Its the deplorable conditions and the lack of opportunity for education that is sad. But the labor aspect, children working, contributing to the family — we could learn something for this generation that seems to artificially, extend childhood into the mid 20′s.
If you look back at a world filled with child labor, slavery, massive infant mortality rates, massive poverty rates, murderous racism, high percentage of deaths from easily curable diseases, no electricity, no running water, filthy disgusting cities, very little scientific understanding, no computers, rampant superstitious … and think that’s a better world than we live in today… well, we must be living in much different worlds.
Not that there are not some sad things that exist today, but I’d much rather live today than in any other day or age in history. And my guess would be if anyone could take a time machine and go back to any of the previous ages, they’d probably not be so romantic and nostalgic about them.
Sadly, child labor, slavery, massive infant mortality rates, massive poverty rates, murderous racism, high death rates from preventable diseases, no electricity, no running water, slums… etc. continue to be harsh realities of life for people all around the world today.
Very sad! I guess two other situations might be considered even sadder- children starving from lack of funds to buy food. And children who never learn how to use a hammer, how to use their time productively, the value of work.
Like Marty said, It’s sad to see the conditions those kids had to work in, but I think that those kids grew up with a much better appreciation for hard work than our current generation has. There’s got to be a better system than the one we’ve had for the last 40 years in North America where we produce lazier and lazier men who want to act like kids far into their late twenties.
I think people just don’t know their history. Or at least don’t know how to comment effectively. I mean, I see the connection they are making, but by their attempts they probably don’t realize how they are minimizing the atrocious conditions under which many children existed (and exist today in certain countries) before child labor laws.
Love it! I sent it to my 17-year old who loves to whine about going to school…his hoity toity smancey public school in the burbs with all the perks. Poor baby. He likes to bowl too, and thought he’d like the bowling one.
Very sad…a good reminder. We are blessed.
this is some of why the newsboys went on strike at the turn of the century… as shown in the loosely-based-on-history movie the Newsies.
An enjoyable film, I might add.
Ha ha, I love that you brought up the Newsies. In high school my girl friends and I tried to do a presentation on the great newspaper strike … um, but then we couldn’t seem to find any evidence that it happened. :) So we did it on child labor instead. Very sad. Obviously teaching your kids a good work ethic is important, but child labor, as it happened then in the U.S. (and now in different countries) was/is a horrible, horrible thing.
its sad to say but kids dont work because of how they are rised they dont know how to work. parents should teach they kids how to work and not just hand eveything over to them. i am 20 and i work and have worked for everything i have as well as my husband has. no we dont need to go back to the 1900′s where kids work to live but the parents should show the childern the rewards of working.
Its the deplorable conditions and the lack of opportunity for education that is sad. But the labor aspect, children working, contributing to the family — we could learn something for this generation that seems to artificially, extend childhood into the mid 20′s.
Marty-
Are-you-the-biggest-idiot-that-ever-walked-the-Earth?
Marty is kind of right. Not the 16 hr days at the age of ten type thing. But the work ethic at a young age. So sad the world we live in
If you look back at a world filled with child labor, slavery, massive infant mortality rates, massive poverty rates, murderous racism, high percentage of deaths from easily curable diseases, no electricity, no running water, filthy disgusting cities, very little scientific understanding, no computers, rampant superstitious … and think that’s a better world than we live in today… well, we must be living in much different worlds.
Not that there are not some sad things that exist today, but I’d much rather live today than in any other day or age in history. And my guess would be if anyone could take a time machine and go back to any of the previous ages, they’d probably not be so romantic and nostalgic about them.
Sadly, child labor, slavery, massive infant mortality rates, massive poverty rates, murderous racism, high death rates from preventable diseases, no electricity, no running water, slums… etc. continue to be harsh realities of life for people all around the world today.
Very true, but it used to be the case for everyone. Now those things continue to decrease.
Very sad! I guess two other situations might be considered even sadder- children starving from lack of funds to buy food. And children who never learn how to use a hammer, how to use their time productively, the value of work.
Like Marty said, It’s sad to see the conditions those kids had to work in, but I think that those kids grew up with a much better appreciation for hard work than our current generation has. There’s got to be a better system than the one we’ve had for the last 40 years in North America where we produce lazier and lazier men who want to act like kids far into their late twenties.
There were lazy people then, and there’s lazy people now. Those kids didn’t love to work — they were forced to work and beaten if they didn’t.
I know plenty of old lazy people today — and plenty of hard-working young people.
I’m pretty sure older folks have griped about the rebellion, laziness, stupidity, and bad music of youth since old people existed.
We’ve gone too far the other way. Today, young teens can’t even bag groceries without violating some federal law.
Looks like we need to teach our kids how to SMOKE again!
are you SERIOUS?!? smoking can kill
And my two year old thinks it’s bad when I tell her to clean up her Legos… Next time I’ll tell her to go make me some boots or no smoke break.
brad, your post made me laugh OUT LOUD. nice one.
lol … that was awesome.
The greatest generation!
Yup. I’m all for child labour within carefully set bounds of safety and protection.
Abraham, so far I give your readers a D- on this thread. A couple offsets otherwise it would be an F.
No kidding. Very depressing.
At first I was shocked at the response, but now I’m more embarrassed, since I should’ve expected it.
I think people just don’t know their history. Or at least don’t know how to comment effectively. I mean, I see the connection they are making, but by their attempts they probably don’t realize how they are minimizing the atrocious conditions under which many children existed (and exist today in certain countries) before child labor laws.
Love it! I sent it to my 17-year old who loves to whine about going to school…his hoity toity smancey public school in the burbs with all the perks. Poor baby. He likes to bowl too, and thought he’d like the bowling one.
Very sad…a good reminder. We are blessed.
this is some of why the newsboys went on strike at the turn of the century… as shown in the loosely-based-on-history movie the Newsies.
An enjoyable film, I might add.
Ha ha, I love that you brought up the Newsies. In high school my girl friends and I tried to do a presentation on the great newspaper strike … um, but then we couldn’t seem to find any evidence that it happened. :) So we did it on child labor instead. Very sad. Obviously teaching your kids a good work ethic is important, but child labor, as it happened then in the U.S. (and now in different countries) was/is a horrible, horrible thing.
its sad to say but kids dont work because of how they are rised they dont know how to work. parents should teach they kids how to work and not just hand eveything over to them. i am 20 and i work and have worked for everything i have as well as my husband has. no we dont need to go back to the 1900′s where kids work to live but the parents should show the childern the rewards of working.