I am aware of a skilled and industrious carpenter in his 50’s that charges and receives $35 an hour in a small town, rural West Tennessee county.
With such money to be made it is surprising that so few young men enter the trades today. Ask any tradesman out there if there is a lack of skilled workers and he’ll say, yes, and that there are few in the pipeline. Young men are simply not becoming carpenters, plumbers, electricians, HVAC men, diesel mechanics, etc. and the list goes on.
I say young men because men are the builders of our kind. Its just in our human nature. Women can join the trades today but few do because it is not in a woman’s nature. There are exceptions, but they are just that. More power to them.
Human culture is born of human nature and inevitable, but it is not human nature itself and thus subject to change. And our culture needs to change.
For too long now our culture has looked down upon labouring and building, rather placing great value on getting a classroom education and its attendant diplomas and degrees. The result is that we grind too many young men that are clearly not destined for college through a four year high school curriculum and culture to which they contribute little and from which they receive worse than nothing, and than release them at eighteen poorly educated to perform low wage, unskilled work.
Let us liberate these young men for whom high school will be a colossal and soul crushing waste of time, graduate them after the 8th grade, pat ’em on the back and tell them to get to work. During these formative years let them learn skills and good work habits that will be transferable to all walks of life. Let them return home daily tired, but full of self-respect. Allow them to contribute to the maintenance of their families and feed on the respect of their parents (too often single mothers).
Let them mature into men, around actual men, who as examples and mentors can help prepare them for the responsibility of one day being husbands and fathers themselves.
Allow them to go to work for tile setters, electrical engineers, concrete men, carpet layers, or surveyors. Skilled tradesmen have always been paid relatively well and can find work anywhere things need done.
And then as mature men armed with skills and experience, there is the possibility that they may one day go into business for themselves and have the hope of making some real money, offering good jobs to others, and perhaps becoming mentors in their turn.
The Old America yet lives, and it rewards maturity, intelligence, and drive, and for many young men this will be gained on actual job sites, not asleep at a desk in a classroom, piddling in shop, or smoking in the boy’s room.
And lastly, by returning to a rational apprentice system our culture will be not be permanently closing doors on any thirteen year old young man that is not closed by the nature of things to most of us. I mean, no one reading this is going to become President or a movie star. But any adult can go to college or change career paths. Antifa isn’t in charge yet.
Wait, no! This is my last point. Dadburnit! Let them play on the high school football team if they want! His boss will let him off early enough to get to practise. He’ll probably even carry him himself.
M.C. Atkins
Follow me on Facebook by clicking here.
Look Away... 