The Killing of America

This is from the American Library Association. They are also worried about the new law that goes into effect in a few short weeks requiring ALL products aimed at children under the age of 13 to be tested for lead and philates (something like that).

http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=1573


If public libraries can't get a straight answer - what does this mean for little homeschooling publishing companies?

Or maybe that is the point - if you can't make home schools disappear one way - take away our books!

How long can these little publishers hold out waiting to be able to sell their books? Or maybe the government will come and confiscate all of the books and destroy them for us before deciding to overturn or redefine the law? I know we wouldn't like to think that the powers that be are doing this on purpose ... but can our already terribly shaky economy survive this?

Actually - most people agree that this is a bad idea - it affects so many people is so many bad ways. The few that would benefit would be new jobs to handle the HUGE number of products that require testing (some people who are working on or checking into the testing are quoting a year long or better date! and prices ranging from $50 - 300 for lead test and $150 - $1000 for the other test!) so they are going to need to build more testing sites, train people to run the tests, and have the supplies to do the tests with (HEY - New jobs!) PLUS the law enforcement groups and the lawyers to uphold and fight the law.

Are these the same governmental agencies urging us to "recycle, reduce, reuse"? And worried about too much trash?

One of the below links offers a PDF file of the entire 63 page law! My head was spinning before reaching the second page of explanation.

Good grief.

This also puts all SAHM businesses producing diapers, clothes, toys, and other items aimed at little kids out of business. http://www.unplugyourkids.com/2009/01/22/illegal-toys-update/

http://www.writeshop.com/blog/2009/01/06/cpsia-demise-childrens-cottage-industry/

http://mommylife.net/archives/2009/01/second_hand_chi.html

http://www.thehappyhousewife.com/national-bankruptcy-day/

http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/

Now they did "tongue in cheek" release the second hand selling of products from being tested ... but still forbid them to sell anything that might contain lead or has not got a certificate of passing the tests. .... RIGHT. So, I can resell .... WHAT EXACTLY? IF they are testing everything ... then isn't EVERYTHING suspect? What second hand store has the time or resources to check each item?

There is a lot of disagreement on whether this law will apply to older items or not - most of those calling and asking are being told that it will be retroactive - not that you have to have it tested, but that you cannot resell it if it is suspected to have the lead or other in it. Which takes you back to the "EVERYTHING" is suspect. .... But they didn't say we couldn't TRADE or GIVE the stuff! But even those calling and asking are getting diverse answers - even THEY don't know how they want to interpret their own law!

So how is this going to affect me?

Will my kids have Sunday school materials?
How about AWANA supplies and awards?
Library books? Browsing and buying at the bookstore?
Will we be able to buy our Rod and Staff textbooks? Or Alpha Omega?
Will any home school books be available to buy soon?
What are my kids going to wear?
Our yearly budget is around $50 per person - but Tim has a little more because he "works" and has to look nice - we rely heavily on hand me downs and second hand.
Is this going to extend to food packaging too?

Guess we'll be going back in time - back to when kids had 3 sets of clothing (daily, school, and church), you cut down adult clothes to fit the little ones, one or two homemade toys for Christmas or a birthday, no shoes in the summer. Guess it will solve my clutter problem!