Abby Zampi 5/6/13 Summative Assessment OT (Letter) F.D.

555 Main Street Princess Anne County, Virginia December 7, 1915 Honorable Woodrow Wilson: US President Washington, D.C. Dear Sir: Overworked children become undeveloped men, (Hine). An end should be put to young children working in factories, mills, and mines. It was brought to my attention that the KeatingOwen Child Labor bill is being voted upon in the upcoming weeks. As a mother of two children and a teacher, I was saddened to see that there was no mandatory education rule for children enslaved by people who watch them work strenuously all day. The Keating-Owen Child Labor bill should be changed so that it is mandatory for children to have at least 2 hours per day dedicated to only school and so that the age restrictions are changed from under 14 in the current bill to under 16, (Keating-Owen). Children working in factories, mines and mills for countless hours a day are sadly, growing up undeveloped and uneducated. Overworked Children Become Undeveloped Men, (Hine). In a picture taken by Lewis Hine of an old yellowing poster this very powerful quote was written in dark black ink. This means that our future generations and children are growing up with no education, no knowledge of the real world, and no fun if they are cramped in a factory, mine, or mill all day. Some children need to work for their families to get by, but that doesnt mean they should grow up undeveloped and uneducated. Children should dedicate at least 2 hours a day to school and only school so that this problem of undeveloped men is ended. Education is priceless. We learn everyday things at school, have fun, and make memories; you and I both know that. These kids are growing up and never getting to experience school. If we continue to not educate our children our future generations wont know a thing. Its a ripple or domino effect. If one generation has no education, they wont do anything about it and the next generation will have the same problem, and the chain would never end. Hazardous working conditions are unsafe for young children and many people are speaking up about it. (The 1910s: Labor Rights) Children could die working in mills and factories when they are only getting paid a few pennies per day. Although it is easier for younger children to access the mines and use their small and nimble fingers to work in the mills and factories, it is safer for older children to be doing this work because they have more developed bones and bodies. Some families are losing the one thing that matters most to them just to get a few extra pennies. No mother or family should ever have to go through something as tragic as losing a child. If the age restriction in the Keating-Owen Child Labor bill is raised to under 16 and education is mandatory for a minimum of 2 hours per day then those two small changes can make a huge impact on the U.S. If young children are working they arent being educated. It has been proven that young children need education the most because that is where they learn to count, to write,

Abby Zampi 5/6/13 Summative Assessment OT (Letter) F.D. and to read. All of these skills are used every day, and these children will be lost without them. If young children are taken out of the mines and factories to go to school and children in factories are dedicating time only to school then the ripple effect can be reversed, and we can begin to educate our children and future generations, then we can get the U.S. back to the way it should be. The U.S. needs this bill to be passed in order for our children to survive and make an impact on the world. Young children working in factories should dedicate 2 hours to school and education. The bill should also be changed so that 16 is the minimum age a child can work in a factory that sells their products between the states. To ensure that our future generations are educated and ready to lead the nation we must begin to educate them early and protect them so that this is even possible. The Keating-Owen Child Labor bill should be changed so that it is mandatory for children to have at least 2 hours per day dedicated to only school and so that the age restrictions are changed from under 14 in the current bill to under 16, (Keating-Owen). Respectfully Yours,

Abby Zampi