David Niall Wilson writes a moving post about the destruction of the books ('they are getting ready to burn the magic,' he says, and with a lump in my throat I can only nod my head in agreement):
I guess, if every old book was preserved in some way, and if every old book was available in a new form for the children, and if any thought whatsoever had gone into the consequences of this stupid glitch in Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), passed by Congress last summer, I might be convinced that they had thought this through. I don’t know if the proper people just haven’t become aware, or congressional leaders are afraid to be the one to pop up and say something, or if they seriously don’t understand what the implications of destroying and burning hundreds of years of children’s literature on our society will be. In point of fact, I don’t care which it is…they need to fix it, stop it, cease - desist.
It's good that the CPSIA finally hit metafilter, but it's a shame so many of the folks in the comments trust their government's goodwill so much that they pass on some misinformation (the usual stuff- it can't be that bad, confusion over the stay, disbelief, misplaced trust- sure the government will fix this...').
One small snapshop of the destruction that follows in the wake of the CPSIA- Tristan's business is down to just her, and here she shows a photograph of her new customers. I wonder if I could sell used books as chew toys for puppies?
Amy Ridenour says:
Congress adopted this law in apparent response to widespread reports of children ingesting dirt bike parts.
No, not really. Congress adopted adopted this law in part because it has no idea what it is doing (that's what happens when lawmakers vote on bills no one has read, coming from an ideological bias that the bigger government grows, the better we'll be), but that's no excuse for not revisiting the issue now that the truth is kicking many people in the teeth.
Every day this law remains unreformed, jobs get killed and books (some of which are irreplaceable) get tossed away.
That last thing about the b-b-b-b-books being t-t-t-t-t-tossed (OUCH), it makes me wince every time I read something like that.
Shudder.
Here's somebody I bet can understand how I feel:
Right, so I read this article that Tim posted above. I was outraged to the point of crying. So much history gone to where? The city dump. Why? Lead? That’s right children chomp down on those classic little golden books because everyone knows eating them will kill you.
Forgive my sarcasm, but it’s needed as I mentally process how much this country has just screwed over small shop owners and thrift stores. This new law says that books before 1985 should be removed entirely and tossed away because they are hazardous to the youths of the nation. Well maybe they don’t remember having these lead filled books when they were kid, but dammit I should as hell remember having them. I remember running my fingers over the delicious colors that entertained me long before a computer.
Whimsical Walney has another lovely, insightful post:
Many people assume that because we are small business owners we are fighting CPSIA solely to save our businesses. This assumption is further solidified as people drop out of the fight because their products have been “approved” and therefore think their businesses are no longer in jeopardy (which is not, in fact, the case).
Looking at it solely from a business perspective merely trivializes a very complex topic. The majority of people produce their products to be “seen” in the way that brings them value. For some, this is sharing their passions with others. For others, this is creating things that support children in need.
When I think about families and how they are affected by this law, I see someone flicking his finger to make the world’s largest dominoes display come crashing down and in typical Hollywood style the camera pulls back only blurring its demise.
With our vision so blurred, we lose our way. We are no longer able to see and appreciate the people and products around us. More importantly, we stop telling people, “I see you.”
And while CPSIA may be devastating to our businesses and economy, its demoralizing effects are what will be the ultimate demise of our community-at-large.
I am not ready to stop seeing all of the amazing people around me. Are you?
CPSIA must be changed.
We don't have to have a specific 'dog in this fight,' an ox being gored, to be aroused to righteous indignation over this bill. We are all citizens, we should all care enough about our fellow citizens that when government reaches its tentacles into their business we object.
The Stitchery has been given the runaround by her suppliers as she seeks to gain proof of compliance from her suppliers.This was for lead and phthalates content of only one component in our product line and the vendor who seemed the most accessible. Testing for phthalates is expensive and I would have to sell as many of this item as I have sold from 2002 to date to cover the cost of testing one batch. And that means that there would have been absolutely no profit made in all those 7 years. But I must test if I suspect that phthalates are in this product and that a child under 3 might use this product as a “toy”. Give me that crystal ball! I sell to schools for use of children over 3!
The folks at Consumer Reports are perfectly fine with banning books printed before 1985, and every other element of the law they lobbied for:
Weintraub acknowledged industry concerns about the law, particularly those having to do with the costs of testing products for compliance. However, she decried efforts to have the law revised as attempts to have it "opened, gutted and weakened."
The law as written, according to Weintraub, already addresses "almost every common sense concern," including those related to children's clothing and books. "Textiles that are 100% fabric ... and books printed after 1985 do not contain lead," and do not need to be tested.
The law as written legislates common sense responses right out of the picture, Weintraub has never pointed out exactly where these common sense concerns may be found in the law, mini bikes are not eligible for exemptions, and there's no reason in the world for her to leap to the conclusion that books printed before 1985 will make kids sick.
More on the bold bike dealer in Riverside who will be challenging the law this Thursday. He points out that kids eat off regular utensils every day of the week, several times a day, that most of our utensils probably come from China and nobody seems to be freaking out about testing and regulating those items.
More on the People's Protest happening in D.C. and around the country on April 1.
The more Tristan learns, the less she wants to know- I, too, have felt this same disillusionment in pretty much everybody who pushed for this law, voted for it, and currently supports it. Pin It
