This year, we expect that millions of homes will be lit with Christmas lights, the perennial holiday favorite. Like most Americans, I can't help but to smile when I see families quadrupling their electricity bills just to spread a little bit of holiday cheer.
If your family purchased Christmas lights from Wal-Mart, you're in for even more surprises than the ones wrapped up under the tree. How about the risk of lead poisoning, for starters?
CNN just released an article about high lead content in several brands of Christmas lights. Topping the list of dangerous decorations, and hardly a surprise to us, is Wal-Mart's offering. Here the quote from CNN.com.
Wal-Mart brand lights had the highest levels of surface lead, with levels ranging from 86.6 to 132.7 micrograms. GE lights showed surface lead levels from 68 to 109.1 micrograms. Sylvania had surface lead levels from 59 to 70.3 micrograms. Levels of surface lead in the lights made by Philips ranged from a low of 3.2 -- well under the 15 microgram limit -- to 107.2 in another sample.
According to CNN, Wal-Mart's product contains about 9 times the 15 microgram limit for lead content. These Christmas lights are so dangerous, CNN reports, that gloves are required while handling them. Additionally, the lights should be kept out of the reach of children.
If you think something is wrong here, you're not alone. We have spent this holiday season campaigning for Wal-Mart to take responsibility for their their part in America's product safety crisis. Already, our supporters are well on their way toward 10,000 letters to the US Senate, all calling for hearings on Wal-Mart's negative effect on product safety in America.
Let's make stories like this one history. Hold Wal-Mart responsible for the unsafe products they sell by signing our letter to the US Senate.
Posted by Matthew - December 10, 2007 03:45 PM - Hard to Believe
I think that before you blast Wal-mart, we should blast all of our wonderful companies that have outsourced to China. Have you even checked K-Mart, Target, or any other company. I personally think you are irate becauses Wal-mart is a success.
Posted by Mary Hilterman - December 10, 2007 06:06 PM
CEO Lee H Scott dosn't care about Wal Mart workers
Posted by Tom P Noonan - December 10, 2007 07:48 PM
That's incorrect. Anti-walmart activists are not anti-business. Most of us admire companies like costco that compete head to head with wal-mart and win, while providing employees with decent benefits, etc.
On this site, they say that wal-mart is just PART of the problem... over and over and over again. Yet you people keep coming back with the same reply...
the whole point is wal-mart sells the MOST crap from china. Walmart could change the way china does business.. but they'd rather make a quick buck than protect american consumers, let alone the american economy.
Posted by sickofspin - December 10, 2007 07:56 PM
I think this site is paid for by Target. This site needs to get a life, why not get the us the hell out of the rest of the world and instead of trying to fund the world help our seniors here at home
Posted by Real shopper - December 11, 2007 09:40 AM
I think that while there are plenty of other companies that need to be accountable here, I also think that because Walmart is so big, when we get them to change their ways, we can make a bigger impact overall.
Keep fighting the good fight, at every level, but especially at the level where an impact can be felt.
Posted by Make A. Impact - December 11, 2007 11:09 AM
Real Shopper, don't you think you're being a little short sighted? corporate accountability projects like this one don't just end with walmart. once you take on the biggest bully in the bunch, it becomes easier to reign in all of the others.
we want a country where people come before corporations. It seems like you feel the same way. so, start pushing back against the companies that take advantage of seniors, like walmart, with its low wages, and shitty health care plans. or big pharma, or the HMOs.
you should be with people like us, not against us.
Posted by sickofspin - December 11, 2007 03:25 PM
This looks a Union affiliated site.
Go anywhere in the U.S. and try to buy U.S. made, almost impossible. Believe me, I try to buy U.S. made, with the exception of my car, just about everything I find is made in China, Mexico, Pakistan, India, etc. This applies to Dillards, Macy's, Home Depot, Best Buy, Green Giant, Birdseye foods, etc.
I know a few people who work for my local wal mart and they are very happy there. In fact a couple of them went from K Mart to Wal Mart , said they are treated better and make more money at Wal Mart.
This is just another example of the Union trying to get their foot into Wal Mart, failing and angry. The unions have tried the same with Publix Supermarkets and failed.
I just bought a LCD HD TV and a HP printer/scanner from Wal Mart and will continue to buy from Wal Mart.
Posted by Dee - December 12, 2007 04:37 PM
It is sad that in some cases, we do not have a choice on purchases that say made in america. In some case we are forced to buy made in china.
For now, we have found flea markets especially helpful in buying old/used products that say made in USA!
This one here is proud to say born in the USA!
Posted by Mike Brown - December 14, 2007 07:05 PM
I can't believe that a nationally run TV commercial doesn't even get 100 comments. What is wrong with this picture? Americans don't care about product safety. They just want cheap. It's the governments responsability to protect us, and they aren't doing it. If they'r enot stopping China from poisoning our children, they're helping them. If they're helping terrorists, they are terrorists. This is "retail terrorism" by a communist country that hates our way of life. Anyone want to guess where their proffits go? Their nuclear weapons program. They're going to nuke someone (like us) and we're paying for it.
Posted by Doug - December 15, 2007 10:51 AM
I knew when China was given the status of "Most Favored Trade Nation" we were in trouble. Then came the Pet Food Recall and then the Toy Recall. China hates America and is trying to kill us.
Unfortunately, I went to Wal-Mart to get a particular brand of razor blades I can't find anywhere else. Without thinking, I picked up a couple of bread loaf baking pans, which, I found out later, were made in China. I was disgusted with myself, but since I had them and getting to Wal-Mart is a major ordeal for me as a disabled person I didn't want to go through the hassle of taking them back. After I threw away the labels and receipt I had a horrible thought. "What if those bread pans were laced with lead, too?" Since I threw away the labels and receipt, I can't take them back, but I probably won't use them. I don't trust them.
I'm angry at Wal-Mart, but they are just the tip of the iceberg. Any "Dollar Store" will carry the Chinese goods because they are cheaper. Yes, we need to go after Wal-Mart, but let's not stop there. We need to go after anyone who buys from China. China hates the American way of life - the freedoms we have as well as our prosperity - and has found a perfect way to weaken America by poisoning the goods we buy. America's greed will play a big part in our downfall if we continue on this path.
China uses political prisoners to do a lot of the labor for free. Among those political prisoners are Christians - men, women and children, whose only crime is putting their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. When America buys from China we are condoning their human rights violations. If America would stand up and put sanctions on China, it may very well ease the plight of these people.
Does America have the backbone to stand against China? I doubt it. Money and pleasure have become America's gods, and I doubt that America is ready to give them up.
Posted by Sandy - December 20, 2007 11:26 PM
yes why dont you check other places that dont pay..why just walmart....well we know why......you cant touch them...so this is the best you can do........better start taking trips to other retailers..........
Posted by red - December 23, 2007 07:07 PM