Letter: child labor

I was horrified to read the article in the Star of 5-28-23 titled "Lawmakers look to kids to fill labor gap". This country seems to be moving backwards, way backwards! 14-year-olds serving alcohol in bars and restaurants? 14- and 15-year-olds working till 9 p.m. on school nights? These are just two examples of laws being considered in various state legislatures. There was only one sentence about what should be an obvious solution to the labor shortage: "The most obvious is allowing more legal immigration, which is politically divisive but has been a cornerstone of the country's ability to grow for years in the face of an aging population." I realize that illegal immigration is politically divisive, but I don't see why legal immigration should be. So let's work on that solution and let children be kids and grow up safely!