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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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To: pepperdog

At the college I worked at for almost 30 years, they ended up calling our annual Christmas party, the 'end-of-the-semester party.' Jerks.


41 posted on 03/11/2007 11:32:37 AM PDT by Marysecretary (GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL.)
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To: Afronaut
Don't forget the marshmallow chicks.
42 posted on 03/11/2007 11:47:03 AM PDT by bikerman (If guns cause crime then spoons cause Rosie to be fat and stupid.)
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To: weegee

wednesday was named after woden - another god


43 posted on 03/11/2007 11:47:35 AM PDT by tired1
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To: tired1

So we should ban all the days of the week and call them 01, 02, 03, etc. And Monday would have to be 01 because you couldn't have the Lord's day be 01.

We need a list of banned words. Here's a start:

Easter, Christmas, days of the week, niggardly, tar-baby, tar-and-feather, alien, refugee.


44 posted on 03/11/2007 11:56:10 AM PDT by ladyjane
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To: Balding_Eagle

It's in the article......

"We still have the bunny,'' city spokesman Rovanpera says. "We just rebranded the event. We did it five years ago and until last week nobody even knew or cared.''

"It is absolutely amazing,'' says Mayor Sue Rainey. "The thing is, it happened five years ago. This is ridiculous.''



It also appears that most of the cities in that area have changed the names of their events (Eggstravaganza, Alice in Wonderland Spring Festival, etc.) over the past decade so I'm not sure I understand why Walnut Creek was singled out from all the other communities.


45 posted on 03/11/2007 12:01:19 PM PDT by asburygrad
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To: SmithL

I love the Easter Bunny. Keep him.


46 posted on 03/11/2007 12:06:30 PM PDT by freekitty
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To: SmithL
The country was founded to get away from this sort of religious persecution. It has no other earthly reason to exist. If Americans started putting up with this kind of thing, then we might as well just become France.
47 posted on 03/11/2007 12:11:40 PM PDT by JasonC
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Comment #48 Removed by Moderator

To: ladyjane
We need a list of banned words. Here's a start:

Easter, Christmas, days of the week, niggardly, tar-baby, tar-and-feather, alien, refugee.

Faggot

49 posted on 03/11/2007 12:15:35 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: SmithL
Up in Marin, San Rafael has an Alice in Wonderland Spring Festival and not only suggests that you bring your own eggs, but that you hide them yourself, too.

Speaking of panties in a wad, I'm betting some lawyers could get all knotted up if these people haven't paid a licensing fee to use the name.

I also have to wonder when the Neopagans are going to start complaining that their Ishtar Bunny is being exploited?

Me? I just like boiled eggs, and can appreciate a good, complex, dye job.

50 posted on 03/11/2007 12:21:00 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (Islam: a Satanically Transmitted Disease, spread by unprotected intimate contact with the Koranus.)
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To: Drango

oooohh...you said a bad word!


51 posted on 03/11/2007 12:21:48 PM PDT by ladyjane
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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?"

This is how it's slipping away from us, Brad. Morons like you think that it's OK to chip away at the small things so we won't notice the gradual slide into Socialism.

People in America are finally waking up. Hopefully, the reaction to this will cause other cities to think twice before they try to do something as equally stupid as this.

52 posted on 03/11/2007 12:24:39 PM PDT by NRA2BFree (Duncan Hunter for President '08 - A genuine "Reagan Republican" for America!)
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To: bikerman

My husband loves them things. We were shopping and he came across them and got some for our grown daughter. Apparently she never did like them but told her dad to put one in the microwave to see what happens. So of course he did and after about 10 seconds,I think 10 seconds,it grew big like it was some kind of a chick monster. He thought it was hilarious! One of my more pagan Easter stories. Of course there was the time at Easter where I was sick and he had to do the Easter basket shopping,and the kids loved it. He bought so much junk that even I was in disbelief! I always tried to put fresh fruits and even veggies that I knew they liked in their Easter baskets. I remember talking to a nun about the whole Easter bunny thing and she said it was a way to teach kids about spring and the resurrection and that is exactly what we did. When children are young we must teach along their level. And believe me today our children know what Easter is about! Jesus and what he did for us and eternal life with him. And also a time to repent of our sins in thankfulness for what Christ did for us,so we could have eternal life. But heck you have to start out at their level and that is the reason why these pc police freak out.


