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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: Carry_Okie

Don't you think that, by the simple fact of not speaking up until 5 years later and **only** getting your knickers in a wad because Bull O'Reilly was trying to drum up his ratings, you'll come across as a bit less than serious?

On a related note, if the "best" O'Reilly can come up with in this lame attempt to copy the "war on" theme is a small city renaming an egg hunt FIVE YEARS AGO, wouldn't this qualify as a tempest in a teapot?


61 posted on 03/11/2007 2:03:48 PM PDT by voltaires_zit (Government is the problem, not the answer.)
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To: voltaires_zit
Don't you think that, by the simple fact of not speaking up until 5 years later and **only** getting your knickers in a wad because Bull O'Reilly was trying to drum up his ratings, you'll come across as a bit less than serious?

In a word, no. I didn't know about it until now and don't give a crap about O'Reilly. The note I wrote was polite and respectful. I offered the understanding that the city may have been trying to avoid a lawsuit but that they should then just say so if that is the case. Unfortunately, the result is religious discrimination: advancing paganism at the expense of Christianity, seeing as the Ishtar egg and rabbit fertility symbols are both emblematic of pagan spring festivals.

As to knicker snickers, I have no religious interest in this fight sirrah, other than the obvious bias on the part of the bureaucrats taking over my childhood home town. I also know that the bureaucrat will simply dump the email while the politician may actually read a few.

wouldn't this qualify as a tempest in a teapot?

Maybe, but then the Chronicle story is new so they'll have the opportunity to revisit the whole thing perforce anyway. I'm sick of the way leftists are running that area and don't mind a bit the opportunity to politely poke them with a sharp stick. Frankly, I'd prefer no state sponsored festival at all.

62 posted on 03/11/2007 2:16:29 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (Grovelnator Schwarzenkaiser: Debtor's fascism for Kaleefornia, one charade at a time.)
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To: Carry_Okie

Well, annoying one's elected leaders is a time honored tradition.

I don't see how the city officials could have legitimately feared a lawsuit in any case, so it was a dumb move on their part.

The egg celebrations and the Easter name both predate Christian usage, from all that I've read. It would be like claiming a Yule log was a "Christian" imposition. Ridiculous beyond words.


63 posted on 03/11/2007 2:22:35 PM PDT by voltaires_zit (Government is the problem, not the answer.)
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To: Carry_Okie

the Walnut Creek mayor Sue Rainey, is a staunch Republican, and a great gal so keep the comments nice.


64 posted on 03/11/2007 2:30:26 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: voltaires_zit
The egg celebrations and the Easter name both predate Christian usage, from all that I've read.

I wasn't kidding about Ishtar eggs and bunny rabbits as fertility pagan symbols. The point I was making is that to PO Christians over Easter (named for the pagan goddess Ishtar) may be silly, but it is religious discrimination favoring paganism over Christianity, what little of it there is on Easter anyway.

65 posted on 03/11/2007 2:30:47 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (Grovelnator Schwarzenkaiser: Debtor's fascism for Kaleefornia, one charade at a time.)
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To: Drango
the Walnut Creek mayor Sue Rainey, is a staunch Republican, and a great gal so keep the comments nice.

It was a respectful letter.

66 posted on 03/11/2007 2:31:36 PM PDT by Carry_Okie (Grovelnator Schwarzenkaiser: Debtor's fascism for Kaleefornia, one charade at a time.)
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To: SmithL

rovanpera@walnut-creek.org


67 posted on 03/11/2007 2:35:40 PM PDT by jimbo123
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To: SmithL

I wasn't aware I sent my kids out to hunt eggs just because it is spring.

Will they also have a winter egg hunt?

Sometimes it is best if you cannot do something right, or in good spirit, just quit doing it at all.


68 posted on 03/11/2007 2:37:40 PM PDT by dforest (Liberals love crisis, create crisis and then dwell on them.)
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To: Carry_Okie

I live in Walnut Creek.....I'm just going down to the Mayor's office on Monday and be a "concerned citizen".... W.C. is a family community with not any liberal activist crap....I wonder why they even did this....this is NOT S.F.


