Posted by
Frigglesnitz on Sunday, September 16, 2007 9:31:51 PM
ISN'T EVERYTHING REALLY FROM CHINA?
There was something in today's paper (I believe it was the Chicago Tribune) about the fact that approximately 80 percent of America's toys come from China.
That, to me, is a nauseating statistic.
Once I purchased a little teddy bear from a United States Postal Service office. It was such a cute little thing that before it was over with, I'd bought about four of the little darlings -- one for me, others for some members of my family.
There came a day when I was inspecting the cute little thing and read on the tag, "Made in China." Now, it is true that the bear came from a distributer in the United States. However, that takes nothing from the fact that it was MADE IN CHINA.
I never bought another bear or any other stuffed animal from the United States Postal Service. It was an embarrassment to me as an American that there was the UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE selling teddy bears MADE IN CHINA. It seemed to me that the least the USPS could have done was purchase toys made in America. But, no.
Complaints were made to my Congressmen, really in connection with the irony of not being allowed legally to purchase drugs from Canada, and yet, here was the USPS selling teddy bears made in China. It was enough to rile me, and my Congressmen knew it.
Now, speaking of drugs, as I was not, but I am now, I have written to my President, my Congressmen and the FDA Commissioner telling them that it would be worthwhile for Americans to know the countries of origin of every drug and every ingredient in every drug being dispensed by any entity to any entity here in America. Actually, I did not say that it would be worthwhile; what I did say was that it should be done, and it should be overseen by someone with no ties to the drug industry. I want to know the origin of every ingredient in every drug I take. Seems fair to me.
Like that's going to be done. Any of it. But my point to them was that there seems to be a requirement that teddy bears and toys and T-shirts bear a label disclosing country of origin. Should it not be of at least equal importance that Americans know the country of origin of prescription drugs?
I have a new slogan -- one I intend to live by:
WHAT'S MADE IN CHINA CAN STAY IN CHINA.
I will live by that slogan because I do not care to die on terms that seem to have been predetermined in China and that it seems my country cannot or will not do anything about.