Having/Fearing A Blast In New York City

Every few years, my friend Annette from Australia comes to visit. It's exciting for me – not only to see her and spend time with her face-to-face catching up on our lives, but it's also a chance for me to experience the city as a tourist.

Some of the places Annette and I enjoyed sightseeing over the past couple of weeks was The Highline – a defunct railroad that runs along midtown on the west side of the city. Now considered a public park, it's the perfect place to capture breathtaking views of the city.

We took plenty of photos by the Flatiron Building, Grand Central Terminal and Times Square – where thousands pass each day. Tourists take advantage of the sights and can't get enough of the buildings, the lights, the character of the city. Others, like myself, don't spend too much time thinking about the history of our city or appreciate the landmarks.

Safely enjoying NYC with Annette!

Sadly, the first Friday that Annette was in town the terror attacks took place in Paris. Even though the city's on alert all the time, I felt particularly vulnerable being there after the carnage that took place in such a romantic and enjoyable place overseas.

Ironically, one night when I was coming home from the city after a fun evening with Annette, there was a helicopter hovering over the 'L' train station. I didn't think much of it until I turned on the news to see that there'd been a shooting only moments before on Rockaway Parkway outside the train station (I exited the train station that day via the turnstile on Glenwood Road so I didn't see the entire remnants of the crime scene until later in the evening when I headed to the 69th Precinct Clergy Council meeting.)

More violence!

Some can say the “urban terrorism” going on in our community is due to targeted violence and vendettas or gang violence that results in innocent bystanders getting hit in the crossfire. So, would you rather be in Canarsie at midnight or Paris during the attacks? Targeted violence insinuates that something transpired between the victim and suspect before the violence took place.

In Paris? Innocent people who had nothing to do with their attackers – some who never committed a crime and all they wanted to do was enjoy an evening out at dinner, at a concert or at a soccer game – were terrorized and slaughtered without even being able to de-escalate the situation.

When I compared situations – in the grand scheme of things – I honestly felt a little less safe in a crowded place like Times Square, which seems like more of a terrorist target. A suicide bomber or active shooter would kill and injure hundreds of people – not one or two reckless thugs who wind up with a bullet in their torso from a drug deal gone wrong.

Kudos to the NYPD and its efforts at preparing officers to handle a terrorist attack. A few weeks ago, police officers took to the abandoned Bowery train station in Manhattan where terror drills were held. This training session was supposed to give officers a refresher in how to respond during an attack.

Let’s get real! You can train all sorts of units and special departments to “prepare” for a tragedy like 9/11 or the massacres in Paris, but what about civilians? My only problem with terrorism preparedness is that residents are not given or aware of regular seminars on what to do when shots ring out or a bomb goes off when they’re in a crowded city.

Unfortunately, at the core, there is no real way to prepare civilians or police for a real terrorist attack or mass shooting. Unless you’re living in a dream world, preventing violence like this is IMPOSSIBLE. Part of me feels that more money, aside from funds spent on training the NYPD to handle crisis situations, should be allocated to disseminating more information to tourists and civilians on staying safe when mass chaos breaks out.

Are YOU prepared if you’re enjoying a show at the Barclays Center and a bomb goes off? Sure, police are trained to evacuate and communicate to get everyone to safety, but how does an elderly woman know what to do when she’s being trampled while escaping an active shooter? What do we tell children to do?

Can we really spare hundreds of lives by training armies of officers in an empty train station?

We’re already unprepared to handle gun violence in our community – where do we run when a gang banger opens fire into a crowd or a barbecue trying to hit someone who ratted them out to police?

It’s gonna take a lot more than drills and dry-runs – which lack crowds of people that need to be ushered to safety – to make me feel secure ANYWHERE in our city. In a perfect world, we could all have a blast without worrying that a blast will take place.

