What you don't know about your kids' sneakers can kill them!
Hmm, I'm getting a strange sense of déjà vu.
The Washington Post's Fredrick Kunkle let a leftist group skate away with the bland "nonprofit group" tag. The group, the Boston-based World Against Toys Causing Harm (WATCH) named Heelys -- a pair of sneakers with small wheels recessed into the heel -- the worst toy of 2006.
But a review of WATCH's Web site reveals that the group is headed by a trial attorney who boasts of raking in "record-setting settlements and jury verdicts throughout the country."
Oh, and they don't like toy laser guns, although they, you know, don't actually shoot real lasers:
Story Continues Below Ad ↓
PRODUCT |
DESCRIPTION |
PERFORMANCE |
PROGRESS |
| PROJECTILE TOYS: | |||
| General | Darts, missiles, arrows, air-pumped ball launchers, and more | Manufactured with sharp points that can blind or injure innocent bystanders; pressurized launchers can bruise, maim and blind. | Manufacturers have converted sharp edges to soft, pliable rubber or foam tips; launchers still remain problematic (See e.g. "10 Worst Toys" 1998). |
| "M-60 Automatic Assault Lazer" (Royal Condor; SRM Company) | Toy replica of real life M-60 automatic assault rifles, machine guns and assault weapons. | Life-like weapon designs with realistic belt for automatic bullet feed, promotes violence in playthings . | Named in 1994 "10 Worst Toys" list; distributors, manufacturers & retailers instituted buy-back & trade-in programs; states have made possession of such toys on school grounds a criminal offense; design changes instituted to move away from realism; problems still exist. |
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
No shit Sherlock. ANYTHING ca
June 21, 2007 - 10:36 ET by nnptcgradNo shit Sherlock. ANYTHING can be used to injure yourself! On one hand you have people bemoaning child obesity and lethargy, while on the other you have people insisting children do absolutely nothing so they remain unhurt. Children can't play tag anymore, because they might trip and fall and scrape their knee. They can't use monkey bars anymore because they might fall and break their arm. They can't ride bikes without immediate supervision and more protective gear than an ice hockey goalie wears because they might fall and get hurt.
Mother nature is a bitch - Ninth Corollary of Murphy's Law
My daughter has had Heelys f
June 21, 2007 - 10:40 ET by vrwc13My daughter has had Heelys for years, and like any other product used correctly, has had no minor yet alone serious problems.
This story reminds of the now wealthy woman who could not handle a hot cup of coffee from McD's.
What's happened to common sense? Oh yeah, commom sense isn't so common anymore....
Yeah, logic, reason, facts play less of a role now in the way we make decisions in America. – Al Gore
Coffee way too hot
June 21, 2007 - 16:05 ET by dagdaThe hot coffee issue was really a case of the Right getting exercised and not reading the whole article. I remember Rush having a cow about this. However, the real case was far different than the reported case.
McDonald's was using a cheap grind of coffee which required super-heating for it to taste good. The temperature was above the scalding point. They had scalded several people and had been warned to reduce the temperature of the coffee before serving it. They did not.
The punitive damages were awarded based on McDonald's failure to deal with a problem for which they had been long aware. McDonald's decided that it was more profitable to sell a cheaper grind at a higher temperature than a more expensive grind at a lower temperature. You will find that McDonald's coffee has changed to a more expensive grind because of the case and publicity.
Our real problem, then, is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow. Dwight Eisenhower
The last sentence in the stor
June 21, 2007 - 10:41 ET by MikeBThe last sentence in the story in the first link sums it up: "...parents should use common sense."
No matter how much parents try to encase children in armor, some of them will break bones, and some will die by accident. It sucks, but it happens. When I was a kid we did not have helmets, elbow pads or knee pads. The rollerskates clamped on to our shoes (oh, I've got a pair of rollerskates, you've got a brand new key)...sorry 'bout that; wool gathering). Moms had to put up with torn clothes, scrapes, cuts, and an occasional broken bone. No bicycle helmets then either. Shoot, out in Las Cruces we'd pack up a lunch, ride out to the mountains and do some bouldering or climbing, no big deal. Our parents also would not allow us to wear roller skates in inappropriate places, so folks didn't have to worry about moronic kids roller skating in stores (malls were a thing of the future).
