Thinking of giving her/him a diamond for Christmas? Read this first.

[lonestarnot]

COSTCO, K-MART AND TJMAX (COSTCO is one of my favorite places damn!)
http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGPOL300382004

Conflict Diamonds: Jewellers keeping consumers in the dark
Press release, 10/18/2004

A survey of diamond retailers by Amnesty International and Global Witness

"The continued lack of systematic monitoring throughout the diamond industry suggests that the industry is not taking the issue seriously enough," said Alessandra Masci of Amnesty International. "The trade in conflict diamonds has been at the heart of some of Africa's most protracted and bloody wars. Diamonds have fuelled conflicts in Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone, destroying nations and costing millions of lives."

Amnesty International and Global Witness sent letters to 85 major diamond jewellery retailers and Amnesty International activists visited 579 stores in the US and UK. The main findings, presented to this week's World Diamond Congress (WDC) in New York, include the following:

Despite an industry commitment to educate employees about company diamond regulations, staff in only 42% of stores were aware of their company's policy.
Out of 85 companies that were sent letters requesting written information about their policies, 48 (56%) failed to respond including major diamond jewellery retailers like Asprey, Theo Fennell and Debenhams in the UK, and Costco Whole Sale Corporation, T.J.Maxx and Kmart in the US.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/business/action_update.html

[bryant69]

1. This is nice - I wasn't going to buy a diamond anyway

So I can feel a warm glow of being moral in the face of human suffering.

OF course the clothes I where may or may not be the product of slave labor.

Some of the food i eat is produced in unhealthy and unsafe facilities.

And my privileged place as an American allows me to scoop up a life style many times better than far more deserving people in the third world.

But at least I'm not buying any diamonds.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[elehhhhna]

2. Sold my good one a few years ago...

when I got hip to the facts of the diamond trade. Sounds goofy, maybe, but every time I looked at it I felt guilty.

Two weeks later the money went to the emergency vet, trying to save Baby Joe. I'd have hocked the house for Baby Joe.

[lonestarnot]

4. ahhhh. Baby Joe? A doggie?

[elehhhhna]

6. a gold-point siamese. white as a ghost.

He was a very lovey boy.

[lonestarnot]

8. I have a flamepoint siamese. What is the difference?

I know he flames me every chance he gets for this that and the other! :rofl: :shrug:

[elehhhhna]

14. I think Joey was technically a flamepoint--just

coudn't recall what it's called. Purty creatures, huh?

[lonestarnot]

15. Yes they are. Did yours have a ringed tail? And in the winter

look like he had a dirty face?

[elehhhhna]

17. He had a ringed tail that looked like a stick of bleached bamboo..

but I only had him 6 months. Got him in early July, he died on New Years Day. I have NEVER had a cat who was so loving--Hubs called me The Host & Joey the parasite (in a nice way--). It's almost 2 years now and I still tear up when I pass the emergency vet's building...that boy was my baby.





here's what God's wife, Karma, sent me for my B-day this year: Little 5 week-old feral Bubba/Tarzan the Snowshoe maniac:

[lonestarnot]

18. OMG! He looked just like my big baby only with green eyes! So sweet.

:cry: I'm sorry.

[wildhorses]

3. diamonds are NOT a girl's best friend n/t

[lonestarnot]

5. Or a guy's either.

[applegrove]

7. Get a Canadian Diamond. I think there is a little polar bear logo. Helps

out the indigenous peoples who own the land where the mines are.

[kevinbgoode]

9. Okay..I'm waiting for someone to give me one

eom/ . . .

[applegrove]

12. I'm not!

[kineneb]

10. my diamonds are "recycled"

received as a college graduation gift: platinum setting from Grandma's engagement ring, diamonds from Mom's first wedding ring (late 1950's). No telling where they came from. I personally prefer colored stones- rubies, emeralds, etc.

Not buying jewelry any time soon.

[nam78_two]

11. No recommends for this?

:shrug:

K&R
Too few people are aware of just how filthy the diamond trade is...

[nam78_two]

13. kick-this should be on the greatest page/nt

[lonestarnot]

16. Thanks for the recommends nam78_two!