They're Pouring Salt On Your Nutritional Wounds

Shopping for dinner usually means going to my local grocery store and picking up chicken to sauté in olive oil and seasonings. Rather than ordering in or stopping at some fast food joint for a quick bite, I prefer my own homemade meals. I even make my own tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes and garlic – with all of the acid and sodium in jarred sauce, my own recipe is a nice change from the ready-made stuff that plops out into a dish.

A sad day for sodium lovers...Or is it???

But wait! The Health Department is once again trying to make us feel guilty for enjoying food with a lot of salt. Last week the Health Department announced that on December 1st, food chains with 15 or more locations nationwide will be required to post icons next to items with 2,300 milligrams of sodium – the total recommended daily limit.

At the beginning of this announcement, health officials reminded us that: “High sodium intake can increase blood pressure and risk of heart disease.” Really? Tell me more! I had NO idea, after years of looking at that food pyramid and hearing about overweight people dying from heart attacks that foods high in sodium are killers!!! Thank you, Health Department, for the moment of enlightenment!

The sodium warning label rule is not only flimsy and useless, it will go ignored by hungry and unhealthy individuals who probably won’t look at the signs when they’re ordering their next Big Mac or combination plate, which probably contains double the amount of sodium they should be consuming in one day.

Chain restaurants can implement any rule set forth by the Health Department – what choice do they have? If they don’t comply, they could face a fine. Ohhhhhh nooooo!!! Putting up a damned sign? How difficult is that?

Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said it best in a recent press release: “The vast majority of adults in New York City consume more sodium than recommended, and too few understand the link between high sodium intake and hypertension, heart disease and stroke.”

Do you think the obese family sitting in a restaurant like Chili’s or Applebee’s cares about how much they consume during that big meal? You might as well go a step further and ask the servers to ONLY give that family, and any “unhealthy” looking customers, a diet-only menu! They’re only trying to help, right? Load on the fat, sugar, grease and other nasty things that make food taste so good!

Let’s get real! Creating a transparent menu or warning for the public without changing the actual food that’s being served allows patrons to load up on other crap that they shouldn’t be indulging in – especially if they already have health issues. What if a family sits down in one of those chain restaurants and orders a huge cake or fattening dessert? Can you make any of those sweet treats healthy?

Sure, you can try to make main dishes “healthy” but when you offer to “add bacon” or “add cheese” for another dollar, the delicious decision to up your sodium and fat intake shouldn’t be taken with a grain of salt! Even if the Health Department wants you to inadvertently see how you’re slowly killing yourself, are you really looking to change your diet for the better?

I completely disagree that, as the Health Department states, “knowledge will lead to a decreased purchase and consumption of certain products.” It does NOT take a genius – or an ignorant person who can’t even translate a nutrition label – to realize that eating processed foods is just no good!

We also need to take into account that every person’s body is different and different age groups can consume different amounts of unhealthy nutrients. How will everyone know if the “average allowance” posted in a restaurant pertains to them?

My diet comprises a lot of carbs, protein and some fats. Hey, I could afford to splurge a little on the junk food! While I might inadvertently consume too much sodium during the course of the day, I also know it’s important to add healthy foods to my diet, like bananas and salads. Do you think people who taint their body with too much salt take the time to balance out their diet? Why did former mayor Mike Bloomberg try so hard to limit how much sugary drinks we consume when we’re out? The unconstitutional idea was overturned and is proof that you can’t force anyone to care about their health.

Have doubts or worries about how much sodium you’re consuming? The superstition says throwing salt over your shoulder wards off bad luck. Maybe you can prevent bad luck AND bad health by ditching those salty foods too!

Smoking Guns And Smoking People – What’s The Difference To NYCHA?

The year was 2003 and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg – Nanny Mike, or whatever nickname you’d like to give him – banned smoking in public restaurants. You could no longer go to your favorite bar or eatery and even request a seat in the “smoking section” because Bloomy’s Smoke-Free Air Act was in full effect!