69 posted on 03/11/2007 2:51:49 PM PDT by NorCalRepub
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To: Balding_Eagle
Sorry it took so long for me to answer..
It was in the rest of the article:

"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.''
70 posted on 03/11/2007 9:09:16 PM PDT by M0sby (((PROUD WIFE of MSgt Edwards USMC)))
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To: Larry Lucido

"It's okay, we're not homonphobes."



:-)


71 posted on 03/11/2007 9:09:48 PM PDT by M0sby (((PROUD WIFE of MSgt Edwards USMC)))
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To: Carry_Okie

Very interesting link.


72 posted on 03/11/2007 11:47:36 PM PDT by b9 ("America is great because America is good." ~ Duncan Hunter)
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To: ladyjane

You forgot the new "f" word.


73 posted on 03/12/2007 12:36:15 AM PDT by napscoordinator
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To: oneamericanvoice

dittos!


74 posted on 03/12/2007 12:50:01 AM PDT by dennisw (What one man can do another can do -- "The Edge")
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To: Carry_Okie
Peacock
Ukrainian Easter egg

The Easter egg is symbol of rebirth. The rebirth of plant growth and animal life that comes after a cold winter. Undoubtedly this has pagan roots. But this was well absorbed by European Christian tradition to symbolize Christ's resurrection. 

Easter eggs and the hunts are a fine way to educate little children in Christianity

Walnut Creek obviously has no respect for this long tradition when it renames an Easter egg hunt

 

 

 

75 posted on 03/12/2007 1:00:39 AM PDT by dennisw (What one man can do another can do -- "The Edge")
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To: asburygrad

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

"Ridiculous" is a word that comes up a lot when your administration is discussed, Ms. Rainey. As a resident of your town, I'm ashamed to have you represent us in the public media.

The PC Police see fit to rename any even remotely Christian, but lets see them force the Muslims to celebrate THEIR holidays under generic, non "offensive" names.

Meanwhile, parts of town are being overrrun with Section 8 thugs and immigrants, and Rainey is nowhere to be found...


76 posted on 03/12/2007 1:09:56 AM PDT by ByDesign
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To: Drango
the Walnut Creek mayor Sue Rainey, is a staunch Republican, and a great gal so keep the comments nice.

I was nice when I told her I liked 3 day weekends,

and ask when was she changing Easter, the 4th of July and Christmas to Monday Holidays.

77 posted on 03/12/2007 3:27:11 AM PDT by TYVets (God so loved the world he didn't send a committee)
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To: Drango

"...the Walnut Creek mayor Sue Rainey, is a staunch Republican, and a great gal so keep te comments nice."

Nice has nothing to do with it. As for being Republican, perhaps in name only. This isn't the action of a "staunch" Republican. Tell her to start acting like a Republican instead of a RHINO or re-register as a Democrat. And while you're at it, tell her not to purchase any "Easter" eggs, bunnies, etc since she doesn't believe in it.


78 posted on 03/12/2007 6:39:30 PM PDT by oneamericanvoice (It's the Easter Bunny, not the Spring Bunny. At least that's what it said on the box.)
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To: oneamericanvoice
Go away. I live here. I've never seen you at a Red, White and Blue Ball or a GOP central committee meeting. I don't need your innuendo as to who is, or isn't conservative enough. Sue walks the walk.

Your talk is cheap and of no consequence 'cause you haven't earned to right to criticize someone who works her ass off for conservatives. Take your blather elsewhere.
79 posted on 03/12/2007 6:57:46 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: Drango

No I won't go away. You don't know what I have done or continue to do for conservatives or America. I don't have to attend a Ball or central committee meeting to be a conservative or a true Republican. If that is your litmus, then you throw many out with the bathwater.

It is your arrogance that demotes your talk to something of no consequence. I HAVE earned the right to criticize her and anyone else, just as you cast aspersions on me.


80 posted on 03/13/2007 12:27:48 PM PDT by oneamericanvoice (Support the Troops! Support Freedom!)
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