Back in debate class they often had us come up with an argument for both
sides of a topic. Today however, I'm going to use a method often used by
radio talk show hosts and other popular, extreme, tv hosts. That method? Say
something REALLY controversial and run with it.
So, here it goes...
Over the weekend I read a story that Apple admitted that some of it's products
apparently were being built by
under age workers. The
workers in question were 15 years old. I say "What's the big deal?". After all,
girl scouts are child labor.
Yes, you heard me right:
Girl scouts are child laborer.
A stink is being raised because some 15 year olds were found to be helping put
together some ipods. Yet just tonight I saw no less then 6 little girls who
had to be no older then 8-10 years old selling girl scout cookies at
our local QFC. It was almost 8pm and pitch black out side people!
Sure, I know. They are "building character" and are helping to
raise money for the organization so they
can go to camp. Come on. Your actually helping sell million of dollars worth of cookies that
you get a VERY small portion of per box.
Currently there are two bakers that stand to gain a lot of revenue from this yearly cookie
event.
ABC Bakers and
Little Brownie Bakers. They are the only two bakeries licensed to create
the cookies.
There is a passage on the Girl Scout site that I could not help but chuckle when I
read
it. It says, and I quote...”For the safety and security of the girls who are selling cookies, Girl Scout Cookies are not available for purchase online”.
I find that odd. If anything, this would make the kids safer because then they are NOT going around knocking
on strangers doors and standing outside grocery stores late at night JUST to hit some quota that
has been designated against them.
The cold reality is they would earn more money for the
girl scouts if they simply asked people to donate
$1 and walk away as apposed to buying the box of cookies for $4. The other slap in the head is that
the girl scout cookies are only sold for this short period of time. The girl scouts has a CEO and a
board of directors. It would seem to be a wise business move to move the sale of the cookies to a
year round operation and simpy sell them in the grocery stores. The share of the profit you would have
to give your sales outlets should be more then made up simply by the massive extra volume of product
you would sell.
More cash for the organization, and little Suzie can go to camp instead of sitting outside Safeway
on a Sunday night.
On a side note, I think some of the parents of these girl scouts must have had military training because
they know how to put down a serious blockade. They now position the girls at all exits of the buildings
they are scoping out and try to “kill you with kindness” if you refuse to buy anything.
Yes, I think even Patton would be proud...
Agree? Disagree? Feel free to flame me @iphlogger on Twitter.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go buy more Samoas from our next door neighbor who is a girl scout, I may
think it’s child labor but I still LOVE these damn cookies!
- Scott