I'm going to go a little off subject today - because this issue personally effects my family and many of yours, too.
There was a recent law, proposed by our Government, our Labor Department, to put an end to children working alongside their parents on the family farm. This new law would have contained various restrictions; such as: barring children 18 years and younger - from grain elevators, bins, silos, feed lots, stockyards, livestock exchanges and auctions. Even showing animals at local fairs would not fit into their regulations - along with replacing many 4H and FFA programs with a 90 hour federal training course.
Well, farm families, every day citizens, 4 H and FFA groups got out the word - and they were just beginning to push back! God bless them.
Look at what the register-herald.com said:
"All it took was a massive outcry from America’s heartland and the Obama administration pulled in its horns on a plan to ban juveniles from pitching in to help out with the chores on family farms."
Coming from a farm family, myself, I know, as a child & teenager, how often my siblings and I rode in Tractors, went to Livestock Auctions, visited grain elevators, and on and on...
Imagine, if children in this country were banned from working alongside their parents - picking apples in trees, learning to drive and operate farm equipment - the family farm as we know it in our country - would become extinct and I cannot begin to imagine what would become of our American food supply, if we had to rely solely on foreign countries.
For those of you, who enjoy the TV series, The Waltons, imagine if John Boy Walton, or his brothers, Jason, Ben, and Jim Bob, had not been allowed to work in the barn and cut wood, alongside their father and grandfather. Ben might never have picked up the trade - and carried on the tradition of Walton and Sons. Also, do you recall the episode where the children watched Chance's calf being born. According to this law, the children would not be allowed to watch, because the animal was "inflicting pain."
Or, imagine Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie... she might not have been allowed to climb up in the hayloft, milk a cow, or pick up a pitchfork and clean her own Horse's stall. There are children everyday, who, like these characters on TV - live their lives just like this. And, many of them - love it just as much as their parents did - generation after generation.
For now, there is good news -
The Government may have fought The Farm - but, thankfully The Farm Won!
I am hesitant, however, to rejoice too loudly... for this is surely to be an on-going battle for the future of our country. Our family will continue to put it in the hands of the Lord - who created heaven and earth! "A man reaps what he sows." ~ Galations 6:7
Thank you to those of you who have read this post. I appreciate all of my followers. In writing this, I was trying to think of various TV shows or Movies that showed children working with their parents/grandparents on the farm. Any ideas?
Also, I think it's important for us to stand up for our rights! This is America - Land of the Free and Home of the Brave! Let me know what you think - see Comments below...
Great write up. Thank you for sharing. While I was not born on a farm, I truly believe that we are "protecting" our children too much and that watching a calf or foal or lamb, etc. won't hurt anyone. It is a beautiful thing to watch. And back in those days of the Waltons and Ingalls, the female members of the family, no matter the age, help their brother/sister come into this world. Of course that didn't apply to boys, but they watched the cows, etc. So they learned that it was a beautiful thing. A farm is only as good as the family unit, and the government is sticking their long reach too far into the family unit.
ReplyDeleteIt was really a pleasure reading your write up. Thank you.
Great post! I agree 100%! I'm glad you went off subject to discuss this issue. It's truly unbelievable that the government could have such control over people's lives. I'm glad it has been dropped - as you say, for now. It makes me wonder "What next?"
ReplyDeleteAs for a movie that shows children working on a farm, I can think of the old movie
The Yearling
and the Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie
The Painted House.
I remember the boy riding on a tractor with his Grandpa. Hope that helps. Hope others have ideas, too.
I agree with Lauren above, I also liked your post. That new law would have been way over-reaching. Thank the Lord they changed their minds, but probably only because it's election time.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say that I liked your reference to The Waltons and the picture of John and John Boy with the calf- by the way, the Walton kids named that calf, Bullet and Jim Bob and Elizabeth couldn't let it go to a mean farmer down the road who wanted to raise it to eat it. John told Olivia that their kids were being raised on a farm and they would have to learn that animals had a purpose. It's a great episode.
ReplyDeleteAs for other movies that show farms - how about all of the Flicka Movies.
Thank you so much for this post. It truly shows the reason for the work ethic among farm families.
ReplyDeleteThank you; very well put commentary on this lastest government intrusion on common sense. Their intentions may be good but this is just another example of the "Nanny state" espoused by the Obama Administration.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post...Amen, sister!
ReplyDeletep.s. keep up the great blog. It is fantastic :D
Hi! my name is Marge maj66 at verizon.net
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to say, I agree with what you said. I was actually wondering what would happen to the Amish in my area. Here in Pennsylvania most Amish families sale produce and the children are out in the fields gathering it everyday except for Sunday the Lords day. How, would they make it in life. They depend on every family generation to help with all the chores. It`s amazing to see what these young teenage boys can do with the horses and other livestock. This law would really hurt them also. Keep up your great work. We all appreciate evrything you do. Marge in PA
Thank you for taking the time to write this.
ReplyDeleteAs for movies with farming - how about the Sarah, Plain, and tall Movies.