I’m not so sure that our city is cleaner or healthier – smoke-related deaths and cancers don’t seem to be decreasing all that much. Just because you can’t smoke in the bar or after your meal doesn’t mean you’re not going to go home or take a long walk for a nice long puff. Let’s get real – you’ve been cooped up in that restaurant for a good hour and you’ve got one hell of a hankerin’ to pollute your lungs!

They'll both kill you but you'll only be fined for using one!

Here’s an even bigger ban coming your way – the ban on smoking in NYCHA buildings and other housing buildings across the nation. The new ban recently made news as the biggest ban in history that would prevent residents and visitors from smoking in public housing common areas, hallways and stairwells.

If you ask me, this ban is being proposed for one of the most deadliest living environments in any state! Housing developments like NYCHA harbor gunmen, drug dealers, gangsters and derelicts who sit outside on park benches waiting to stir trouble. If you doubt my stereotypical sentiments, take a trip to any one of our local housing developments in and around Canarsie. You’re not going to see outstanding residents who care about their living conditions hanging out in the hallways at 2 in the morning. Hey – if this smoking ban goes into effect, that shady guy hanging out in the hallway taking a few puffs of his cigarette will get slapped with a frivolous fine for polluting the air. Did I mention he probably WON’T get stopped and frisked to check if he’s carrying a weapon!!!

Something just isn’t right here when officials are making a big stink about smoking in PUBLIC housing – a habit that will cost them their own lives – but not randomly checking residents who could be carrying a gun that will take SOMEONE ELSE’S life! To be honest, I’d feel a LOT safer around an elderly person smoking a cigarette in a dark Bayview Houses hallway than I would around a punk who’s hiding in the shadows outside – probably concealing a weapon in their waistband!

Putting a smoking ban into effect doesn’t do anything but benefit the city so that they can generate money from fines. Have you seen those grotesque commercials showcasing smokers who are dying – literally – and losing limbs while they cough their brains out? If the rate of smokers has decreased and the city is “healthier than it’s ever been,” why do we need public service announcements scaring the crap out of people who have no problem poisoning their lungs?

Granted, I’ve never smoked ANYTHING and I can’t stand the smell of nicotine, being a second-hand smoker isn’t something I can avoid – although I haven’t been exposed to too many smokers for long periods of time. I STILL don’t think housing officials – in any state – have the right to restrict smoking in PUBLIC buildings.

It’s one thing if you own a private house and don’t want your tenant to smoke. Maybe you just had the walls painted and the floors done – you don’t want the smell permeating into your property.

If you’ve been inside a New York City Housing building, many of them are in such deplorable condition! They’re infested with roaches and mice, and mold is growing from leaks within the walls. Why is NYCHA letting children develop asthma? Why are they allowing elevators to remain broken for days and weeks? How can NYCHA allow tenants to live in apartments where walls are literally falling apart and crumbling?

Instead, they’re worrying about someone smoking OUTSIDE their apartments – spaces they rent which are unhealthy to begin with?? Something’s wrong with this picture!!!

If the big shots want to make conditions healthier for housing residents, they need to look at the fact that they don’t care about the conditions tenants have to endure anyway! When you have to take a shower in a bathroom that looks like something out of the movie “Saw,” you’ve got bigger problems than inhaling cigarette smoke for a few minutes while going inside your building.

Gun-wielding gangsters, torture chambers – I mean bathrooms – and decaying walls are a threat to tenants in housing buildings all over. Those are just some of the quality of life problems no one can truly control – so housing officials should stop controlling their tenants! Put THAT in your pipe and DON’T smoke it – it might turn the walls another mysterious and unhealthy shade of black!

Some Educators Need A Little Tutoring In Public Relations

When Mayor Bill de Blasio came to Canarsie a couple of months ago, his visit was almost a secret. Obviously, it wasn’t too small of a secret because the article in the NY Daily News expressed that the Mayor and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña gathered at the “struggling” Brooklyn Generation School at South Shore for a highly attended meeting. While the Canarsie Courier was unable to attend, it seems that planning a meeting this big should have involved more community outreach – or maybe they didn't want too many people knowing far in advance that Hizzoner would be right here in our community?

