Soaking in preservatives

An environmental group checked 10 samples of umbilical cord blood, drawn from unknown babies, and announced that they found, on average (in these 10), 287 different contaminants. I'd like more information about the babies before getting excited -- including whether they were normal at birth, or not. What I found funny, though, was New York Rep. Louise Slaughter, who instantly jumped on the story:

"These 10 newborn babies ... were born polluted," said New York Rep. Louise Slaughter, who spoke a news conference about the findings on Thursday. "If ever we had proof that our nation's pollution laws aren't working, it's reading the list of industrial chemicals in the bodies of babies who have not yet lived outside the womb," Slaughter, a Democrat, said.

So far, so generic -- Democratic seeking more legislation, which may or may not be necessary, appropriate, or well thought out. The funny part came later:

"I have auto exhaust fumes, flame retardant chemicals, and in all, some 271 harmful substances pulsing through my veins. That's hardly the picture of health I had hoped for, but I've been living in an industrial society for over 70 years."

Does Rep. Slaughter not realize that it's only in this "industrial society" that people are routinely living to be over 70 years. In pre-industrial eras, live was Hobbesian, which huge numbers of women dying young in childbirth, and few citizens, men or women, living long enough to get the AARP Magazine.