PERSPECTIVES
The Michigc' D
aily
Friday, August 8, 1986
Page 7
Edible toys offer kids amusement and nutrition
Dov
Cohen
t
An open letter to the President bleeding hearts, and people with
of Ronco: "Child on Board" flags.
Dear Sir: Parents will love edible toys, too.
I have an idea that will make you a Everyone remembers those toys that
millionaire. This can be even bigger are opened, played with for three
than the Ginsu,,bigger than the Gar- days, day put away to collect dust.
den Weasel. It's edible toys for With edible playthigs, never-to-be-
children. used-again toys can be finished off in
I got the idea after seeing my a tasty treat. These toys have a
nephew swallow the doggie from a double use; they can be played with
monopoly set. Kids are always and eaten.
sticking things in their mouths. And Match box cars can be made with
pretty soon, people are going to start whipped cream for the interior and a
suing the toy companies when their thin structure of edible metal for the
kids swallow the toys and die. body.
There is one way to avert the crisis, We have edible metals now. In
however. Make the toys edible, so some expensive restaurants, cakes
that when the child swallows them he areserved with layers of gold on top
won't get hurt. of them. Someone on "That's In-
Ronco will be the darling of safety credible" once ate a bike. And I per-
activists, Ralph Nader followers, sonally know somebody who ate a
Walkman. ahead, make my day." In the face of table. THe child's open mouth
What has been developed - and this clear and present danger, all could be positioned at the end. The
what the Ronco research and fights would be settled quickly. child then simple awaits the apricot
development team needs to work on 'Remember too how parents get flavored mush chugs around the
- is good tasting, edible metal. their young children to eat. Holding a course and finally lands in his mouth.
Your toys should also be nutritious spoonful of goop they send the spoon The idea will be irresistible to any
I'm sure the metal will already have a straight toward the child's pursed lips child. Adults may become jealous.
lot of minerals in it. And you can for- . and say things like "Come on, To my knowledge, no one else has
tify it with a few vitamins. One mat-
chbox car could have a whole days
supply of zinc and iron.
You can come out with variations.
How about Yahtzee and Sugar free
Yahtzee. 'Eating is forever. Imagine an irate
Diet Go-bots. mother sneering poised to bite the head
Edible Ouija boards.m tp ih
And Parchezi - "It's the cheesier off her child's GI Joe. "Go ahead, make
board game."
Edible toys should come in handy my day.
for parents ina variety of situations.
One of the prime ways of
disciplining children is to threaten
taking away their toys. This has wooogiee, ooogie, open up the tunnel the idea of edible toys- Act now and
never worked very well. Every child for the choo choo woo chu comin' you could create a monopoly in a few
with half a brain has discovered that through. Woooo, wooooo." And the kid years (no pun intended).
his mother hides things under the just sits there, lips closed, with a look I have also written to several other
bed/ behind the sofa/ in the coffee that says, "Man, get that crap out of companies about a similar yet dif-
can/ or wherever. my face." ferent idea. Edible furniture!
If mother could threaten to eat the Edible toys would change that. The Good luck. And remember: Eating
toy, however, that could change spoonful of goop could actually be should be fun.
things. Eating is forever. Imagine an disguised as a roaring, racing train
irate mother sneering, and posed to set. Train track could be Dov Cohen is a Daily staff
bite the head off her son's GI Joe. "Go layed around the dinner writer.
Sullivanleads fight against apartheid
corporations doing business in South
By David King Africa. Sullivan is said to have $40
billion in pledged divestments
The Rev. Leon Sullivan of already.
Philadelphia stands as an example of Calls for economic sanctions are
the patience and dedication needed to becoming more stringent in
fight apartheid in South Africa. The Washington as the November elec-
Baptist preacher, who helped tions draw near. We can only hope
organize Operation Breadbasket at that when the elections are over the
the request of Dr. Martin Luther sanction will still be alive and
King, is the author of the Sullivan will be backed up by real action. A
Principles, the first organized effort group of powerful white businessmen
to curb corporate discrimination in have been carrying on talks with the
South Africa. More than any single Rev. Leon Sullivan outlawed ANC for the past year now.
person outside of South Africa, the has been fighting apartheid for fifteen The Reagan and Thatcher gover-
Rev. Sullivan has been instrumental years and is making slow but steady nments would be well advised to
in initiating positive change for the progress. As violence and oppression follow the example of those who have
blacks of South Africa. increased and the prospect of civil a real stake in South Africa: the
In 1971, before most Americans war becomes more likely, the Rev. businessmen.
even knew what apartheid was, Rev. Sullivan has strengthened his stand. Now is the time for congress, the
Sullivan was calling for the with- In 1984 he added more principles to Rev. Sullivan and white business
drawal of all U.S. corporations from his original guidelines, including leaders, both South African and
South Africa. Four years later black asking American corporations to American, to join efforts in presen-
leaders in South Africa requested "work to eliminate laws and customs ting a united moral and economic
Sullivan to formulate a code of con- which impede social and political front against the outdated and
duct for American corporations justice," and to "support the ending dangerous South African gover-
operating there. These guidelines of all apartheid laws." In May of this nment. While Ronald Reagan talks of
became known as the Sullivan Prin- year, he exhorted American cor- sea lanes'and strategic minerals and
ciples in 1977. porations to "practice corporate civil British Foreign Minister Geoffrey
The Sullivan Principles have led to disobedience against all apartheid Howe wanders around the capitals of
increased equality for some black laws and refrain from following the southern Africa looking for leaders
workers and to allowing some black practices, policies and regulations who will speak to him, thousands of
labor unions to achieve official pertaining to apartheid." unknown South Africans are in prison
recognition. The importance of black Unfortunately, patience and in- andl the death toll gets higher almost
labor unions was demonstrated tegrity alone will not move the Botha hourly. Let those who are truly com-
during the present state of emergen- government. In 1985 Sullivan set a mitted to a peaceful change to
cy. The unions have provided the only May 31, 1987 deadline for the abolition democratic society in South Africa to
voice of black market protest and of apartheid, after which date he calls act. When Bishop Tutu expressed his
grievance when all other persons and for withdrawal of all U.S. cor- belief that "I think the West, for my
organizations deemed "subversive" porations doing business in South part, can go to hell," the moment may
have been silenced by the gover- Africa. He hopes to back this already have been lost.
nment. ultimatum by a commitment from ---
Sullivan is neither a politician nor a various institutions, primarily David King is a graduate student
businessman. He is a concerned and colleges and univesities, to divest $100 in political science and a Daily
dedicated human rights activist. He billion in investments in American opinion staffer.
'~r I
AM
r ,
We encourage our readers to use this space to discuss and
respond to issues of their concern. Whether those topics cover
University, Ann Arbor community, state, national, or inter-
national issues in a straightforward or unconventional man-
ner, we feel such a dialogue is a crucialfunction of the, Daily.