Time to tell our educators why there's only bad news published in the media!

I recently made a presentation at a Community Education Council (CEC) meeting where I expressed, as the Associate Editor of the Canarsie Courier, my dismay at the fact that there's LOTS going on in our schools and no one is telling us anything.

Did you know that actor Edward Norton came to an East Flatbush high school to work with students on various art projects? I'd found out – once again through another media outlet – and asked why? More importantly, how difficult is it - REALLY - to put in a call to your local newspaper and spread the word that someone famous is coming to your building?

In addition to the red tape that exists throughout the Department of Education (DOE) when it comes to disseminating information, many schools just don't have the staff or administrators who are willing to make that call a couple of days in advance to let the media know what's going on.

During my presentation to the CEC, I made the last issue of the Canarsie Courier available, along with my business card. I encouraged board members and educators in the audience to keep their community newspaper in mind when things happen in their school. It doesn't have to be a big event – it could be something as simple as a student of the month or principal for a day celebration.

For a long time, schools have had to go through the DOE for permission to submit events to media outlets. I can understand that when it comes to answering a difficult legal question that requires a lot more than one phone call. But how about the GOOD things happening in our schools that make brief headlines or no headlines at all?

At the root of the problem, it seems like there aren't any administrators playing the role of ‘public relations’ or ‘communications’ at our local schools.

Yes, we're grateful that the same five schools have amazing Parent Association representatives who will call our office and tell us when something is happening. We're grateful for the principals who are willing to talk to us and share the success of their schools without having paperwork signed and being interrogated by the DOE, which would take an eternity to process.

However, when one of our writers goes down the list of schools in our district and makes over a dozen phone calls in an hour to ask what events they have coming up in the next couple of weeks, we get barely ANY call backs and we're given names of school officials or representatives who never keep us in the loop. Hey, where does our phone number go after a message is taken?

We DO circulate outside of Canarsie and cover many schools in our neighboring District 22 as well. There are a small number of schools in that community who actually reach out to us to let us know when things are going on. Sometimes when we learn about their going-ons through other outlets, getting through to those schools is literally like pulling teeth.

Let's get real! Public schools are already overwhelmed with testing, programming and dealing with the Common Core debacle. Plus, we hear PLENTY of bad news about kids in gangs and schools closing or teachers being arrested for involvement with their students. The least our schools can do is promote the GOOD and POSITIVE things they have going on – to prove to our community and the city that there are GOOD kids out there who will succeed and not wind up dead in an alleyway or in front of a judge for being in possession of a firearm.

Thankfully, we haven't had too many negative stories in the spotlight on what's going on in our schools. But when it comes to letting your local newspaper know what's going on, we sometimes think it would be easier getting in touch with President Obama than getting an answer about when a school's next dance showcase takes place!

Sometimes I ask what's the worse of two evils – calling a school and never getting a call back when we DID reach out, or simply not being informed at all and finding out through other media that something big happened?

While I understand the purpose of the CEC meetings is for information to be dispersed to our community and for members to be liaisons for schools across the district, we'd like to obtain news about what's going on without having to wait for the board's next meeting. By that time, the event's already happened - we missed out on a photo opportunity and possibly a chance to improve the way the residents view youths in the community.

Did you ever hear residents talking at civic meetings? All they say is that our children need “places to go” and positive things to do...There “aren't enough things in our school to keep them out of trouble.” If you ask me, all a school really needs to do is publicize the fact that their kids DO have programs and events that will keep them out of trouble! It might not convince everyone that the troublemakers aren't out there, but it will promote and confirm the fact that schools are accomplishing a lot in hopes of turning their students into leaders of the future.

As President of the CEC James Dandridge said at the end of my presentation, “The Canarsie Courier is hoping to put school administrators to the ‘test’ and put a ‘fire’ under them so that they realize how critical it is to spread their news to the paper.” Whether my speech worked or not is to be determined.

