Made in China

To the editor: With the recent attacks on our dog and cat food supplies, toothpaste, and lead-laden toys for kids, can China really be viewed as the "great big box" store of our planet?

It's time we start doing what most people do when they are not satisfied with a particular restaurant -- they just don't go back.

I think it's time we as a people stop buying on impulse and start practicing a little more self-control when it comes to selecting toys for our children. It's time we put our money back into those companies that are making safe products for our children and pets right here at home.

Sure it may cost a little more to do business here at home initially, but if you consider the number of toys that line our landfills and garage sales some six to eight weeks after we bring them home, who are we really fooling?

Besides, the gift of a handcrafted piece of art versus a molded plastic throwaway is a keepsake for life.

Blake Thomas Baker County, Fla.