Friday, November 09, 2007

recall + brotherhood

i wish i had some money and i'd purchase/take over NotChinaMade (it's for sale right now). oh poverty is for the birds.

so have you heard the latest toy recall? apparently there is a toy called Aquadots and if for some reason they are ingested the beads break down into GHB (you know... the date rape drug.) i will give you one guess where this toy is made! had enough of this game? i sure have. want to see the complete list of recalls? well get ready to do some reading my dears. i did a random sampling of over half of the products on that page and i'd say 80-90% of them are made in china.

the problems are not exclusive to lead contamination. this one has a potential risk of "[exploding] near the consumer's head, posing a risk of temporary hearing loss and injuries to eyes, face and hands." EXPLODING?! and this one? finger amputation. and this impalement, and on and on.

any of you who are wanting to boycott china let me tell you right now - it isn't impossible! the tasks seems daunting and probably a bit scary but i assure you unhooking the chinese-iv drip will free you and your family. i feel things like this are a moral issue. for my family and my future i choose to hold up my palm (instead out out) to china and say no more. yes there are certain things they are going to be harder to obtain without a larger investment - the chinese have a stronghold on shoes and electronics for example. good luck finding any video games that are not made in china! what little inconvenience is being put into my life is nothing compared to the workers' plight

again i will remark my sentiments that there needs to be reform in that country on so many levels. i guess i get sad, yes actually SAD when i think about owning something that was made in china that was potentially made by a child. even if it isn't a child it was probably made by an adult in a sweatshop. call me sensitive but how can i call myself a christian if i do nothing to stop that machine that turns against my fellow man? this is only the truth that is being laid on my own heart, im not spouting off anything biblical to convict others. one of the truths that Jesus spoke into my heart long long ago is that we are all His creation and what happens to one, happens to all. God sees even the tiniest sparrow fall and takes note of it (matthew 10:29). i remember a few months ago a small bird had fallen out of it's mama's nest and onto my flower bed and i felt so awful every time i walked past it and heard it cry out. how can my heart bleed for a bird but not a human?


ps. 500+ toys not made in china!

10 comments:

Sarah said...

here here!

christin joy said...

you do not know me, but i totally understand where you are coming from. my husband and i are currently missionaries to hong kong/china and we see it first hand - the bondage of people here. there are good things and bad but i agree with how our hearts should be bleeding and aching out for the people of china (and everywhere else of course). really good post. i enjoy your entries, hope you don't mind if i stick around.

agape,

christin joy.

Anonymous said...

i randomly came across your journal by chance. and it instantly appealed to me because i love meeting other christians in the online community.

so i've been reading some of your posts lately.

and i think i'm going to become a regular reader. i think you'll help me become aware of things that i need to be aware of.

Oldnovice said...

I'm an atheist, but I, too, love your blog. I may not be there with you on the God thing, but I'm right there with you on the China thing, and yeah... how do we do what needs to be done without $$?
I suppose the answer is "one step at a time".

Olive said...

oh what wonderful comments to wake up to this morning!

christin- wow missionaries! what a blessing (and burden perhaps too) to undertake for the Kingdom!

rosie- welcome aboard!

old novice- God is such an integral part of my life that really He is the source of all things that i might say or do (at least the good ones, the others im still trying to work on naturally ;)) but does one have to have faith of any kind to feel like i do about this topic? OF COURSE NOT! any for that matter a multitude of others. like you said, one step at a time, one purchase (or not) at a time.

Real World Martha said...

My hubby makes teeth (crowns etc) and lost his job awhile back to them being sent to China. It's hard to avoid. Even some of the dentists didn't know the bridges etc weren't being made here.
Debbie aka The Real World Martha
http://realworldmartha.wordpress.com

Olive said...

teeth too!? ack!

Anonymous said...

What makes it even more challenging is the fact that there are sweatshops and abhorant conditions for workers right here in America... often close to the American/Mexican border. "Made in America" isn't always a clear indicator of a conscientious purchase. All we can do is our best, I guess...

Lacy said...

Hello.
Jenny, I am a friend of Maria's and I often peek into your world. First I just wanted to see her cutie pie niece and nephew, but now I read on to learn more about where your at with trying to be a conscince child of God living in this crazy place. (Wow, what a sentence!)
We're considered the green/o'naturals of the bunch and I get a kick out of your adventures to leave a small eco foot-print.
My husband really wants to buy and convert cars and you were the inspiration.
Anywho... I was watching the news this morning and a man owns a business just a block away from our home and he's doing some cool things. Here's an article about it I thought you might like.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/120/motorhead-messiah.html

He is working on Neil Young's car today and I guess they're filming a documentary about it.
Hope you enjoy. Kansas doesn't do much to bring good news, so I was impressed!

And Kudos to you about the China boycott. My parents actually bought the Aqua Dots as a gift for my son and thankfully the report came out before they gave it to him!
More power to you!
-Lacy Hansen

Olive said...

i must admit that i also feel they are cutie pies. and im NOT bias at all! ;)

we love our run-on-waste-veggie-oil cars. they are reliable (mercedes diesels are the only known company to have a "one million mile" club i believe) and it doesnt hurt that the fuel is free + smells rather delicious to boot!

interesting article! thanks for sending it my way