I love nothing better than a
great flea market or antique store
and my kids get equally excited
to while away an hour or so there, too.
To them, it is like discovering treasure.
My daughter is always on the hunt
for vintage dog figurines to add to
her collection. My son likes frogs
as well as other boyish collectibles,
such as spy-glasses and compasses.
On a recent trip to an antiques mart,
I was struck by their surprise whenever
they turned an item over looking for
a price tag or an identifying mark,
crowing, Mommy, it's made in
the USA! In their young lives, this
has been the exception and not the rule.
Which got me thinking about how
ubiquitous the Made in China sticker
has become in our lives.....
While I love
Chinese
tea
games
history and culture
food
fireworks
even dogs and cats....
There is one Chinese thing I do not like:
the prevalence of their manufactured
items found in our U.S. stores.
The Chinese dominance in manufacturing
makes me mourn the days when our own
craftsmen and artisans created
millions of items with pride and our
domestic corporations churned out typewriters
and washing machines, televisions and telephones.
{This is one reason that I'm so drawn to vintage.}
Low labor costs in China mean lower wholesale
expenses for companies and lower retail prices for us,
the consumers. Sadly, inspections and standards
of working conditions in China are not as rigorous
as they are in the USA and sweatshops and child labor
are a still a reality in that country. China also has
environmental problems that continue to get worse every
year due to factory pollution. And, China is a communist
country, diminishing the hard work and goodness
of some of its people in order to benefit others.
 |
| Chinese children making toys |
 |
| Chinese children making fake designer boots |
Of my international friends, I ask:
Do products made in China dominate
the stores in your countries?
If they do, what are your feelings about this topic?
For me, the true cost of these low price
items is too high.
I believe that my family can choose
alternative things to those made in China.
So, for the month of October, I am
pledging not to purchase Chinese manufactured goods..
Nada.
Zilch. Zippo.
It will take awareness.
It will take intent.
What are your thoughts on this subject?
Care to to join me in my challenge?
I'd sure love your company.
[mages: 1-3, P&H;
4-17 flickr {click for attribution}
18-20 Google sources {click}]
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