41–50 of 130 posts
children under 18 can’t vote for better labor laws either, they should be able to vote
Do you think they would vote against be allowed to work? I always wanted jobs as a teen so I could do stuff- I wanted to be independent as do most teens I'd imagine.
My grandfather had to herd sheep up in the mountains at 6 years old. Incidentally he brought with him a pipe and some vanilla flavored tobacco. Currently 90 and going strong.
I'd kinda agree with your take is these kids are working in their own fields (or soon to be theirs, as transmitted from the current owner, who treats them like his own kids) Short of that, fuck no your granpa's story has nothing to do with this.
children under 18 can’t vote for better labor laws either, they should be able to vote
Have you seen how kids vote in their school elections? Why in the world would you want them to have any real say in anything? It’s bad enough people get to vote before they turn 30 you want to give kids who think produce is made in the back of the grocery store the ability to make decisions?
Additionally, it's unfair to say "X shouldn't vote because I don't like how they'd vote" — my argument that if you're employed there are a lot of laws involved in how/what/when you're employed. If we trust someone to work a somewhat dangerous or strenuous job, then we should trust them to vote.
It's hypocritical to say that a minor can operate heavy machinery or handle dangerous materials, but they're not mature enough to vote for elected representatives.
imo 12 year old working a field is ok
Ok, what about a 9 year old? Where do you draw the line and why?
I worked jobs around the neighborhood at 12 but that's obviously a lot easier than 10 hour shifts in a field (as the article suggests). I don't know what's right and I'm thankful I don't have to make the decisions.
> Ten-hour days, five or six days a week, in North Carolina's summer heat. This is the problem, not the age of the child or the crop. Spending an occasional weekend working a few hours in a field sounds perfectly fine and character-building for a 12-year-old. More 12 year olds should be getting outside and tasting manual labor! The issue is when this starts being less of a learning experience and more of an actual fu…
12 year olds are generally prepubescent children. This isn't like a sixteen year old working to save for a car, or even a fourteen year old gaining a little independence and exercise working a few hours after school. This is child labour. It's indefensible.
> Ten-hour days, five or six days a week, in North Carolina's summer heat. This is the problem, not the age of the child or the crop. Spending an occasional weekend working a few hours in a field sounds perfectly fine and character-building for a 12-year-old. More 12 year olds should be getting outside and tasting manual labor! The issue is when this starts being less of a learning experience and more of an actual fu…
> Ten-hour days, five or six days a week, in North Carolina's summer heat. This is the problem, not the age of the child or the crop. Spending an occasional weekend working a few hours in a field sounds perfectly fine and character-building for a 12-year-old. More 12 year olds should be getting outside and tasting manual labor! The issue is when this starts being less of a learning experience and more of an actual fu…
12 year olds are generally prepubescent children. This isn't like a sixteen year old working to save for a car, or even a fourteen year old gaining a little independence and exercise working a few hours after school. This is child labour. It's indefensible.
> Ten-hour days, five or six days a week, in North Carolina's summer heat. This is the problem, not the age of the child or the crop. Spending an occasional weekend working a few hours in a field sounds perfectly fine and character-building for a 12-year-old. More 12 year olds should be getting outside and tasting manual labor! The issue is when this starts being less of a learning experience and more of an actual fu…
Leave it to HN for the top comment to defend child labor. WTF?
The exception for kids to work on farms used to be for small family run farms where the kids would inherit the farm one day, so they'd be building equity. Bad enough, but understandable for the time.
Today? For commercial mega farms? Fuck that shit. That's blatant wage suppression.
https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/human-resources/employ...
First sentence: "You cannot employ young people under the age of 15"