No, the "good old days" weren't always better! In fact, progressive policies have been enacted over the years to overcome inequalities in our nation that the private sphere was unable to adequately address.
When I heard that Missouri might reconsider their child labor laws, it made me think about how our view of the child has evolved over the years. Kids weren’t always expected to go to school and mature into adulthood. At one time, they were thought of as little adults. Even more important, the creation of social welfare programs helped families to stay together where in the past they might not have had the resources to do so. What is important to remember now, as austerity measures are more openly discussed, is that Progressive policies have improved the lives of families. But more important, these policies have improved the lives of our nation's most important resource-our children.