A Little More Faith in Politicians

Yesterday, the Washington State Senate passed the "Toxic Toys" bill, which essentially outlaws children's toys and products with toxic levels of chemicals and heavy metals. Read more about it here.

In addition, my State Senator, Eric Oemig attempted to amend the bill with a requirement that parents and pregnant women be notified of mercury in vaccines prior to their administration. Unfortunately, this amendment didn't make it to the final bill, but I am thrilled he attempted to add it! I already sent him my admiration-filled thank you note.

One real, er, think of your favorite synonym for Asshole, Senator Jim Honeyford, was among those who didn't vote for the bill, after amending it with the following: (From Washington Votes website)

* Amendment offered by Sen. Jim Honeyford, (R-Sunnyside)....to exempt tricycles from the definition of "children's product" under the bill.

* Amendment offered by Sen. Jim Honeyford...to exempt scooters from the definition of "children's product" under the bill.


He also added similar amendments for various guns, model rockets, and "athletic shoes with cleats or spikes". His amendments all made it intact. Now, I can see that guns and model rockets aren't necessarily children's products, but I still don't want my children to wear cleats that have lead in them. (I hadn't even thought about that, so now I'm going to have to get a test kit for my new soccer turf shoes! Damn. I really like those cleats, too! Hope they're lead-free!) Also, in what world is a child's scooter or tricycle not a children's product? No, I don't know any kids with scooters or trikes. Load 'em up with toxins, by all means! Grr.

Senator Honeyfucker, er, Honeyford also tried the fun "I melted down lead to make toy soldiers when I was a kid, and turned out fine!" approach. Uh, maybe, but we didn't know about the toxicity of lead and other heavy metals then. And I don't know how fine you turned out, if you don't know that a tricycle is a children's product. He complained about how he wouldn't have any gifts for his grandkids this Christmas when all the toys are banned. Hey, Senator, you didn't save those toy soldiers you made from melted lead? Those would be great toys for your grandkids! (Sorry, couldn't resist. I'm a bitch, you know!)

Another big thanks to the fine Senators (and the Representatives in the House who passed their version of the bill unanimously last month) who voted for this important bill!

Get the Lead Out!

Hmm. Actually, hunters, go ahead and keep it in, if you're using the gun on yourselves, that is.

I was listening to NPR this afternoon on the way home from Toys R Us with the boys (note to other parents: don't go to Toys R Us before lunchtime with a three-year-old who will refuse to leave until he is hungry and cranky. Then again, if you do, he may pass out in the car on the way home!) when this story came on.

Basically, it is about how condors are still endangered because of lead poisoning, from eating carcasses that had been shot with lead ammo. Hunters go out shooting things with toxic ammunition, and the "gut piles" (carcasses hunters leave behind) that the condors eat are poisoned with lead.

There was an NRA cuntspokesperson on talking about how there was no proof that the lead ammo was responsible for hurting anything, so they weren't doing anything about the lead issue, but to that I say a big, "DUH!" Rather, I yell at the radio about stupid bitches who should be shot, as I wonder how anyone can deny that lead is toxic. Oh sure, it's toxic in paint, but really, it's perfectly fine to use in your ammo when you go out killing Bambi's family, and leave their poisoned carcasses behind to kill endangered species. Fortunately, they had a decent human being on after the evil cunt who said when he heard that ammo had lead in it, he started buying lead-free steel ammo, and it seemed to work just as well, if not better, than the toxic stuff.

I just don't understand how in this day and age people still don't understanding that fucking up the planet with toxic materials just because it's "what we've always done" is wrong. Yes, this goes for mercury as well. Just because it's been used since the beginning in vaccines, doesn't make it safe to use it today, now that we know mercury is a potent neurotoxin! The same goes for putting it in your teeth via "silver" amalgam fillings. And while we're at it, why are they using mercury in compact fluorescent lights? GAIOIGOIURT! This stuff makes me so freaking angry. The environmentalists are all so excited about saving electricity with these things, but if one breaks in your home, you have a biohazard on your hands. Not to mention nobody is going to properly dispose of these toxin-filled shitshards when they eventually burn out. Right now, you have to pay to recycle them at select stores (there's one light store in the area I live in that takes them). Yeah, that's going to go over well. Most people do not know that these shouldn't go straight in the garbage, and that's exactly where they'll end up, ensuring the future destruction of our already toxic world.

Sigh. Where's my gun?