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What strikes me in this poem is taking risk, building a backbone and ignoring the naysayers. It requires mental fortitude. Not too long ago <18yo commanded ships, explored new territories, fought world wars…and today kids (& adults) are so fearful of man’s opinions. I didn’t realize the NEETs was a worldwide phenomenon, this is the real pandemic. We were raised with “with privilege comes responsibility “ and we all worked by age 11. I don’t think companies hire <16 here and the unions prevent young kids learning trades. Out East my nephew was doing construction at 13yo alongside his grandpa

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Thank the gov for that, Fed and State. Under Obama many regulations were changed to get the effect we are seeing now. About a decade ago a family in WA was harvesting the crops in their fields with the help of their children so they could leave for vacation.

Some really nice person noticed the field work as it was happening. The State was informed and it made the family burn the entire harvest because the parents used their children who were too young to work by law.

During strawberry season I would get up before 5:00 am to truck my two boys ages 11 & 12 and their bikes to a nearby farm to pick strawberries. They would bike home in the daylight. Owners say young kids are the only ones that can do it without damaging the patches! They earned money for each crate they filled. That was when Carter was in office!

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