Revisions to the Child Labor Laws

I was laying in bed this evening, relaxing on facebook when I can across a very disturbing story. The government (in an effort headed by none other than our fearless leader, B.O.)is attempting to broaden child labor laws to include children working on the family farm. As the law reads, children UNDER 18!!! will no longer be allowed to operate machinery or work with farm animals or in barns or silos. If this doesn't trample over a parent's right and duty to parent their child, I don't know what does!!! it's all in the interest of safety, but that doesn't really seem the issue. If a parent diligently caring for their child's upbringing and teaching them to respect nature and the forces around them I don't see a problem. As I understand it, not being anything close to a farmer, there are many things about farming that one must learn early on, that it has to be grown into your blood...and how the heck are you going to learn that at 18??? Lots of your memory is already cut off and even your ability to learn a new language at that age is disintegrated drastically. Perhaps our president does not want to encourage an industrious economy, or the preservation of the American farm. Perhaps they would like more than the 40% of kids receiving food stamps to be getting handouts from the government. Maybe they don't want able bodied children who can work and provide for a family...maybe they don't want food produced here at home...they want to get it all from Cambodia or Honduras. Sure, a child working on the farm is dangerous. That's part of life. Farm kids tend to be a little bit smarter and a good deal more resourceful than their suburban peers. They learn to mind their surroundings early on. The release states that it provides a complete exemption for a children working on their parent's farm, but how long will this be true? and what if they are working on a farm owned by their grandparents or uncle? they would not be allowed under this mandate should it take effect. Furthermore, it would also discontinue the work of many clubs and training organizations such as 4H and Future Farmers of America as kids would no longer be able to work with animals. The ending paragraph of the release seems to indicate that though they will listen to public opinion up until November 1st...it is a done deal. I can't help but think that socialism is taking over America. The actual release from the United States Dept of Labor: US Labor Department proposes updates to child labor regulations: Aims to improve safety of young workers employed in agriculture and related fields Sign the Petition below to say that you do not agree with the proposal as written. Petition at Change.org