Child labor laws? We don't need no stinkin' child labor laws!

[mjncad]

Child labor laws? We don't need no stinkin' child labor laws!

From China.

Five-year-old drives this digger like a pro. [VIDEO]

[Vancouver Island Waterjet]

Let me tell you a story of my experience re Child Labour Laws... When I was 10 years old my mother could not cope and booted me out. Only option was to go live with my father. I lasted till age 12 there, and then he booted me out too. No options at all now. Went to the family services office and the only thing they would do is send me to a foster home. Heard plenty of bad stories about foster homes, would rather live on the streets. My mother continued to collect welfare for me, and my father continued to collect family allowance for me - I did not see a dime of that. Only thing I could think of to do was to try to find some kind of job and look after myself, no one else was going to. I was always interested in boats, and very soon got a job on a commercial salmon fishing boat. It was incredibly tough work, very long 18 to 22 hour days for 3 months straight, no days off. My first season, I got only 5% of the gross. Next season 10%, 3rd season a full 15% deckhand at age 15. Made enough money during the summer to last me through the rest of the year by staying at very cheap room and board type places, supplementing income with part time work doing odd jobs. The room and board places only charged me as I recall $400 per month. For that $400 I got a clean room, free access to laundry, access to a shower and 3 meals a day. And I did not have to answer to anyone. I got myself all the way through high school by doing this. I was very lucky, these old course and rough fishermen looked after me, raised me and taught me how to be a man of honour and integrity. I owe those old fishermen bigtime for taking a chance on me. Today, there is no way a 12 year old child can do the same or similar. The laws prevent this, and today no one is going to risk hiring a 12 year kid off the street. So what do the children of today do ? Off to the foster home to be abused, or live on the streets and be prey to worse. I say perhaps we need to think again re these child labour laws we have here.

[burnieman]

The government should start a fleet of fishing boats and make the little freeloaders work till they bleed. No handouts. The ones that don't work out will be used as bait. Ya, life's hard. Get back to work!

[Dirtdeere]

Let me tell you a story of my experience re Child Labour Laws... When I was 10 years old my mother could not cope and booted me out. Only option was to go live with my father. I lasted till age 12 there, and then he booted me out too. No options at all now. Went to the family services office and the only thing they would do is send me to a foster home. Heard plenty of bad stories about foster homes, would rather live on the streets. My mother continued to collect welfare for me, and my father continued to collect family allowance for me - I did not see a dime of that. Only thing I could think of to do was to try to find some kind of job and look after myself, no one else was going to. I was always interested in boats, and very soon got a job on a commercial salmon fishing boat. It was incredibly tough work, very long 18 to 22 hour days for 3 months straight, no days off. My first season, I got only 5% of the gross. Next season 10%, 3rd season a full 15% deckhand at age 15. Made enough money during the summer to last me through the rest of the year by staying at very cheap room and board type places, supplementing income with part time work doing odd jobs. The room and board places only charged me as I recall $400 per month. For that $400 I got a clean room, free access to laundry, access to a shower and 3 meals a day. And I did not have to answer to anyone. I got myself all the way through high school by doing this. I was very lucky, these old course and rough fishermen looked after me, raised me and taught me how to be a man of honour and integrity. I owe those old fishermen bigtime for taking a chance on me. Today, there is no way a 12 year old child can do the same or similar. The laws prevent this, and today no one is going to risk hiring a 12 year kid off the street. So what do the children of today do ? Off to the foster home to be abused, or live on the streets and be prey to worse. I say perhaps we need to think again re these child labour laws we have here.

Sounds like a letter to Dear Abby

[mjncad]

R.I.P Dear Abby.

[Gem99ultra]

Wow! My hat's off to you. I was going to tell my sad story about working at age 13 - but it pales compared to the tough life you've had. No doubt it made a man out of a 12 year old kid, but nonetheless, a good man.

[Don87]

I was living at home, but started working at 12. Started by taking 2 pushmowers, making 1 work, and mowed grass all summer to purchase my first gun.
Went hunting alone, as my father was disabled. Purchased my first car with my own money.

Almost 52 now, and still working. Don't want handouts or government money. I've earned everything I have.

[EMB5530]

I was living at home, but started working at 12. Started by taking 2 pushmowers, making 1 work, and mowed grass all summer to purchase my first gun.
Went hunting alone, as my father was disabled. Purchased my first car with my own money.

Almost 52 now, and still working. Don't want handouts or government money. I've earned everything I have.

Too bad most voters don't feel this way.
Evidently most people now think everything should be a "handout" with nothing given in return.
Darn shame America is full of lazy people who learn to be that way from an early age.

[Ed of all trades]

I wonder what would happen today if true hard times came, a lot if kids today don't know how to do anything. Had an 18 wear old that "worked" with me that did not know what vice grips were. was doing hvac work, lasted about 3 days.

[Gary Fowler]

Kids today dont work to fix, repair, operate anything other than a computer. Run it till it breaks, get new one. Even if a kid wants to learn something like the little boy on the loader, IF neighbors saw your child doing something like that the cops would be on you before the diesel smoke cleared. Some of the child protection services are good but just like any law it can be abused by the powers of office. Look at the Chinese economy vs ours and tell me that we are better off now with our laws than we were 50 years ago.