If you get right down to it Ken, Noel, et al.: if folks would grow a brain and a spine, you guys wouldn't have a job...well, you wouldn't have this job.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
The only prohibition I think
June 21, 2007 - 10:48 ET by QueenMumThe only prohibition I think that needs to be enforced re: these shoes is their use in places like grocery stores. Yes. We were almost mowed down yesterday by a young lady racing through the store on her Heelys.
It's a wonder that we still have young men and women willing to go into the military when we seem to have so many parents that are afraid their kids are going to fall down. Active kids will find ways to hurt themselves - with or without the aid of things like Heelys, or dodgeball, or Red Rover. (The last two games were banned from the schoolyard when I was still in school.) My two-year old niece will climb anything that will hold her weight and has fallen on head numerous times as a result. I guess we need to do away with things like bookcases, dining room tables, and kitchen counters.
For the record, I'm in favor of bicycle helmets for children. In many areas, children only have streets to ride on. The danger there is from motorists, not necessarily the child's ability to stay on his/her bicycle.
P.S. Don't tell anyone, but we still have a set of lawn darts that aren't registered and for which we don't have a permit. ;)
We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. - Queen Victoria
pssst QueenMum, I think you j
June 21, 2007 - 11:14 ET by vrwc13pssst QueenMum, I think you just "let the cat out of the bag"! You just posted your lawn dart ownership on the www .... just a "google" away from being busted! : )....
Yeah, logic, reason, facts play less of a role now in the way we make decisions in America. – Al Gore
Not to worry, vrwc. We have b
June 21, 2007 - 11:21 ET by QueenMumNot to worry, vrwc. We have built a secret bunker in the backyard for just such a purpose. We can hold out for up to 3 months. By then the media will have lost interest in the siege and we can go on living our lives like ordinary citizens. If necessary, we can try to make it out before the authorities catch up with us and escape to our rustic cabin in the mountains where we keep a stockpile of lawn darts for hunting and self-defense purposes. Thank God the bears have such poor aim.
We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. - Queen Victoria
What? You let the bears get o
June 21, 2007 - 11:33 ET by vrwc13What? You let the bears get ot your lawn darts? Next thing you (k)now they will be wearing Heelys rolling down the road!
Yeah, logic, reason, facts play less of a role now in the way we make decisions in America. – Al Gore
Ooooooohhhhh.......! I gott
June 21, 2007 - 23:54 ET by Scout FinchOoooooohhhhh.......! I gotta ask ya, Queenie............are those......J-A-R-T-S yewr talking' about?
God I loved that gameI
ban it all
June 21, 2007 - 10:53 ET by LionKing"What you don't know about your kids' sneakers can kill them!"
Too much tap-water can kill you too. Should we ban tap-water?...or should we trust people to exercise some common-sense.
[When will this "nanny-state" mentality end???]
Common sense isn't so common
June 21, 2007 - 11:10 ET by vrwc13Common sense isn't so common anymore...
just ask uncle al, quoted below...
Yeah, logic, reason, facts play less of a role now in the way we make decisions in America. – Al Gore
Is bottled water ok in large
June 21, 2007 - 14:39 ET by amberLion King, Is bottled water ok in large quantities? Just checking.
Is water OK?
June 21, 2007 - 14:46 ET by Cool ArrowYou can't be too careful with dihydrogen monoxide. It is responsible for more deaths than all handgun deaths yearly.
Yes, that stuff better be ban
June 21, 2007 - 14:53 ET by amberYes, that stuff better be banned... where is the petition for me to sign?
I got dihydrogen monoxide poi
June 21, 2007 - 15:06 ET by BeowulfI got dihydrogen monoxide poisoning once. It was right after the snipe bit me...
