Loosen laws to enrich young people’s work ethic

I disagree with The Gazette's editorial against expanding the work opportunities for 14 to 16-year-olds. I don't see it as "pushing kids into dangerous jobs at low pay levels." I also don't see the topic to be much of a solution to labor shortages. I

see it as allowing teenagers and parents to make their own decisions as to how the young person earns money and learns about responsibility. How a young person earns a little cash is between the youth and his parents. I suppose next you'll be telling farm parents what their kids can or cannot do.

I loved farm work as a kid. Learning to drive tractors and trucks at age 12, I worked around plows and disks and combines and livestock and learned about safety and how to be cautious, at a young age.

As an additional bonus, that gave me a huge step-up in my later working career over young people who had been coddled and over-protected and taught that everyone is entitled, rather than working toward goals and earning the rewards. I say loosen the laws.

Peter Looney

Marion

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