Saturday, May 30, 2009

Video: Hearing on Consumer Safety Legislation: Schakowsky's Opening

This video can be found at whatisthecpsia's video channel or on you tube. It is the most depressing one I've watched so far tonight.

It is from the early days of the drafting of CPSIA (Nov 2007), and is an Opening Statement in a Hearing on the legislation by Representative Schawosky.

Ms. Schawosky is very proud of the work they had done on the legislation at this point, pointing out that "...millions and millions of products that have been recalled and found dangerous to our children in the face of their death and injury....these products that have been hurting our children...toys poisoning and cribs killing their babies...Americans should be able to trust government to protect them..."

It was a rather disturbing display of exaggeration and finger-pointing...Based on this speech, one would have thought that hundreds of children had been poisoned by the recent rash of toxic toys...and that corporations had little to no concern for the safety of our children. And that the law was only going to be designed to protect small children from these dangerous toys and cribs.

I wonder how we got from this point to a law that deals with ALL children's products, up through the age of 12? Including products like books and clothes and bikes that had never caused the types of problems she was referring to?

I am a mother. I love my children. Frankly I trust myself to protect them much better than the government or big corporations!

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