The Closed Mind Erects Strong Barriers
}}----> Snipe Bites
June 21, 2007 - 15:09 ET by Cool ArrowHard to find good paper bags these days. All I get is plastic at WalMart.
Is it OK to shop WalMart. Hillary says it's not.
On a snipe hunt I went on we
June 21, 2007 - 15:26 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveOn a snipe hunt I went on we forgot to bring a paper bag, but we had a plastic Glad kitchen trash bag (white), it worked wonderfully...apparently the snipes are wildly attracted to the glow they give off when you shine a flashlight into the bag...I suppose a Wal-Mart one would work too, but it might not be able to handle the larger snipes.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." --Thomas Jefferson
I thought "Bag O' Glas
June 21, 2007 - 10:57 ET by CosmoI thought "Bag O' Glass" was the most dangerous toy on the market. There have been some other good ones, too. Ask Irwin Mainway.
My daughter almost lost an
June 21, 2007 - 11:04 ET by MightyMouthMy daughter almost lost an eye to a "Lawn Dart". Who could have possibly foreseen that a 2 pound pointed metal object could be dangerous in the hands of kids? Especially when the goal was to throw them in each others general direction!
There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Elvira Kurt does a funny rout
June 21, 2007 - 12:04 ET by ErgoDyneElvira Kurt does a funny routine about childhood toys, like lawn darts and such.
I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.
}}----> Ergo funny
June 21, 2007 - 12:07 ET by Cool ArrowSounds like that deadpan Steve (whatsisname):
Saw a subliminal salesman the other day...for a split second.
Small world...hate to have to paint it.
I believe you're referring to
June 21, 2007 - 12:59 ET by BeowulfI believe you're referring to Steven Wright, maybe the funniest deadpan comic ever...
The Closed Mind Erects Strong Barriers
And the wussyfying of America
June 21, 2007 - 11:54 ET by Dave RAnd the wussyfying of America's kids marches on......
Bet the people at World Against Toys Causing Harm would have had a cow over the G.I. Joe collection I had as a child, particularly some of the modifications I made to some of the accessories. :-)
It's a miracle I lived to adulthood.
You were lucky Dave, we had
June 21, 2007 - 11:59 ET by MightyMouthYou were lucky Dave, we had to play "Army" with bottle caps! That's right, hunt around the park for beer bottle caps and paint the tops. Then you line em up against your brother's "army" and push em at each other. For a period of time you both jumbled em up until the battle was over. The "dead" ones were the ones left upside down. Just pull the dead off the battlefield and line up again! Great fun! Kids now days have no imagination!
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
MM,Speaking of playing Army,
June 21, 2007 - 12:12 ET by Dave RMM,
Speaking of playing Army, my brother and I somehow wound up with about a gazillion of those little green plastic soldiers. We would spend our rainy summer days playing out WW II battles (The Battle of the Bulge was one of my favorites) in the living room.
For years afterward, most of our more rotund relatives experienced getting poked in the behind when they would plop down on the couch for a visit. I think the ones with the bayonets affixed to their M1's hurt the most.
Of couse, later on, we discovered bottle rockets, and......
}}----> Dave R dangerous toys
June 21, 2007 - 12:01 ET by Cool ArrowYou think that's bad! I was just discovering myself when LAVA soap hit the market.!
LMAO
June 21, 2007 - 14:36 ET by amberLMAO
I can't think of anything to
June 21, 2007 - 22:21 ET by m4ster chiefI can't think of anything to say that hasn't been said on this subject, but it occurred to me...is there anyone out there who does not know the origin of the word wuss, or wussy? I've heard it used by some people who would probably be offended if they knew what we know...
chief, I think we all know
June 21, 2007 - 22:32 ET by MightyMouthchief, I think we all know that it is a guy acting as a girl. Since God made men and women and they don't care to exchange "jobs" I think men prefer women who don't want to be "men" and visa versa (not talking about jobs here, wink, wink) Know what I mean?
"There are two types of people in this country; those who provide freedom and those who enjoy it." MM says...