Big kudos to the administration and principals from schools who already keep us in the loop – it’s thanks to you that we’re able to tell the community about all the great things happening in your building!

For those who are behind the times and don’t check if the Canarsie Courier has called you for an update, it would be nice if your administration took the initiative and time (time that we’re willing to take to cover your events) to reach out to us. You can make all kinds of excuses as to why our kids are failing – but some schools get an ‘F’ when it comes to public relations.

As Long As There Are Gun Rings, Bullets Will Keep Flying In Our Ciy

While communities protest and decry gun violence over and over...and over...the root of our problems is constantly being replanted without us having any control over the consequences.

If you didn't already know it, deadly transactions are taking place right in our community – right under your nose – and it's keeping our streets dangerous. These transactions are possibly leading to a murder, injury or massive shooting that will make tomorrow’s news. 

It's EASY to get an Uzi!!!

Where do all these gangster thugs get their firearms? How do all of these criminals really get their hands on these weapons which they’ll use to take someone's life? If you haven’t been paying attention to the news – or reading the Canarsie Courier – you might not know that a gun ring operation was taking place in the Walgreen’s parking lot at Avenue M and Rockway Parkway not too long ago. A money-hungry bad guy had no problem selling firearms in the midst of a residential/shopping area. He had no problem dealing with violent criminals who would hand over a wad of money for a .32 caliber handgun – a weapon that could be used to kill your best friend, family member or even an NYPD officer.

Our community has all types of ideas and initiatives to deter gun violence. Let's create more jobs in crime-riddled areas so the no-good-doers are too busy working to get ahold of a gun to hunt down their enemies. Let's give our teenagers more extracurricular activities so they're not out on the streets endangering their lives.

What a great idea! Not…

Every time there's a march where politicians and civic leaders are screaming, “This needs to stop!” another gun is quietly being sold right here – possibly out of a vehicle with hundreds of firearms waiting to be sold. Minutes, hours, days – maybe even weeks – after they're illegally sold, those weapons will be used to destroy a life. These quiet transactions don't just result in the destruction of one life, it destroys communities and families who want our leaders to “DO SOMETHING!”

Let's get real! How can leaders do anything when guns are being funneled from states like Georgia, Pennsylvania and South Carolina? Who’s securing the state lines and checking that guns aren’t physically brought to our city?

In the past few months, dozens have been arrested and indicted for their participation in gun rings. Canarsie’s own Michael Bassier reportedly made 12 trips to Georgia and at least six trips to Pittsburg. He then brought the guns to Canarsie and sold them to undercover cops. Out of $130,050 in weapons recovered, how many ADDITIONAL guns were made available to sell on the street? What if your teenager wanted to get their hands on a weapon? Unfortunately, it’s just THAT easy for them to network and scout out where an illegal ring is going down in their community and BAM – it’s only a matter of time before they’re plotting how they can possibly take someone else’s life.

Do you even know what kind of weapons these bad guys smuggling here? We’re talking rifles, uzis and guns so big that you can’t really conceal them while walking the streets. Who in this city needs to buy a machine gun? It doesn’t matter – because as much as “we need to do something about this,” these weapons are still in circulation – right in our backyards!

The cold-hearted criminals are heading down south where no one is controlling what goes on BEFORE these weapons are brought up to our city. You can't take guns off the streets if they're constantly being transported here across state lines – sometimes aboard Greyhound buses that don’t require security or baggage checks. How often do transportation safety officials and security agents rummage through luggage before it’s stored in the overhead compartments or stowaways – especially in states where guns are legally purchased?

Most of the suspects working in conspiracy with these rings are living in the South. They don’t give a damn that your life – here in Brooklyn – is in danger because someone on your block purchased a pistol or semi-automatic. The money they make from these sales in our little community means more than the cost of anyone’s life!

Where did Tyrone Howard, a career criminal, get his hands on the weapon he used to kill Police Officer Randolph Holder in East Harlem a few weeks ago? If and when they track the firearm to its original location, it’s more proof that nothing ANYONE does or says will decrease the number of shootings that take place in our city.

