Oh what thoughts the idea of this phone call can conjure up in one’s mind; law suit, extended litigation, loss of money or of a business that you have worked so hard to establish. Yet all day long, the first thought in my mind was the loss of the small child whom I had never even met; the terrible catastrophe to those that loved her; the way I would feel if I sold a deadly article of children’s clothing. None of these thoughts are easy to imagine.

Perhaps you have felt that NARTS spends too much time stressing product safety in newsletter articles or on the Website. Maybe you have taken these warnings lightly thinking, "not my problem, never me." I am asking you please, let this call I received today be a wake up call for all of us. Each day as we begin our business, let us MAKE IT OUR BUSINESS to be sure that we know what we are selling in our stores. Be certain that our merchandise not only meets the high quality standards that we set, but the SAFETY STANDARDS as well. Read your newsletters. Go to the CPSC link on the Website. Stay abreast of the current recalls. Make sure you do not accept these articles for resale and if they come into your store, REMOVE THEM FROM CIRCULATION! Pass your knowledge onto the consumer who may not be aware of the dangers of these unsafe goods. Extend the goal of NARTS for an educated resale industry by making it a personal goal of your own to educate your peers and your customers. I know I never want to begin my day like this again and because I know you, I am certain, that you never want to go through a day - or to bed at night - with a tragedy like this on your mind.