CNN's Poltical Ticker reported that in a speech last Friday at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, Newt Gingrich said that laws preventing child labor are 'truly stupid'. He was quoted as saying, "It is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in child laws which are truly stupid," Saying to people you shouldn't go to work before you're 14, 16. You're totally poor, you're in a school that's failing with a teacher that's failing."
It seems that Gingrich would have poor children doing the work of janitors in schools. Putting the little ones to work would allow them to learn good work ethics and pave the way for success later in life.
In my opinion, a ten year old poor student spending time scrubbing floors in a school while a ten year old rich student spends his time working on school assignments would be at a distinct disadvantage in the race to success. Charles Dickens, if he were alive, would have material for a book using Newt's vision for poor students. I guess that book has already been written.
What Lord Gingrich did not address is that child labor laws were designed to stop the abuse of poor children by rich capitalists. They became necessary because child labor was preventing many from achieving the 'American Dream'. I remember my early school days when a large percentage of children never got past the eighth grade. Parents sent them to work.Sometimes children need to be protected from parents as well as rich capitalists.
My father worked in a textile mill at the age of fifteen. He learned enough about child labor to make sure that his children got a good education. I suppose Lord Gingrich would argue that in reality, my father working as a child laborer became successful in later life as evidenced by his children going to college.
By the way what happens to those janitors who lose their job because a ten year old is doing a half ass job as a custodian for a lot less money?
What next from this crop of wannabe presidents? Grrrrrr!!!!
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