True patriots have have fought and bled and died for the freedoms we enjoy today. Child labour laws, the eight hour day, the five day work week, workplace safety standards, the minimum wage: all of these victories were won through battles fought by regular people just like you and me. These were wars that we never learn about in history class. The casualties of this war have no national monument. Dedicated men and women, practically powerless against the formidable leaders of industry and their allies in government, somehow managed to rise up and overcome unimaginable adversity to win victories that would have put David and his slingshot to shame. As children, we didn’t have to experience the horrors of working sixteen hours underground in the coal mines each day. We don’t have to put our elderly grandparents to work in order to put scraps of food on the table. We don’t have to worry about dying young because our only option in life is to do dangerous work in unsafe conditions. This is their legacy to us.