You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

Thanks, China. You just turned me into the Grinch at home.

Seriously, as the father of two small girls, I have been getting phone calls all day from my wife as she has been identifying toy after toy that is on the recall lists – toys that now have to be KILLED as far as small children are concerned because of lead content and loose magnets.

What kind of world are we living in where the TOYS threaten the lives of our kids?

It might not seem like that big of deal to those without children, but we have a little Elmo Saxophone that goes into my youngest daughter’s mouth about 100 times a day – and you don’t think she’s gonna figure out that thing’s missing after we toss it in the trash tonight? And I just spent a week at the beach where the most important accessories my eldest daughter brought on vacation were her Polly Pockets and Barbies!

And while I lay a lot of blame at the feet of Mattel, for what can only be described in the best of terms as “lax inspection,” I place even MORE at the hands of the Chinese. From dog food to toothpaste, to the foods we eat to the growing millions of toys that our children cherish, “Made in China” is fast becoming the most dangerous label since the Surgeon General’s warning went on packs of cigarettes.

I’m all for free trade, but this is ridiculous. Maybe it’s time to cease all imports from China until they are inspected properly? I know that seems unrealistic, but the alternative is much worse until we know the full extent of the risk.