Made in the USA

Honestly, it's time to limit the amount of things individual consumers purchase from China. Here is the latest news about child items being contaminated with cadmium.

Lab testing organized by The Associated Press shows that it also is present in children's jewelry - sometimes at eye-popping levels exceeding 90 percent of the item's total weight.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

Cadmium is particularly dangerous for children because growing bodies readily absorb substances, and cadmium accumulates in the kidneys for decades.

"Just small amounts of chemicals may radically alter development," said Dr. Robert O. Wright, a professor at Harvard University's medical school and school of public health. "I can't even fathom why anyone would allow for even a small amount to be accessible."

If I were a conspiracy theorist, I'd say that this is all being done intentionally ... to weaken our next generation. I'm not, but I still say that if China can't clean up its act, at the very least we as consumers should do so. Heck, in reading those articles, it appears that cadmium containing items are sold heavily in China, which makes me wonder if China actually cares about its own populace. And if China can't be bothered worrying about their own populace, what makes us think they'd care about ours?

And in case you were wondering where some of these products might be found, this article indicates several stores in the United States could be carrying them:

Some of the most troubling test results were for bracelet charms sold at Walmart, at the jewelry chain Claire's and at a dollar store. High amounts of cadmium also were detected in "The Princess and The Frog" movie-themed pendants.

China?

I tried to think of reasons why I would want to visit China. The Great Wall is obviously one reason. The Terracotta Army is another. However, none of these sights are worth risking my entire vacation (and all the money I would spend on it) and my rights as an individual, on the whims of the Chinese government.

"In many cases we have gotten reports that they were being quarantined for the sole fact that they had a Mexican passport, whether or not they came from Mexico, whether or not they had been in Mexico, whether or not they had been in contact with someone else from Mexico," Guajardo said.