War toys, Easter an uneasy mix (Walgreens decides against baskets with toy soldiers)

azcentral ^

[chance33_98]

Walgreens is retreating from plans to sell packaged Easter baskets in which toy soldiers and other war toys were featured nestled among the Easter candies.

Walgreens says intensifying talk of war in Iraq led it to rethink the combat sets that include troops in battle dress, assault rifles, planes, tanks and other toys, along with traditional candies.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Jesus has risen! Here's your tank...I dunno, just sounds tacky ;)

I agree totally.

Whatever happened to the simple Easter baskets with multicolor grass, an easter egg, jelly beans, colored hard boiled eggs and maybe a chocolate bunny? Why do their have to be toys in everything?

Toys aren't fattening, perhaps? What ever happened to Easter Baskets with hand decorated hard boiled eggs in them? Does candy have to be in everything?

[perfect stranger]

"Other retailers are sticking to their guns"

Haha.

"Kmart. Bendable action heroes packaged with pistol, ammunition, hand grenades and Skittles are one of three military sets in baskets. "We've sold these for years and haven't gotten any attention until this year," spokeswoman Abigail Jacobs said."

IOW until some liberal complained.

[cubreporter]

Oh come on. Candy doesn't have to be filled to the brim in the basket. It's a sweet treat and nothing more. Yes, we too had hand decorated hard boiled eggs that we colored after we deocrated by hand putting our names on the eggs with wax. We also had tissue transfers of Easter lillies and bunnies and other things.

We have gotten away from the really simple things in life. A little candy for children is not harmful and neither in my opinion are plastic soldiers. However, the plastic soldiers SHOULD NOT be in the Easter basket. I dont' see how they are relevant to the holiday of fun and spring and eggs and candy for children to enjoy.

Adults need to go back to the simple things of life for their children and get off this toys, trips, etc. ride they ahve been on for way too long.

Corporations too. It's out of control!

[cubreporter]

a time to laugh

AND A TIME TO ENJOY THE THE FACT CHRIST HAS RISEN ALONG WITH A LITTLE FUN FOR CHILDREN.

[cubreporter]

hijacked by rabbits delivering candy is bad enough.


Yipes...lighten up!!! What in the world is wrong with a rabbit delivering candy??????? A little innocent fun for children. Perhaps todays celebrations are way overboard and I agree with that. But, a little Easter basket? No way.

[Newbomb Turk]

Walgreen. The store where you must trek to the back for your medication but cigs are right inside the front door.

[cubreporter]

Their doesn't but I would not consider Easter a little obscure holiday. It's how people today have blown all this out of proportion is all. A simple basket with treats for young children after celebrating the the resurrection of Christ is a very nice thing.

People shouldn't buy into all the other things in the stores that exploit everything. The Easter Parade is a nice thing and the Easter basket and Easter dinner is a nice thing too.

Perhaps today we have too much and the simplicity of how we used to celebrate Easter has gone by the wayside in exchange for 10 foot high baskets in the stores which mean nothing.

The other thing is this: People today buy brand new baskets for their kids every single year. Would you believe our daughter uses the same Easter basket that we bought for her her first Easter? Our son too? Because it MEANS something and isn't just a container for junk on Easter Sunday.

The meaning you put on the holiday determines how you celebrate it.

[cubreporter]

So did my sister. She used to eat the EARS FIRST! Still does to this day and she is 68 years old!!! :) Thanks for the reminder. :)

[Lady Jag]

Please let your sister know she is not alone. I'm not that much younger than her and I wouldn't eat a chocolate bunny any other way, ears first. And you can bet that tomorrow I'll be buying a chocolate bunny in order to keep up my technique.

[Jeff Chandler]

I would not consider Easter a little obscure holiday

I didn't mean to imply it was. I was comparing the incorporation of unrelated toys into Easter baskets with the celebration of Grandparents' Day, Secretaries' Day, etc.. Marketing Gone Wild.

[cubreporter]

Then I apologize to you for reading and taking that the wrong way. I agree with you. :)

[cubreporter]

Ha,ha,ha....I will send her your note. That's funnier than all get out and she will get a really big kick out of it ESPECIALLY since you said you will buy one tomorrow in order to keep up your technique. How great! Enjoy!!!! :)

[Jeff Chandler]

No apology necessary. Sometimes my writing isn't all that clear.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Guess I forgot the sarcasm tag. I'm not against candy for children at Easter, but I think there should be more emphasis on other things. Boiling and decorating the eggs and then hiding them, or giving them away, were a pleasure of my childhood that I was able to pass to my children. Then baking the special breads to break the 40 day Lenten fast and preparing the feast to be consumed with friends and family after church. Singing the special music, etc.

The largest and gaudiest commercial Easter basket is not what this Holy Day is about. Although my kids played many happy hours with their GI Joes and toy guns, I don't think they belong in the Easter basket.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Would you believe our daughter uses the same Easter basket that we bought for her her first Easter? Our son too?

We re-used the same baskets for our four children every year until they were in their teens. Finally the colors faded and we lost them in a move, but I think the kids have carried on that tradition with the grandchildren. I certainly hope so.

And the new clothes -- hand made, if possible. Two of my families do that (make their own) but the others don't sew -- more's the pity. There is nothing cuter than a whole family at church in matching, or co-ordinating clothes for Easter.

And for those who might criticize that this is materialism -- there is a scriptural basis for the "new clothes."

[cubreporter]

Oh I agree wholeheartedly with you. Absolutely. The Easter egg coloring was the highlight of Holy Saturday for us. We colored the eggs in the evening and put our names on them and all the other things. If relatives were there they got their names on them too. Lots of beautiful eggs to go around. Sometimes I think the colors of the eggs and the jelly beans were all part of the joy too because the colors were so beautiful. Sounds like you had wonderful Easter celebrations too and as I mentioned before the meal itself was a BIG part of the day AFTER we celebrated first and foremost with church in the morning. Happy Easter to you too. :)

[cubreporter]

Thank you. Sometimes my mind isn't all that clear! :)))

[Wolverine]

A friends Son works at one in Missouri and appearently they received an email from corporate management to remove these items from the shelves.  Appears someone complained about items, so Walgreens caved.

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