Yes, I extend kudos to all of the undercover cops and the NYPD’s Firearms Investigations Unit for removing hundreds of weapons off our streets. But the dollar signs will continue to flash and more illegal transactions will soon be going down right on your block.

You never know what’s in that duffel bag being carried out of someone’s trunk at three in the afternoon on any given day…and you probably never will.

In A Perfect World, We'd All Learn The Same...Or Would We?

Campaigns aimed at bringing awareness to educational disparities between different cultures are all over TV and the Internet. In one public announcement there's a scene of a white boy with his mother in a bright and inviting environment, then there's a scene of a black boy with his mother walking around what looks like a ghetto that has no chance of improving.

If you haven't seen this commercial, asking Mayor de Blasio to “end inequality” in our education system, you're probably missing a statement that says a lot more about lack of responsibility than it does about racism and stereotyping.

Educators and advocates say that black and Latino children are not as successful because of the lack of education they receive and because of the way they are treated in and around our schools. The website, www.endinequalitynow.org, states that schools are separate and unequal – and that 90 percent of the kids in the city’s worst schools are black or Hispanic. The site also states the there are 478,000 children – mostly black and Hispanic – stuck in New York City’s lowest-performing schools.

Why are New Yorkers resigning themselves to this unfortunate mentality? Are we going to continue using a community’s demographics as a crutch and excuse for failure? While I know statistics show that children in poor communities don’t have access to the same resources as children in wealthier or upper class communities, who is truly responsible – at the foundation of things – for this deteriorating concept?

Let’s get real! If a black/Hispanic child attending an elementary school in a low-income neighborhood does extraordinarily well in their studies – gets 100’s and A’s in all of their classes, wouldn’t they be able to attend a gifted program in junior high school, subsequently leading the way to attend a quality high school and then maybe getting into a decent college by earning a scholarship?

Are all of these feats impossible for minority students to attain just because they grew up in places like East New York? Someone out there is passing on the subliminal message that children in minority/poor communities are, at the root of things, NOT as smart and will NEVER be as smart and successful as their “superior peers” of another race.

  

Sometimes I wonder how we view schoolchildren in communities like East New York and East Flatbush. How can black and Hispanic children within these schools be considered “minorities”? They are the MAJORITY! Within their own school communities, they are seemingly 90 percent of the school’s population. How many minority students are excelling among their own race?  

In my opinion, students of all races should strive to do BETTER and get higher grades so they could attend a top high school, college and maybe even graduate school. Who’s stopping them? De Blasio?

What about other “minority” cultures and how they learn or succeed? Consider this: Are Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern and European children not the minorities when they come to America? What type of education are they receiving? Where do they fit into the group of kids who are being treated “unfairly” or who are getting a “different” education than white children?

Who's "learning" different in our schools!!!

From what I've witnessed, Chinese students seem to excel in their studies because of their family values. They attend some of the best high schools and universities – according to my stereotypical “sources.” Where do these cultures learn to have outstanding education ethics? Well, I've seen children in fast food restaurants working alongside their parents after school helping with the cash register while they're doing their homework! From a young age, many children from other countries, who are not living in rich neighborhoods, are forced by their parents to work hard for success and are expected to spend countless hours dedicating their free time to school work. What are “minority” children being taught by their “minority” parents? Children who live in the “ghetto” don’t know that the only way they’ll get off the streets and make more money so they can buy a house in a good neighborhood is to be successful in school and follow a career path that will secure their future. Is that not the answer?

It’s understandable when a child can’t learn the same due to a language barrier or a certified developmental problem which prevents them from achieving cognitive development.

But for those who exhibit lazy academic traits and refuse to hit the books or get involved in extracurricular activities that encourage academic success, STOP making excuses for why our minority children aren’t successful. Why are kids getting stopped by police if they're going home from school and doing what they're supposed to do? What’s actually stopping black and Hispanic children from getting A's in all of their classes so they can go to college and get out of the ‘hood,’ buy a home and live in a community where they can thrive?  

