Add Missouri to the list of states that wants to do away with those silly laws intended to protect the rights of children in the workplace. Because Kids These Days need a good swift kick in the workplace.
Currently Missouri requires schools to sign off on work permits for 14 and 15 year olds to make sure that everything is in line with laws restricting what work children are allowed to do, and when (employers are required to describe the job in detail on the form). But legislators are considering a bill to do away with that and fix it so that all students need is a parent's permission slip.
This may seem like a less-than-great idea. It allows parents to undermine a child's education in order to make a few bucks. And it removes the already-meager protections that stand between children and unscrupulous employers. Sure, a fourteen year old is totally able to stand up for their rights under the law (which in Missouri, where those rights don't include things like break time, are meager already). But businesses need more meat widgets.
Maybe you agree with the St. Louis Today headline that says, "Bid to loosen Missouri's child labor law would help businesses--but not kids." But you're mistaken.
And here comes Rep. Cheri Toalson Reisch to explain.
Reisch has shown her keen grasp of student-related issues before, like that time she went on Facebook to claim that Columbia students were dressing as animals and using litter boxes. Yes, that story. The superintendent said no, and she kept at it. When pressed for actual evidence, she cited the need to protect her confidential sources. So we know she's familiar with bogus claims and lying.
Reisch had some words to offer in support of this bill in particular and child labor in general, and it's quite a view into the thinking of some folks. After decrying the division and pointing out that this is a good bill that everyone should vote for...
You know, at what point are people going to be self-responsible? Some people seem to think the government is the answer for everything. You know, free food, free health care, free this, free that, free, free, free. But it's not free. These young kids need to be taught self-responsibility, and I can tell you my personal story. I started working at age nine, and I continued to work throughout high school when I was fourteen, fifteen.
She wanted to get a drivers license, and her parents said they couldn't afford to put her on the insurance. "Much less a car," she adds in a tone suggesting disdain for those spoiled pampered kids who get cars. She worked. Her older brother worked and got a car. And it didn't affect any grades-- she still got As.
My parents always asked me, "Cheri, how do you get A plus?" Well, Mom and Dad, you get 100% on your homework and you do extra credit. And throughout high school when I was working twelve months out of the year, my high school counselor came to me and said, "Cheri, you're bored. You've got enough credits. Graduate early!" I graduated early out of high school, went to work full time--
Working full; time while going to school. It is good for these kids. And you know what these kids of today are? Majority of them are lazy! They don't know what work ethic is! But they know how to play video games all night! They know how to join gangs! They know how to get into trouble! Get a job and be responsible!
No matter what tone of voice you imagine while reading that, I guarantee it doesn't match the contempt for These Kids in Reisch's delivery. The rant was followed by a vote for which the bill won first round approval.
This is where they are in Missouri-- kids don't need that fancy book learnin' (which you can get around with some extra credit anyway)-- just get 'em to work so they can learn that life is hard and unpleasant and they need to suck it up. Though Reisch is also the rep who was sued because she blocked a constituent on Twitter for saying things she didn't like, so I guess sucking it up is only for certain hard parts of life.
With this kind of hostility toward children in elected officials, it's no wonder that supporting education is not a bigger priority. But that's how it goes with "self-responsibility"- I'm responsible for myself and the rest of you can go pound sand because you're not my problem. And that includes all you lazy, freeloading children.
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