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Food Safety: Melamine contamination back in my WonTonSoup. WHATEVER!

By Steve Lombardi

This is incredible. I simply can't believe that it's continuing. Over 1,500 dogs in China were reported on Monday to have "died from animal feed tainted with the same chemical that contaminated dairy products and sickened tens of thousands of babies nationwide."

See the following news sources: MSNBC and the Associated Press.

You'd think by now the Chinese government would get a hint that poison (melamine) in the food chain is bad. I would think they could by now figure out who is doing it and stop the culprit(s). Hint: How about simply using product identification codes?

Is this really an issue of corruption so engrained in a culture that it's not a dependable business partner?

Let me go out on a limb here. Is it too much to ask our Administration in Washington to hold a press conference and announce this is unacceptable? Is it too much to expect our government officials to demand it stop or we will stop imports into this country of Chinese food products?

IS THERE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST WE AMERICAN'S DON'T KNOW ABOUT?

As a trial lawyer we are often times faced with the issue of bias of a witness. Bias is a tendency to exercise judgment a certain way because of preferences or relationships. Those relationships can be due to relation or business associations. Sort of like if I'm making a profit from doing business with the Chinese I might not want to criticize them on the subject of contaminated food. Or if I were an elected official receiving campaign contributions from lobbyists and businesses that do business with the Chinese I might not want to criticize them.

Just ask yourself this question. What's going on in Washington? We voters are so incredibly naive when it comes to government. Most of us will believe the sky is pink if the President tells us it is or if Congress sits quietly on the sidelines. This issue is about food safety. Our food safety. Our lives and the quality of our lives. Call or write to your Congressman or Congresswoman along with GeeDubbya and demand action. And if you don't, then don't cry out when Spot turns up dead or your child develops kidney failure.

Is this an issue of corruption of morality in Washington that making lots of money is more important than a few lives?

I read this poem every so often. It keeps me from becoming complacent. If you are young I'd suggest you commit it to memory. Tattoo it on your brain rather than that nifty whatever on your arm or ankle.

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Steve Lombardi

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on October 22, 2008 (boomark / email).