The Daily Free Press published an editorial celebrating the spirit, if not the actions, of the young French rioters (“Searching for activism,” March 17, p.6). While the complacency of today’s students is notable and perhaps troubling, it is far more preferable than the situation in France, where the rioters simply do not understand the effects of the new law, which will make it easier for employers to fire their young employees.

At first this does seem a raw deal for them, but the fact is that France’s current policy of protecting these workers only makes employers not want to hire young people in the first place. Young people have not had enough time to build their reputations as good workers, so hiring a young person is a risk if an employer cannot get rid of inefficient workers. If, however, an employer can more easily fire inefficient workers, he or she will be more willing to hire them and take advantage of the lower wages for which younger people work. This law is meant to help solve the high unemployment (as high as 50 percent in some areas) that plagues the French youth.

Yes, the young in France are being heard by their government, but their opinion is simply misinformed and will cost the government much to clean up the mess. While American students today aren’t as vocal as they used to be, at least they aren’t burning down cities because they don’t understand the current situation. I perfer apathetic students to misinformed activists.

Jordan Maurand CAS ’08