Instead of addressing ‘inequality,’ let’s address the root of an individual child’s failure and why it’s attributed to their environment. After all, there are thousands of successful people in this country who are or were at one time of ‘minority’ status. If they rose above the ‘status quo,’ our kids can too!

Have A Toxic Halloween Everyone!!!

For years our children have been deciding for themselves what to be for Halloween. When they’re babies, we dress them up in cute little outfits and take them trick-or-treating around the neighborhood to show off their adorableness. As they get older, they grow into their interests and pine to dress up as super heroes, princesses, monsters or other characters that make their parents hunt down the perfect costume in which they can trek door to door.

Is this a death trap waiting to happen???

How about kids who don’t want to wear a costume, per se? How about the ones who want to paint their faces to get in the spirit? After a recent unofficial “study,” you’d better consider NOT purchasing any colorful face paints. State Senator Chuck Schumer recently came down on agencies like the Food and Drug Administration for not testing face paint for toxic ingredients. This, as the kids today say, is a “face-palm” moment. There’s no routine checking for lead in cosmetic products? Isn’t that something that should automatically be done before it hits shelves? What kind of ignorant world are we living in where something as simple as face paint for children can be produced in the first place using any type of metallic substance? According to the NY Daily News, lead is “banned from makeup in Canada and Europe, but is not prohibited from being sold in the United States.”

Also, after all of these years, it’s FINALLY deemed dangerous to use face paint made in China? Are we only NOW selling makeup that’s tainted with chemicals and ingredients that could….what? Make a child blind? Give them an allergic reaction? Eat away at their skin? How was the toxic discovery recently made? Not to sound callous – and I usually do – but if the U.S. hasn’t had many cases of children who suffer health consequences from the chemicals they put on their face when using those paints, where did these findings come into play?

What about other countries that willingly sell these paints – are their children having breakouts or symptoms associated with exposure to metals? If adults suffering from any dermatological ailments can attribute their sickness – years down the line – to wearing face paint when they were younger, where are the statistics? Where is there proof that China shouldn’t be making these colorful products available? I’m not saying we should throw caution to the wind and that something as simple as a Halloween costume can’t cause cancer cells to form – or that melanoma and lead poisoning isn’t a possible consequence of making your child look like a clown. Well, is that a possible consequence? No one is even telling us about the victims of lead poisoning!

Let’s get real. When you hear that something you put on your skin is made from metals like nickel, cobalt and chromium, wouldn’t you think the overall use of those chemicals should be banned from the get-go? I understand the need to use metal-based ingredients for a product that outlasts sweat, tears and oil, but at what expense?

I applaud Schumer for recognizing the scary reality that carries no reported consequences. Testing paint for chemicals is a great idea, but politicians can also tell their constituents – and parents in particular – to simply look at the ingredients in the makeup they buy for their children. If it contains any metal products, parents can chose not to buy it in the first place. There’s fake “blood” with plenty of dyes and chemicals – how do we know that applying it to your skin more than once a year won’t slowly turn your flesh into a funny pinkish hue?

However, there might be professional stage makeup sold in those seasonal Halloween stores which are purchased by adults who aren’t as vulnerable to being poisoned as children. The products are out there for sale – no matter who buys it.

I also wonder what’s the deal with other Halloween goodies? Are those vinyl masks really all that safe? Gonna buy a wig – has it been examined for ticks or bugs after it was shipped from overseas? Some of the materials are made of wool-like fabrics that might cause breakouts and allergic reactions? How do we know who’s allergic to all of these Halloween accessories?

A better system of monitoring needs to be available if there’s suddenly going to be strict guidelines on makeup that’s been on the market for decades. How can the feds “suddenly” scrutinize a product that’s probably already in our children’s bloodstream from years of being used? Until we have answers to all of these questions, officials will paint themselves in a corner while China makes hundreds in profit from those who don’t care about makeup mayhem.