53 posted on 03/11/2007 12:41:59 PM PDT by red irish (Gods Children in the womb are to be loved too!)
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To: BenLurkin

"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"."

It may sound over-the-top, but it is imperative to connect the dots. This issue is about tradition, and the assault on Christianity, as well as Western Civilization. The "Easter Bunny" is a long standing tradition that Liberals are trying to undermine. The constant chipping away at traditions such as this undermines the foundation, until finally you are left with a multicultural pot that is so mixed up that it is muddied. This lack of clarity and direction is evident in Europe where these tendencies have led to decline. The Europe of Western Civilization is rapidly disappearing, and will be extinct in the near future if not reversed.


54 posted on 03/11/2007 12:45:58 PM PDT by oneamericanvoice (Fight Communism, Socialism! Fight the Democrats! Stand up for Freedom!)
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To: JasonC

Amen to that. But if we really want them to go nuts let us all practice being Christians and try to achieve holiness. That would kill them! lol For me I wish we could drive hollywood in the ground. I hate the smut they pander and my number one hate thing about hollywood is the way they use Gods name in vain! And then there are the Christians,not really Christians,who believe homosexuality and abortion are not sinful. For this Easter season I pray for all Christians to renew their lives to Christ and his teachings.


55 posted on 03/11/2007 12:48:57 PM PDT by red irish (Gods Children in the womb are to be loved too!)
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To: SmithL
They wanted me to go to a studio in Oakland on Sunday, and I never miss '60 Minutes.'

Obviously, he's not smart enough to use a VCR.

56 posted on 03/11/2007 12:51:36 PM PDT by Cowboy Bob (Liberalism is the most extreme form of dementia.)
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To: weegee
The PC police never blinked an eye that one of our days (Thursday) is named after the god Thor.

Thor's Day is not alone. we're surrounded by them.

Sun's day ... BUT, the Anglo-Saxon goddess Sunne is implicit in the name of the Sun itself.

Moon's Day

Tuesday was named after the Norse god Tyr [in Old English, Tiw, Tew or Tiu].

The Romans named this day after their war-god Mars: dies Martis.

Spanish: martes.

Wednesday came from Woden's Day. Woden, the top Teutonic god, may have been compared to Mercury.

The Spanish name for Wednesday is miércoles.

It took a few twists & turns to arrive at the odd spelling.

Thor's day

Thursday, Thor's day: The Romans named this day dies Jovis ("Jove's Day"), after Jove or Jupiter, their most important god.

Spanish: jueves.

Friday is the day in honor of the Norse goddess Frigg.

In Old High German this day was called frigedag. [Does this indicate she was frigid? :)]

To the Romans this day was sacred to the goddess Venus, and was known as dies veneris.

Spanish: viernes.

Saturn's Day.

Anglo-Saxon: sater daeg.

Spanish: sábádo.

Then come the months: Janus, the two faced Roman god of doors etc

Februus the Etruscan death god

March, for Mars

April for Venus

May for Maia Maiestas, a Roman goddess.

June for Juno.

The others are god-free names.

57 posted on 03/11/2007 1:34:54 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (Islam: a Satanically Transmitted Disease, spread by unprotected intimate contact with the Koranus.)
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To: NonValueAdded; SmithL
"Honestly,'' Walnut Creek spokesman Brad Rovanpera said this week...

Honestly is a word that shouldn't even come out of the mouth of that sawed-off little pipsqueek. Brad has to talk loud and often to be noticed down there at the 5'2" level. An appropriate spokesman for what Walnut Creek has become. (and this is the town I grew up in :o( ) A shinning city can't afford to appear too 'Christian,' even if the name of the holiday has been paganized.

A few current monikkers:

Carmel by the Crik

Beverly Swills North

58 posted on 03/11/2007 1:43:28 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Turning the general election into a second Democrat primary is not a winning strategy.)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu
"Tyr's day"

Tuesday = Tammuz Day (Ishtar's illegitimate son/god)

59 posted on 03/11/2007 1:48:58 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Turning the general election into a second Democrat primary is not a winning strategy.)
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To: SmithL; All
Never mind Brad Rovanpera, send your complaints to his boss.

mayor@ci.walnut-creek.ca.us

60 posted on 03/11/2007 1:58:09 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (Grovelnator Schwarzenkaiser: Debtor's fascism for Kaleefornia, one charade at a time.)
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