I would like to thank those few people who called me a “troublemaker” because I didn’t want to sit by silently while my family and future generations are exposed to toxic, hazardous chemicals in portable toilets, or because I dared to question the safety of many consumer products, or made others feel threatened by my other nonconformist views.
I feel honored. Many of my heroes were labeled “troublemakers” in their time. As a matter of fact, the United States of America would not even exist without historic “troublemakers” such as Benjamin Franklin, who was quoted as saying, “It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.” Without conscientious “troublemakers,” many of our citizens would still be laboring under slavery, and women would not have the right to vote or receive equal pay.
Our modern atrocity is that every man, woman and child on the planet is being bombarded with toxins and heavy metals every single day. Currently, at least 30,000,000 Americans have some type of sensitivity and immune damage from chemicals, and yet we refuse to acknowledge the growing problem chemicals are posing to our health. I find it sad that many people would rather defend the poisonous products of a chemical company than think about what deleterious effects those products might have on them and their neighbors. Chemical exposure can be insidious and far-reaching. Its effects may not be immediately apparent, but it may alter the reproductive cells so that future generations pay the price for our short-sightedness. And still the chemical industry works tirelessly to discount the mounting evidence, to discredit and intimidate people who speak out against them, trying to confuse the public with industry-paid studies that exonerate the poison-makers.
I am proud to be a “troublemaker” and I will continue to speak out on hazardous chemical exposure that threatens all of us. I hope others will join me in asking their representatives in Congress or state legislatures to pass more laws on chemical safety. For example, Senator Fran Pavley’s bill SB797, “The Toxic Free Baby and Toddlers’ Act” is currently being debated in the legislature. To lend your support, call Senator Fran Pavley at 916-651-4023 or Assemblywoman Julia Brownley at 916-319-2041.
Cindy Emminger