Did anyone catch the "PR
June 21, 2007 - 13:05 ET by BeowulfDid anyone catch the "PROGRESS" on the M-60 Assault Lazer?
Named in 1994 "10 Worst Toys" list; distributors, manufacturers & retailers instituted buy-back & trade-in programs; states have made possession of such toys on school grounds a criminal offense; design changes instituted to move away from realism; problems still exist.
Committing a criminal offense by having a TOY on school grounds? A TOY??? What the hell is wrong with these people?
The Closed Mind Erects Strong Barriers
Yeah...PROGRESS."The tre
June 21, 2007 - 13:11 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveYeah...PROGRESS.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." --Thomas Jefferson
Beowulf, it depends on the to
June 21, 2007 - 13:49 ET by MikeBBeowulf, it depends on the toy. One afternoon several years ago, my daughter came in the house and said, "Daddy, there's a man outside and he has a gun." I grabbed my riot gun and slipped out the side door behind the guy. It turns out the man was a kid. He had what appeared to be an Uzi. I was just about to tell him to freeze, when he pointed the "gun" at a light pole and pulled the trigger...it was a squirt gun! Before I found out it was a squirt gun, if I had told him to freeze, and he had turned toward me, I would have shot him. Police in various parts of the U.S. have killed kids with similar toys before. So, yes, depending on the toy, taking one to school should be a crime.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
I agree that realistic toy gu
June 21, 2007 - 14:08 ET by BeowulfI agree that realistic toy guns could cause problems such as you described, and it wouldn't be the first time. People have been shot dead for such in the past, and will be again. But to apply a dollop of common sense here, it is unlikely in the extreme that a cop (or concerned homeowner) would shoot a 5 year-old holding a realistic toy gun. A teenager or young adult, yes. And the blame for such tragic incident rests wholly on the teen carrying and/or brandishing the toy. They should know better.
The solution is to inform parents that such are banned from school grounds, and the reason(s) therefore. But to make possession of a toy a criminal offense is ridiculous.
The Closed Mind Erects Strong Barriers
I never let my kids play with
June 21, 2007 - 14:34 ET by amberI never let my kids play with toy guns. It is not safe at all, it gives them bad habits when playing with real guns.
My Mom didn't either (and t
June 21, 2007 - 14:47 ET by sarcasmoMy Mom didn't either (and that was the early '60s!). Besides, every kid with hands and a halfway-decent imagination (gettin' scarce in this video-age) was born with 2 toy guns anyway. And (this should upset someone, but keep in mind sarcasmo was not your average six year old) I've had access to real ones since age six, with 0 fatalities or injuries. The idea of bringing a gun to school never even crossed my mind, as the punishment would have been severe, to say the least, even if it never went off. OTOH I had a pocketknife on me constantly, and even at school I managed not to ever stab anyone -- except myself, accidentally...
JMR
There is nothing inherently u
June 21, 2007 - 15:22 ET by BeowulfThere is nothing inherently unsafe with playing with toy guns. I played with toy guns that did nothing, toy guns that shot suction darts, toy guns that shot plastic pellets, toy guns that shot disks, and toy guns that shot bb's. I never shot anything I wasn't supposed to, and never shot my eye out.
As for developing bad habits, what "bad habits"? It's the responsibility of parents to teach their children the difference between real and toy. The same as the difference between TV and real-life. Like sarc, I grew up around real guns, and never once confused the two, because I was taught the difference. My two children grew up around guns all their lives, and never once confused the two, because they were taught the difference.
Avoiding issues like this doesn't solve the problem. Confronting them and teaching does. Which is pretty much the definition of being a parent.
The Closed Mind Erects Strong Barriers
I think you missed amber's joke, Beowulf
June 21, 2007 - 15:26 ET by RJI think you missed amber's excellent dry-humor joke, Beowulf. Read it again with that knowledge....
Woe there, I was teasing. I
June 21, 2007 - 15:27 ET by amberWoe there, I was teasing.
I am kind of fanatical about proper handling of firearms, though (always loaded, never point at someone, finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot). I actually do use the toy guns the kids play with to train them for the real thing. My oldest will start shooting soon, that will be fun. My 5 year old boy is a great shot with a suction cup arrow.
