Carpenter post #3

Life has not changed much for me business wise since the start if communism. I have continued my battle against my competing woodworkers, as well as the dreadful factories. However, labor laws have been passed and though seemingly unrelated to me or my business, they have slowed the production of factories which in turn, help me. And I do not mean to sound self centered or cruel sounding, I do care for the workers in the factories. Just last week, my cousin lost three fingers and hearing in his left ear in a factory incident. I have wanted change for them. But in this new age where, as of now, the working class can not guarantee any degree of safety, it is hard to be generous and caring. In regards to safety, there have been many strings of disease outbreaks in the all major cities threatening to collapse this already unstable society. I have not caught any of these diseases, luckily.



It is especially lucky in regards to the health care i can get. Even if i were wealthy and could afford whatever treatment i needed for my ailment, medicine is a scary thing to face, even in the midst of a deadly disease. Even with these new treatments and do- dads for fixing me, who knows whether or not these "stethoscopes", "X-  rays", and "antibiotics" are some sort of hokum or poison. That same cousin of mine who lost his hearing would have gotten a prescription for drinking mercury infused water had it been three or more weeks before.

However, this disease outbreak, specifically cholera, has impacted my life overall. Egbert, my apprentice has contracted a particularly fierce case of it. As far as i am concerned, with the faulty logic put into the medical industry, he has already passed. Due to the fact i have no family to provide for, and given that his family lives miles away and are too poor to take any sort of measure to help him, i decided to take up that responsibility. I  have tried all of the experimental treatments of our day, yet nothing has worked as of now. If there is one thing to say about these new treatments  and machines, they do know how to see what you are sick with. Most of the time, people die before the doctors know whats  the matter with them.



As i said before, in this troubling time it is hard to try to look after the oppressed if you too are struggling. So women's rights activists might hate me, but i honestly don't see this as a major priority at this time.  Especially in the sense that most people are against it, including me. In all respect, i feel this is rooted in Queen Victoria herself. She, as a leading figure of the country, encourages women to try to attempt the same in their lives. Again, as of now, the priority should be in the public interest, not specified rights. They can already work too. Giving them rights to do more is in discrimination of the entire male population. It just should not be the focus  of all reform.