Is it slavery?

Re “Slavery’s staying power,” Opinion, March 23

Benjamin Skinner’s article is a useful discussion of the more appalling working conditions in today’s world. Still, calling these practices “slavery” is a stretch. The practices Skinner describes are illegal in the countries in which they occur. They are also not racially specific. In contrast, the slavery practiced in the U.S. was legal in much of the country and enforced by the justice system.

Additionally, U.S. slavery was specific to persons qualifying, under the laws of the day, as African by blood. These are very significant differences from the practices Skinner designates “slavery.”

John R. Yates

Los Angeles