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Chocolate bunny meltdown - Media hops all over Walnut Creek and its renamed egg hunt
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 3/11/7 | C. W. Nevius

Posted on 03/11/2007 10:05:22 AM PDT by SmithL

When the great Easter Bunny hullabaloo hit Walnut Creek, it took nearly everyone by surprise.

Surely, city officials thought, this couldn't last. It would all blow over once people realized that they hadn't banned Easter, just renamed their annual kids' event a "Spring Egg Hunt'' rather than an "Easter Egg Hunt.''

"Honestly,'' Walnut Creek spokesman Brad Rovanpera said this week, "with all the things in the world to worry about, people are coming unglued over this?''

They are. And the reaction speaks less to the controversy about religion in the community -- it's just a rabbit, after all -- than the media's inclination to play into the simmering anger and resentment among Americans who are convinced their rights and privileges are being taken away.

In this case, you could call it a "hare-trigger'' reaction.

Walnut Creek resident Michael Runzler wrote a letter to the editor complaining about "banning the Easter Bunny,'' and when it ran last week in the Contra Costa Times, the response was immediate.

"I heard from two Fox TV news shows in New York, KGO (news radio), Channel 7 (the ABC affiliate) and The Chronicle,'' Rovanpera says. "I did most of the interviews, but I turned down Fox in New York. They wanted me to go to a studio in Oakland on Sunday, and I never miss '60 Minutes.' ''

And who would have thought that would be just the start of it? This week, Runzler appeared on Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes" national news show, clips from which were then picked up by "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: antichristian; atheistandstate; grinchstoleeaster; religiousintolerance; springbunny; veggietales
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1 posted on 03/11/2007 10:05:27 AM PDT by SmithL
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To: SmithL
"Honestly,'' Walnut Creek spokesman Brad Rovanpera said this week, "with all the things in the world to worry about, people are coming unglued over this?''

Right back atcha, Brad. With all the things in the world to worry about, why have you all wasted your time renaming cultural events to fit the PC mold? People become unglued when you mess with tradition for no apparent good reason. Putz.

2 posted on 03/11/2007 10:08:40 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (Prevent Glo-Ball Warming ... turn out the sun when not in use)
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To: SmithL
"Honestly,'' Walnut Creek spokesman Brad Rovanpera said this week, "with all the things in the world to worry about, people are coming unglued over this?''

Well ... Brad ... I'd say your guys were the ones who came unglued when they got your panties in a wad over the word "Easter".
3 posted on 03/11/2007 10:09:36 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: SmithL

Yes, we must get that NASTY word "Easter" away from our kids!!! We cannot have them associating with Christianity, now can we?


4 posted on 03/11/2007 10:09:40 AM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: SmithL
"Honestly," Walnut Creek spokesman Brad Rovanpera said this week, "with all the things in the world to worry about, people are coming unglued over this?"

The problem is that people have a good idea of what is really behind it and where it will lead us - and that issue is important Brad.

And odds are good (puts on the Hillary voice) you know what I'm talking about.

5 posted on 03/11/2007 10:12:27 AM PDT by Condor 63
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To: SmithL

And the man of religion reacts:

"I'm not going to defend the Easter Bunny or eggs,'' says the Rev. Kevin Murphy, whose St. Matthew Lutheran Church is one of the largest in Walnut Creek and is just a few blocks from the annual egg hunt. "In my congregation, Easter egg hunts don't have a blessed thing to do with Easter, which is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"And by the way,'' Murphy adds, "rabbits don't lay eggs.''


6 posted on 03/11/2007 10:12:32 AM PDT by proxy_user
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To: SmithL

The PC police never blinked an eye that one of our days (Thursday) is named after the god Thor.

And those who get their panties in a wad over "In God We Trust" appearing on currency (as has been the case LONG before the 1950s, which is when many atheists say it began), you could find the god Mercury on those coins.

So the only God that the Left has raised a stink over has repeatedly been the Christian God.


7 posted on 03/11/2007 10:13:43 AM PDT by weegee (Carbon credits are nothing but the Global Warming movement's way of selling indugences.)
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To: SmithL

the reaction speaks less to the controversy about religion in the community -- it's just a rabbit, after all

Herein lies the problem, it's not about RABBITS!

Well, we knew this already but the war on our traditions and values continues apace.


8 posted on 03/11/2007 10:15:15 AM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: NonValueAdded
***'' "Honestly,'' Walnut Creek spokesman Brad Rovanpera said this week, "with all the things in the world to worry about, people are coming unglued over this?''***

So why did you change the name, genius?
9 posted on 03/11/2007 10:17:34 AM PDT by Semi Civil Servant (I have a team of writers working on my next tag line.)
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To: SmithL
No doubt they would have rushed to rename it just as quickly had it been the Miraj Egg Hunt... </holding breath>
10 posted on 03/11/2007 10:17:49 AM PDT by CountryBumpkin (Don't get dropped into the liberal thunk tank. Use the brain God gave you.)
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To: SmithL
rovanpera@walnut-creek.org
11 posted on 03/11/2007 10:20:57 AM PDT by gaijin
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To: SmithL

Some of these fools don't understand that religious tradition, national holidays, patriotism, and our cultural history is what holds us together.


12 posted on 03/11/2007 10:21:45 AM PDT by doug from upland (Stopping Hillary should be a FreeRepublic Manhattan Project)
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To: SmithL
I never miss '60 Minutes'

Says it all, really.

13 posted on 03/11/2007 10:24:34 AM PDT by relictele
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To: proxy_user

Hmmm....The Rev. Kevin Murphy appears to have failed the part of seminary about youth ministry and getting kids to understand the whole Easter thing in a step-by-step, young-minds approach.


14 posted on 03/11/2007 10:26:35 AM PDT by relictele
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To: weegee
Wednesday is named after the Norse God Woden (also known as Odin).

http://www.crowl.org/Lawrence/time/days.html
15 posted on 03/11/2007 10:27:21 AM PDT by Chgogal (Vote Al Qaeda. Vote Democrat.)
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To: weegee
you could find the god Mercury on those coins

I waited and waited for the atheists to get upset about the womyn's goddess Susan B. Anthony being on a coin but they kept mum about it. Probably because the coin was such a bust - oops, bad pun.

16 posted on 03/11/2007 10:27:40 AM PDT by relictele
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To: doug from upland
The Winter Festival for Christmas with the Gather Round Tree for the Christmas Tree, the Spring Egg hunt for Easter, wow! I can hardly wait to hear what they propose to call the 4th of July, it ought to be really good. And did I miss the renaming of Thanksgiving or did they call it the Annual Fall Break dinner.

It's time for the revolution!

17 posted on 03/11/2007 10:29:24 AM PDT by pepperdog
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To: SmithL
Let's see, "Easter Bunny" is "Paas Haas" in Dutch, right?

Obviously this crazy old rabbit who lays eggs is a major player in Judaism.

18 posted on 03/11/2007 10:29:27 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: gaijin
Brad Rovanpera
Public Information Officer
(925) 943-5895

19 posted on 03/11/2007 10:29:36 AM PDT by gaijin
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To: SmithL
Ok..I get the uproar over changing the name..it bothers me too..
But, I do have to wonder why it too FIVE YEARS for their to be an uproar.

I think the whole thing is kind of silly..

But I DO understand why it bothers people....
20 posted on 03/11/2007 10:30:05 AM PDT by M0sby (((PROUD WIFE of MSgt Edwards USMC)))
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