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Jens 'n' Frens
Idle thoughts of a relatively libertarian Republican in Cambridge, MA, and whomever he invites. Mostly political.
"A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures." -- Daniel Webster
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Friday, December 16, 2011 :::
[T]he government's attempt to effectively ban farm kids from working on their own farms goes beyond outrageous.
Under new standards being advocated by the Labor Department, youths under the age of eighteen would be prohibited from working in hay lofts, giving shots, caring for baby animals, and being in the vicinity of animals whose behavior may be "unpredictable." For the estimated 1.3 million youths living or working on farms, this means no longer being able to perform routine chores if the farm is set up as a corporation or a business partnership. Today, the vast majority of family farms are legally structured in this manner. I know nothing about this particular issue that I didn't read here - in particular, are proprietorships exempted? - but I generally agree with the expressed sentiments that safety has become too highly valued with respect to freedom. Our wealth allows us to afford more safety than 19th century farmers enjoyed; modern families would presumably be safer than them even without safety regulations. Having some additional safety regulations, especially for children, makes sense. But this as described seems to go overboard.
::: posted by Steven at 1:36 PM
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