🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <710@looking.UUCP> brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) writes:
>As usual, I forgot that most people have forgotten the definition of
>the word "force," and thus drop to personal comments.

Brad's objecting to personal comments that I made.  Reasonable enough to
object -- nobody likes being commented, as computer scientists know --
but I think he's missed my point.

The point was that for most of us there is no choice between children and
work.  Almost everyone wants children eventually, and for the majority
of couples both father and mother must work in order to support the family.
But while we're deciding on economic arguments alone -- with a little
touch of consumer convenience -- that on every day of the week at least
some stores should be open, we're doing nothing to provide the social
support that the retail workers will need.  Like daycare on Sundays, for
example.

Yes, there are already people like shift workers who have these troubles
now.  Do they like it?  Will the situation be better if more people have the
same problems?

Yes, there are already people trying to talk us into better daycare and other
social services.  Are any of the people in this discussion who advocate seven-
day opening also pushing seven-day daycare?  (I haven't seen it, but "rn" kindly
murdered my .newsrc recently, and I missed part of the discussion.)

>I don't have kids, and I do usually work Sundays.   And Saturdays.  And at
>10 pm on Thursdays and most other times.

I like working at odd times, too.  But, like Brad, I make sure people know
about it -- it's special, and a sign of interest and dedication.  Nobody's
telling me, "Come in Sunday or be fired," and I *never* have to work odd
days when my children are sick.

Candidate for new .signature:  Why isn't this discussion in *.politics?
-- 

Jim Clarke -- Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4
              (416) 978-4058
{allegra,cornell,decvax,linus,utzoo}!utcsri!clarke