An Open Letter To China

Dear China,

I've been pissed at you for some time now over the whole "Tibet" thing. That was bullshit what you guys did. You know, invading, massacring Buddhist monks and nuns, then torching literally thousands of temples and monasteries. I think that your lack of human rights is barbaric and despicable. Then again, we're not doing so grand at the moment either.

But then, I surprised Will for his 40th Birthday with a trip to your capital, Beijing. We loved your city and its people. However, as opposed as I am over the whole "Tibet" thing, I still gave you our money by travelling there and staying in your hotels and eating your food and frequenting your temples and historical landmarks. Oh yeah, we also weren't really fond of how our boogers were black and when we'd return to our room at night we would have to...How did Will put it? "I feel like I have to pick my nose for at least a half hour."

And now this, As China Roars, Pollution Reaches Deadly Extremes.

And now I must apologize and take full responsibility for my greedy actions. You see, I must admit that I'm apart of this greedy capitalist machine, which ALWAYS needs new markets in order to survive. I'm also a consumer who shops for the lowest prices, which products that are manufactured in your country always make up the lowest prices on the shelf here in the States.

So, when I go to Target and I can't get out of the "Dollar Spot", which has since turned into the "$2.50" Spot, I invariably grab at least five (if not 10) things I DON'T NEED that were made in your country.

Ultimately, I am to blame. I have MORE then enough "stuff". And I don't even want the toaster oven that I recently requested, because I'm tired of being apart of this out-of-control disaster.

The lowest price it turns out, is actually the highest price. And it's going to take far more than money to fix it.

So, I'm sorry. I think that you may have been better off before our obsessive desire for goods industrialized your country. And even now as you tear down the historical Hutong (and break my heart),

you still see this as progress. While your looking West with your own greedy eyes, your people and their culture are going up in smoke.

I can only hope to be the change that I want to see in the world. So, China, I'm going to try to be more conscientious about what I buy and if I buy. Sorry, you've lost a customer. I hope that you don't take it personally. And I hope that it's for the best.

No Longer Yours,
Kevin Charnas