{This is a follow-up to the post about the Made in USA stickered Rodney White print that I purchased from Target, and then returned when I learned that it was made in China. If you haven’t read the story, you can catch up here.}
I’ve been putting off writing this post for a while now. I could list a hundred reasons here, but the real reason is just that I haven’t wanted to. It has felt too heavy, and too negative. There are no easy answers and there’s no real happy ending to the story that will tie it up neatly with a bow.
Isn’t that real life, though?
Real life isn’t tied up with a bow, so here’s the honest truth about the next chapter in the story.
About a week after I contacted Target through their website, I still hadn’t heard anything. I thought I would try reaching out to Rodney White, just to see what would happen. I emailed through his website, and briefly shared my story and included a link to my initial blog post.
Within a couple of hours, Rodney White responded personally to my email. I never dreamed I’d get a personal response from him, and it really took me by surprise. His response was short, but kind. He said that he hadn’t known about the two stickers, and that it wasn’t his company that produced the items, but that he could personally assure me that they weren’t produced by sweatshop labor. He said that he “would not allow that given what [his] work is about.” He also mentioned that all of the products on his personal website are made in the USA – in Vermont and Virginia, and he thanked me for writing.
The question I walked away with, though, was – how does he know that those items aren’t being produced by sweatshop labor? Has he been to the factory in China? Would he even be able to figure out what factory it was if he wanted to?
itcomesfullcircle 