Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Outraged!!

Okay today I am livid!! Livid!! I am a bibliophile. I love books. LOVE THEM! I have a lovely collection of books that my mother read when she was young and I still love to read them and my girls love to read them. Now aparently they are dangerous. According to the notorious Consumer Protection and Safety Improvement Act
http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/cpsia.HTML
Books printed before 1985 have too much lead in the ink. Libraries are now being forced to remove vintage book from their shelves. I would rather my children read Trixie Belden, Donna Parker and the like than Captain Underpants or other such rot thank you very much, lead ink or no lead ink. I found this article and it sums it up in a nutshell. http://www.parentdish.com/2009/02/20/old-books-a-new-source-of-lead-poisoning/
I am amazed that anyone of us who were born before 1985 survived to adulthood what with strings on our hoods, lead paint, walkers....need I continue. Don't get me wrong I am for keeping our children safe but this is rediculous in the extreme. The US government missed the boat on this one. Keep high lead products form overseas out of the hands of our children. Yes please. But watching second hand stores shut down beacuse they can't afford to test every button and zipper and filler in a North American made winter jacket is ludacris. WHat about all of the not so rich and famous who need access to second hand stores?? Sorry uys you will have to do without because there is a 1 in a million chance that the North Americian plant that made that coat might have used a snap cover from China. Even though I live in Canada where these laws are not on the books I am still affected by the crazyness in the States. I can't sell my used books on ebay unless I am sure they are printed after 1985. Even if I use the disclaimer that they are intended for adults over the age of 12. What if junior gets a hold of mommy's "new" first edition Jane Austin and tries to eat it??? I am now libel and can face up to $100,000.00 in fines. I thought we did away with book burning/banning???? Maybe Big Brother has just developed new tactics??? Aren't we enlightened yet?? Better luck next time boys. Lets make laws that really work.

1 comment:

  1. Oh wow...how sad to lose such precious books! Glad I have all my Trixie Beldens, Nancy Drews and Bobsey Twins packed away and waiting for my kiddos. Good thing I'm in Canada too...otherwise I guess all my old books would be considered contraband!

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