Party Like it’s 1899

Now, I will admit this, I’m a liberal. A lot of my thoughts are more left-wing. That being said, I will say this: I’ve never liked Newt Gingrich. I think he’s too far right. I thought that back in the nineties and I still do. I never thought that I could like him less, than he said something that made me like him less.

“It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in, first of all, child labor laws which are truly stupid,”

Right, not allowing children to work is awful. Uh, did I miss a memo somewhere?

Apparently Newt Gingrich hasn’t read any of the numerous studies that state that child labor is inhumane. Now, sure, it might sound like a good and somewhat innocent idea. Sure, children can help their parents out, just like at home.

That’s not how it works. There is nothing innocent about suggesting we get rid of child labor laws. I think it’s absolutely atrocious that in this day and age that child labor is being considered a viable option to fight poverty. It doesn’t work that way.

Sure, you can use the argument about children helping their parents in their businesses doing non-harmful jobs. The reality is that already happens. Children do help their parents.

Repealing the child labor laws won’t impact that at all.

So, what are we talking about. Why bring up child labor laws and being rid of them?

I don’t think it’s anything as innocent as give children more pride in their school or helping their parents. It’s not. Lets be honest. Children will once again be forced back into jobs that are deemed as unwanted by Americans. He mentioned having children work as janitors. Yes, that’s right, children working with harmful chemicals in their schools.

You want a child to take pride in their school, enact a program like Japan. Two children tidy their classroom during the week, and it rotates through the class. It does not impede on their schooling and it would give children pride in their school.

So, what’s left?

What’s left is what should be considered unacceptable.

There are studies upon studies that talks about how dangerous it is to let a child work. It is detrimental to a child’s development. Children that work wind up with physical and psychological disorders that are entirely due to working as a child. And then there’s the question of poverty. Gingrich seems to be under the impression that children working would relieve poverty. This fact is largely false. Because poor children are now working, they don’t go to school and their families remain impoverished.

Honestly, I think the child labor laws as they stand are both fair and a great idea. It was borne out of a pretty dismal part of our history.

So, how do we combat poverty?

By insuring that all children get a decent education so they can compete with the haves. By insuring that children have an education they can make themselves and their families upwardly mobile.