THAT A GUN IN YOUR GARTER, MARY JAYNE? It's a question similar to asking Mattel: "Are your toys tested for safety by an independent lab?" There's a law about that.
The 1922 photo (above) illustrates the logic of a Miss Mary Jayne, whose motto was "Safety First." Seated in a rocking chair with a pistol strapped under her knee, she claimed that she was exempt from the concealed weapon regulations because her thirty-two wasn't concealed when she wore a knee-length-skirt.
DANGER!
Right about now, the Robot in LOST IN SPACE would be saying DOES NOT COMPUTE, DOES NOT COMPUTE. And should Spaceboy Will Robinson pick up a Mattel toy, the robot would surely send the alarm "DANGER, WILL ROBINSON, DANGER!"
MATTEL'S SECRET EXEMPTION
Our government has secretly exempted Mattel from the toy safety law's testing requirements -- a law legislated primarily because of Mattel, which was responsible for 6 lead-tainted toy recalls in 2007. The toy safety law requires independent lab tests on toys. But, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in a very hushed move, gave the toy-maker giant, Mattel, an "OUT" of recently mandated testing requirements. There were no press releases about this and nothing posted on the agency's Website about the exemption.
Even though the law stipulates that toy manufacturers and children's clothing makers must submit samples of products to independent labs for safety tests, the largest toy maker, Mattel, doesn't have to do this. They say they'll just test their own toys, okay?
The law, the CPSIA, was passed by Congress last year, after an unprecedented number of toy recalls -- more than 2 million, with most involving lead-tainted toys, six involving Mattel and its subsidiary Fisher-Price. Because of this, the law set strict mandates on lead, lead paint, and phthalate levels -- and requires third-party testing for all who produce products for children 12 years old and younger.
THE IRONY
The source of the problem, Mattel, gets favorable treatment. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?
Ethic Soup has repeatedly reported on Mattel's lead-tainted toys: back in December, we told about Mattel's settlement with 38 states for lead-painted toys; and then in June, we reported on Mattel's $2.3 million civil fine for violating the lead paint ban. (See links below). Other blogs continue to report this too, including News Inferno, which says:
"...despite federal lead standards and that many consider lead poisoning to be one of the most important chronic environmental illnesses affecting children today, toys -- many imported from China -- continue to be made with lead contents that exceed federal standards and could pose serious, sometimes fatal, health concerns."
Do you continue to buy Mattel toys for the children you love?
Let your voice be heard. Stop paying Mattel, which continues to have the majority of its toys manufactured in China.
CLICK AND READ "MATTEL'S FISHER-PRICE MASSIVE RECALL -- AGAIN: OVER 11 MILLION TOYS THIS TIME"
TO READ "TOY GIANT MATTEL SETTLES WITH 38 STATES FOR TAINTED, LEAD-PAINTED TOYS" CLICK HERE.
TO READ "TOYMAKER MATTEL FINED $2.3 MILLION FOR VIOLATING LEAD PAINT BAN" CLICK HERE.
***TO READ "NEW RESEARCH SHOWS EVEN 'SAFE' LEAD LEVELS HURTS KIDS" CLICK HERE.
by Sharon McEachern
Comments