them so. The social pressure to waste your money is extraordinary. As I said, the ramifications of buying these shoes are bigger than one would think. There are kids in my school who can't afford a new backpack so they use one that has only one strap and a hole in the bottom because they bought a shoe that they have been led to believe that they must have to be cool. It is not the fact that Nike is ripping people off that is bad; it is the fact that they are preying upon poor families that can't afford it. They are preying upon the stupid or ignorant, and it is as bad committing theft. You, who don't obey the logo pressure, are among a small percentage that contains the exceptions. I hope this doesn't mean that you would ignore all of those who are suffering because they aren't. As for your point concerning Colleges, it is how rigorous the curriculum of the college is, how good and experienced the teachers are and how much better the teaching tools at Harvard that puts it apart from your fake new school. It isn't just that Harvard has been around for a long time, it's that it has the best of everything available that makes it so prestigious. Your analogy is quite good however. Harvard is a better school than most, and you pay more for it. Nike's shoes are no better than anybody else's, yet you pay more. There is a problem here isn't there? I don't have a problem with ripping people off, but making ripping people off your whole company, and not letting the customers know that you are ripping them off is heinous. While what Nike is doing is just within what is legal, you are wrong concerning the importance of morals. Murdering is banned because it is morally wrong. Theft is banned because it is morally wrong. Laws are created based upon morals of the majority. However, this system has a flaw. There are two reasons why Nike can get away with such blatant abuse to its workers. 1. They are overseas and therefore not protected by the US. I say that we should protect the workers that are working for America overseas just as much as we protect them here. Not only would that benefit any people working there, but it would promote companies making more factories in our home ground, giving jobs for Americans. We should have Americans making stuff for Americans, not Americans giving jobs that could help so many here in the USA to other countries because it is cheaper. 2. There is a shroud of ignorance around America. People do not know they are being ripped off. People don't know that their shoes are being made overseas when they could have gotten the jobs themselves. People don't know the abuse that these people in these third world countries go through. Proof? Use your own article. [2] As can be seen in the last page, informed people who are in college are shocked and appalled by the conditions in these factories. Why are so many colleges joining the group to gain better conditions for the people in these factories? Because the people who know about them also know that it is morally wrong not to help the people suffering underneath them. My penultimate argument will rely on the US constitution [4]. First, Amendment 8 is broken. Cruel and Unusual Punishments have been inflicted upon the workers in Nike's factories. Punishments have included physical abuse and heavy fining (for talking or being pregnant) humiliation, screaming, and forced unpaid overtime. [5] Next, both amendment 6 and 5 are broken, no trials are afforded to Nike workers much less "speedy trials," when they are being fined and/or punished. Finally, being deprived of minimum wage, not being allowed to leave work without overtime even when sick, and being put under dangerous conditions [3] all break the 5th amendment when it says "nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property" If we are to protect our rights, we need to protect everybody's rights, that is the real reason why America spreads democracy; because as it says in out mission statement, the pledge of allegiance: "with liberty and justice for all," we need to give the blessing of liberty and justice to all. Finally you missed my point where I compared you to Hitler. By not giving rights to these people working in factories you are taking away the rights of a minority. To take away the rights of a minority puts you right next to the homicidal, oppressive, genocidal man who figured that taking the rights away from the minorities and then killing them is fine. Not giving equal rights to those who are suffering is the first step on this path. By not taking action and removing Nike from the US until it offers equal rights to all it's workers we are allowing Nike to oppress, to take away rights, and to degrade the constitution which we, the people, have fought for. Sources: [1] . http://www.globalexchange.org... [2] . http://preview.tinyurl.com... [3] No Logo, Naomi Klein [4] . http://www.usconstitution.net... [5] No Logo, Naomi Klein, Table 9.3