WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

Pesticides are poisons designed to kill living beings. Exposure to pesticides, even at low levels, can cause health risks. Farm workers have an increased risk for many health problems because of their exposure to pesticides. The families of farm workers are also at risk because pesticides can contaminate clothes, skin and hair. Pesticides get brought into the home when parents return from work. They can drift into homes after being applied to nearby fields. Children are most sensitive to the effects of pesticides since their bodies are still developing. It is likely that children whose parents work in the fields already have pesticides in their system. A recent study in Californi discovered that among Latinos, farm workers had the greater risk of leukemia (59%), stomach cancer (70%), cervical cancer (63%) and uterine cancer (68%). (Cancer Registry of California, 2002) Other studies of farm workers and their families show reduced fertility and increased rates of birth defects and spontaneous abortions.

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

Nobody forces people to take these jobs, it is voluntary. If you willingly take a risky job, why should other people be forced to pay for your health problems? There is no logic in that.

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

Contracting cancer isn't a death sentence.

I dispute those figures as well.

And "It is likely that children whose parents work in the fields already have pesticides in their system."

Likely? What is the mode of transmission?

Seems another scare story with emphasis on the anecdotal evidence and not hard science. But of course those that just look at a headline and believe a story on face value will just come to a kneejerk conclusion that America is bad.

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

It seems that illegals are currently the ultimate in disposable resources.

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

I am an agricultural worker. And I am not dead, nor do I have cancer.

Besides, everyone knows that those pesticides only cause cancer in the State of California.

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

It quite apparent that these people are viewed by the powers that be as expendable!

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

No one forces them to take those jobs.

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

You choose to work in agriculture noone forces you. Most farmers make a living in agriculture. I'm not killing them they are killing themselves. I've work in pestcontrol for many years are you saying even though I chose to work there i should be allowed to sue them for the chemicals I use?

Zeldar: First of all I'm not conservative. Second I HAVE worked in a hazardous enviornment you moron. But I'm not going to take pity for the choices people make. You act like a child.

Secondly, I'm protected by face masks, gloves, boots, and a shower. My grandfather has worked with these chemicals for over 30 years. He literally dips his bare arms in the chemical tanks. If he gets cancer, you want me to take pity on his stupidity. Sorry isn't going to happen. Sure I'll feel bad, but you can only tell someone so much about the dangers involved.

I do care for people, but I'm also not going to force choice on someone either. You just want to be able to do what you want and not take responsibility for your own actions.

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

Because they are expendable. These are poor people who cannot defend themselves in our system that requires financial resources to get justice through our legal system. Most are here illegally as well, so in order to stay here they must stay away from law enforcement. Basically they have no choice and no hope unless someone else sticks up for them and helps them. In America, the Almighty Dollar takes precedence over human life.

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

First of all, your premise is compost. If we were 'killing them', they'd leave.

Maybe they shouldn't sneak over here illegally and suffer the consequences of hiding themselves!

Maybe they should wait for a work visa like everyone else in the world so that they may exist out in the open, and choose a job that has health benefits.

Maybe then, the free market would develop some benefits for these people, because they'd have an actual bargaining chip like a real, honest social security number. But you don't have a lot of room to demand rights when you've broken the law to get into our country.

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

http://www2a.cdc.gov/nioshtic-2/BuildQyr...

The site above listed agriculture related deaths/injuries logged into OSHA's database. I can't find anything there that supports your numbers but I can tell you one thing- thank g*d I don't have to run the haybaler.

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

!Viva Cesar Chavez!

WHY are we KILLING our agricultural workers?

There are more than Latinos doing farm work.

In almost every industry there are risks. People have health issues that work in popcorn factories...they do in coal mines and had them in steel mills....construction workers to people who work in hospitals are all exposed to something that can risk their health. It's an imperfect world out there.

So with your thinking I guess you are responsible for "killing" alot of people. I worked in agriculture. Not farm and vegetables but poultry. People got lung cancer and emphysema all the time because of the dander in the air. They gave us masks and we had to shower after work and wear different clothes home........they did all they could do for us but some still got sick anyway.

I would say you should contact those agriculture farms and see if they train their employees on the safety measures of working around a toxic substance. Maybe they tell them and they just don't abide by the rules. Is it only Latinos who live around farms? I lived around a ton of fields where they sprayed pesticide all the time. It's not like people are intentionally spraying them....it's the risk of where you live. I'm exposed everyday to unhealthy things.....I don't think there's too many areas left where it's 100% pure.

Maybe it's from spicy foods, unhealthy diet and sexually transmitted viruses for why they are suffering from those illnesses. Every disease you mentioned has a ton of different causes suffered by all kinds of people who never worked in the agriculture industry. They have pesticides in our water and I don't live near a farm now.

So accusing us for killing them is a tad dramatic.....we have tons of citizens out here from all races and genders suffering the same things and they don't have health care either.