The wisdom of a 'linthead emeritus'

East Alabama's JL Strickland, a self-described "linthead emeritus," knows what it's like to lose a mill job. He writes in today's Anniston Star:

The only reason 6-year-old kids are not working in American factories today is that laws were passed to prevent it. Think about it –- they had to pass a law to prevent American mill owners from working 6-year-old children in their plants.
These changes meant wealthy factory owners had to share some of their loot. And rich manufacturers loathe Roosevelt to this day for improving the lot of working folk, and want nothing more than a return to that day of virtual employee slavery — back to the day when 1 percent of the population owned 90 percent of the wealth.
And, with the help and collusion of many of our elected representatives, they’ve almost turned back the clock. Already there are horror stories about the working conditions in foreign plants producing American goods — seven-day work weeks, 18-hour days, no benefits, unsafe work conditions, child labor.
These countries don’t have a Franklin Roosevelt to defend the poor and helpless. Sadly, nowadays, neither do we.

Click here to read his entire column.