Skip to main content


Farmers join uprising against Obama attacks

Obama would have killed a quintessentially American way of life for farmers -- if he had got his way.

Obama drew a sharp rebuke from farmers this week, which caused him to withdraw a controversial proposal that would have banned youth from doing many jobs on family farms. The proposed regulations would have applied child labor laws to family farms and chores, and were seen as an example of big government intrusion into private life.

There's something amiss on the family farm...

There's something amiss on the family farm...

WASHINGTON DC (Catholics Online) - Citing public outcry, the Department of Labor withdrew the proposal on Thursday. The Labor Department added, "To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama administration."

Unfortunately, that's no comfort to many who are afraid that a president who is fond of "end runs around Congress" to get his way may still find a way to  impose his will on middle America, especially should he be reelected. 

The proposed law was inexplicably restrictive, preventing not just certain types of work, which could be understandable in dangerous situations, but also applied to entire places. "Prohibited places of employment would include country grain elevators, grain bins, silos, feed lots, stockyards, livestock exchanges and livestock auctions," according to a press release. 

It would not matter how trivial the work might be - cleaning a facility, assisting in a project, or even doing data entry in an office would be prohibited.  

The law would have made it nearly impossible for America's future farmers to learn the ethics and nature of their trade until they were adults, thus directly attacking a quintessentially American way of life. Jeff Clark, Kansas Farm Bureau president from Cherokee County said, "Losing that work ethic - it's so hard to pick this up later in life. There's other ways to learn how to farm, but it's so hard. You can learn so much more working on the farm when you're 12, 13, 14 years old."

The law would have prevented kids from doing 4-H.

Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) said in a statement, "I want to thank every farmer, rancher and young person who joined many of us in Congress to speak out against this proposal, which would have fundamentally changed the way folks have been farming and ranching for generations. I continue to agree that safety on farms and ranches is imperative, but telling kids they can't do 4-H or farm-related chores is not the answer."

So now this proposal is dead (at least until November) what's next for Obama's attack on middle-America? 

Maybe nothing, if voters do their part. The latest polls suggest, farmers across the nation are joining the uprising against a president whose attitude and policies have been nothing short of openly hostile to the American way of life. 

However if voters do not speak out,  you can bet your last dollar, Obama will attack this non-partisan American way of life again if he is elected for a second term as he becomes "Emperor Obama."


© 2012, Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM. 

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention:
The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Obama, farmers, labor, children, department of labor

NEWSLETTERS »

E-mail:       Zip Code: (ex. 90001)
Today's Headlines

Sign up for a roundup of the day's top stories. 5 days / week. See Sample

Rate This Article

Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 1 of 1 Comments

  1. David Carlon
    1 year ago

    Another urban legend... the myth of the family farm. Some of the largest corporate welfare hogs are the international industrial farm operators, Monsanto, etc...

Leave a Comment

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment


Newsletter Sign Up

Daily Readings

Reading 1, Sirach 6:5-17
A kindly turn of speech attracts new friends, a courteous ... Read More

Psalm, Psalms 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34, 35
Blessed are you, Yahweh, teach me your will! Read More

Gospel, Mark 10:1-12
After leaving there, he came into the territory of Judaea and ... Read More

Saint of the Day

May 24 Saint of the Day

St. David I of Scotland
May 24: David, the youngest son of Scotland’s virtuous queen, (Saint) ... Read More




Marketplace

Click Here

No temas, María
Este libro te ayudará a profundizar en el conocimiento y la devoción ... Read More


Click Here

Christmas Gifts of Faith
Christmas Gifts for family and friends. Give gifts of faith this ... Read More