Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2002 03:37:17 -0400 (EDT)
Message-Id: <200208050737.DAA14302@multics.mit.edu>
From: belmonte@MIT.EDU (Matthew Belmonte)
To: president@whitehouse.gov
Subject: child labour regulations

Today's New York Times reports that the Child Labor
Coalition and other children's advocates have asked the
Department of Labor to bar people under the age of 18 from
certain occupations, including construction, window washing,
and rubbish collection.  These advocates ignore the fact
that many workplace accidents involving people under the
age of 18 arise from ignorance of existing labour laws and
regulations.  Rather than further curtailing the right of
people under the age of 18 to work, the Department of Labor
can address concerns by increasing awareness of, and compliance
with, existing rules.  I benefited a great deal from having
the freedom to choose a job that I wanted when I was 15, and
teenagers today should have that same freedom.