}}----> No relation Amber
June 21, 2007 - 15:33 ET by Cool ArrowI am in no way related to the suction cup arrow.
Well then, I profusely apolog
June 22, 2007 - 08:22 ET by BeowulfWell then, I profusely apologize. I completely missed the sarcasm there, Amber. I am quite sensitive to anything even remotely resembling gun control, except, of course, hitting your target. In the past, there have been failed attempts to ban guns, whose proponents then went after toy guns for some of the very reasons you stated.
I guess I'll be pushing that exposed nerve of mine back under the skin...
The Closed Mind Erects Strong Barriers
Maybe I was lucky, but I rais
June 21, 2007 - 13:45 ET by BruzillaMaybe I was lucky, but I raised three kids to adulthood, letting them be wreckless and ride bikes without helmets, shoot guns, ride skateboards without pads, etc., and only had to make three trips to the emergency room (one broken arm falling from a tree, one broken toe from wrestling, one kid knocked over by a car in a parking lot).
I don't care if kids are hurting themselves or not using those dang heelys, but I do know that I am dang sick and tired of getting bumped into, slammed into, and otherwise hit by kids wearing those things and not paying attention to what they are doing. I am 100% in favor of banning them... not because of child safety issues, but because they are a major PITA for me anytime I go out in public.
I want a pair, do they make a
June 21, 2007 - 14:09 ET by upcountrywaterI want a pair, do they make a size 12?
IRANIAN URANIMUN, how much did they make today?
this is pretty funny. How m
June 21, 2007 - 14:32 ET by amberthis is pretty funny. How many mommies do we all need? maybe we should just all turn over our limbs, or wear a straight jacket? We can sit in front of the tv and get fat....no wait the tv is bad for your eyes...wow, we can't do anything! I'm going back to bed, I hope I am safe there.
}}----> How many mommies?
June 21, 2007 - 14:42 ET by Cool ArrowIt takes a village amber.
No, no, no. NO! You got it al
June 21, 2007 - 14:47 ET by Mean Gene Dr. LoveNo, no, no. NO! You got it all wrong...it takes the Village People.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." --Thomas Jefferson
I was thinking more along the
June 21, 2007 - 14:55 ET by amberI was thinking more along the lines of a bunch of naked, long boobs from National Geographic.
}}----> I can't say it
June 21, 2007 - 14:59 ET by Cool ArrowControl yourself Arrow. Don't say it.
[whisper] ...boobies?--snicke
June 21, 2007 - 15:30 ET by Mean Gene Dr. Love[whisper] ...boobies?
--snicker--
[Going to time-out now]
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." --Thomas Jefferson
I'm always thinking about tho
June 21, 2007 - 15:12 ET by RESTLESS 1I'm always thinking about those. Which reminds me, I have GOT to renew my subscription.
Yep, still look gay to me. No
June 21, 2007 - 15:10 ET by RESTLESS 1Yep, still look gay to me. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Ewwww!
}}----> Ewwww
June 21, 2007 - 15:12 ET by Cool ArrowDoesn't pass the smell test.
You know, when I saw these
June 21, 2007 - 14:54 ET by sarcasmoYou know, when I saw these I wished I was 14 again, it looked so cool. When I was 14, the thing was skateboards, and we all fell constantly. I usually had a scab on at least one knee and one elbow, and broke a few fingers and a wrist before I got sensible. But I see that kid zipping by the first time, and think "yeah, why didn't I think of those when I was 14, so I could have one!" And then, if my wish had come true, I'd have injured my 14 year old self some more. Life's not a risk free proposition, especially if you're 14. The solution is for parents to nag their kids to wear a helmet and some good pads, but we usually didn't, and I survived anyway. Now, there are Segways (which TOTALLY rock!) for old geezers like me who like speed.
JMR
sarchttp://www.youtube.com/
June 21, 2007 - 15:22 ET by upcountrywatersarc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xEzGIuY7kw