Please Don't Jump to Conclusions

The current popular opinion seems to assume that successful companies or people should be knocked down and that companies in particular should be accountable to every conceivable degree for the products they sell. The public wants hot coffee but it better not be too hot because if I spill that coffee in my lap it’s the company’s fault that I got burned.

The latest ride on this crazy train pertains to Zhu Zhu pets. Those mechanical pet hamsters were accused by GoodGuide of having unsafe levels of the chemical antimony on their fur and on their noses. As I listened to this news on the radio, they cut to the “on the street reporter” for reaction. The reporter asked, “What do you think about Zhu Zhu pets containing poison?”  Naturally, the response was one of shock and anger. It’s just not right for a company to put poison on a toy made for children. Later, GoodGuide reversed their accusations and the storm around Zhu Zhu pets has since subsided.

I am surprised how quickly people buy into inflammatory statements like that. The fact that there is a kernel of truth to the accusation makes it difficult to defend. The maker is placed in a position of proving its product is safe. The assumption of accuracy and fidelity always goes to the accuser rather than the accused. That is wrong.

Taken to its extreme you can make the same argument about the air we breathe. Did you know that our air supply contains .04 % carbon dioxide? Did you know that carbon dioxide in high enough concentration can kill you in minutes?  Too much carbon dioxide can bring about hypercapnia. So, “man on the street”, what do you think about the fact that your air is poisoned? it makes a great headline and there is a kernel of truth to it so some people would organize protests against our air.

I just hope that most of us will realize when we hear inflammatory accusations that the truth is probably much less dangerous and also less exciting.  Please decide now that you will not jump to conclusions!