In defense of child labor

[cali]

Found this gem over in freeperville. Unfuckingbelievable. No it's not the Onion.

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4. We have to guard against a kind of moral obtuseness where if we don’t see the harm, that means it doesn’t exist. These poor people can’t afford to send their children off to day camp in the summer so they can do archery and go swimming. They can’t afford an academic program so the children’s achievements won’t dissipate over the summer. They can’t afford to have Mom quit work and stay home to watch them, so they bring their children to work.

It is not in any way obvious that the children would be better off if their parents made them sit by the side of the field all day long doing nothing. By harvesting they get to be closer to their parents, they get to do something useful and feel like they are making a contribution to their family.

These people get paid by the piece, so a little extra money from the kids working, for a family at this level, means a new pair of sneakers before school, a chance to go the dentist or maybe a little something in a Christmas stocking.

In all the anxiousness of retailers to distance themselves from this morally “shocking” activity, nobody stepped up to say the only thing that would really make a difference, which would be to pay more for blueberries and set up an arrangement so that the money would go to fund a free summer camp for these children.

5. There is not the slightest indication that the parents of these children don’t love them and want the best for them. We all know there are cases of child abuse and neglect but, in general, parents are the ones who best know what is best for their children, and when we pass laws banning behavior but without providing alternatives, we are not being ethical; we are just allowing ourselves to feel self-righteous because we “banned” an activity — whatever the consequences for those these bans actually affect.

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http://www.perishablepundit.com/index.php?date=11/09/09&pundit=3