HW 33: Eye Opener

Response to Podcast.
The podcast I chose to respond to was "Iraqi Teens Work to Help Their Families." This is part of the series Alive in Baghdad. This was published October 15th, 2007. If you are interested in the blog the link is:http://aliveinbaghdad.org/2007/10/15/iraqi-teens-work-to-help-their-families. The general topic of this podcast was the obstacles that Iraqi teens are facing. 50 percent of Iraqis are jobless. The war in Iraq has left many families in poverty. They are struggling to keep their families functioning. This is forcing teens to join their families in the work force. Working in Iraq is dangerous in this period of time. The route to some jobs are unsafe. Their is a possibility that they could be killed on their way to work. One person in detail is Mustafa Malek Fathulla Ali. Mustafa is in the 6th grade and currently works in carpentry. This is extremely young to be working in a major business. In the U.S. you cant even get a job until 14, and that's if you want to work in a grocery store. Most places wont even hire you unless you are between the ages of 16 and 18. Mustafa has been working with his father for a while now. He describes that the security situation is not good. Iraq has very unsafe working conditions. The best way I can describe this podcast is dark. Everything looks really dry and desert like. The interior of the buildings looks like a normal house to me. Maybe not like my house, but every house in different cultures are different. A viewer might have a better understanding of what is actually going on in Iraq. Not just the war, and the casualties, and American statistics but also the problems that Iraqis are facing on a day to day basis. Their lives are hard and it is important for Americans to recognize this fact. I found the fact that Mustafa is in a business such as carpentering at such a young age shocking. That does not happen in this country. Its so surprising to hear of children working so hard. They shouldn't have to experience that yet. It seems like he doesn't even have a chance to be a normal teenager.