I saw something that surprised me today.

[ContraBass Black]

Yes, that's an Easter basket full of military action figures and vehicles.

[Bluedogvoter]

1. Well who do you think delivers the eggs to the children in Iraq?

Certainly not the Easter bunny.

[Jonathan50]

37. Nope...

It's the Ramadan Bunny. :)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

2. Yeah, And?

Are GIJOES like condemned now or something?

Sheesh, I used to see those sorts of things marketed all the time when I was a kid. Is that like, something that's supposed to be taboo now?

[ContraBass Black]

13. No, certainly not.

The appearance of this set was very different from everything else in the display, which was bright fluorescent or light pastel colored. Initially, I thought only of Easter in the sense of the Christian holiday, but I noted that it would not be the same for all or even most people, and chided myself.

But then, I considered the usual secular celebration of the holiday, and all that came to my mind were images of peaceful family gatherings, and egg hunts, egg rolls, and candy for children. Surely the gift of a toy that would delight a young boy could have a place in these, yet this specific choice, the green and black camouflage military set stuffed into a pink, green, purple, and yellow Easter basket seemed to me to be a very odd mixing of contexts. I would likely not have the same response to a brightly colored Nerf gun.

On the other hand, I've tended to be mildly disturbed by war toys lately, especially when they have package art of soldiers in the midst of a battle. It might not be a well grounded or reasoned response.

[uppityperson]

17. For Easter?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

18. Sure. All The Time.

As a kid I'd always see easter baskets filled with plastic toy junk whether cars, dolls or even gi joe type stuff. They always had some stupid toys in them and since young boys usually liked playing with those sorts of things I never paid it any mind to see one of the baskets have them. Course, the baskets next to it would have dolls, cars, sports figurines, etc...

I see nothing alarming about this.

[ContraBass Black]

19. I thought it was strange, but perhaps it isn't. I don't remember

Seeing toy soldiers in an Easter basket before, but maybe I just wasn't looking.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

23. I Could See Why It Would Stick Out More Now, Especially With As Fresh Everything Is In Our Heads.

But even in your own picture you can see the scooby doo toys and doll one etc.. They're just marketing cheap crap to kids for their parents to buy for easter is all. Some kids like scooby, some like dolls, some like cars, some may like gi joe type stuff.

What would be of concern to me is if it was marketed with like insurgents as the bad guys and American troop figurines etc, and the whole shelf was filled with just them. Then I'd definitely be thinking inappropriate propaganda.

But in this case, I think it's just simply a basket filled with good candy (love fun dip) and cheap ass toys, a few of which happened to be military themed.

Personally, I think the whole cheap plastic crap should be banned from stuff like that to begin with. It's utterly useless in its utility, most of the time pose choking hazards, and only serve to clutter up your friggin house to begin with. :)

[uppityperson]

21. I'm not alarmed, more like amused.

Is Easter a christian holiday or a pre-christian one? "Easter" being derived from "Astarte" which goes wayyyyy back, bunnies and chicks being indicative of spring renewal and rebirth, Jesus got crucified and rose (sort of like renewal/rebirth thing). Rambling thoughts here. So, back to the christian tradition of easter baskets, celebrating the High Holiest Holiday of Christianity (that being the death and rising of Jesus, simply put I know). Jesus counseled peace and tolerance. So, buy a basket stuffed with military stuff rather than those paganish pink fluffy bunnies and chicks? Sure. It all makes sense.


Edited to add, does this fit in with the War on Easter?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

25. "does this fit in with the War on Easter?"

:rofl:

Ok, that just cracked me up. The immediate mental skit in my head of O'Reilly, This basket, and a liberal figurine.

[uppityperson]

27. Thank you. Life imitates The Onion sometimes.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

29. Indeed My Friend. Indeed.

[ClayZ]

3. Yikes! K and R

That is HORRIBLE!

[Eric J in MN]

4. I had toy soldiers as a kid.

I want the troops immediately out of Iraq as an adult.

[Monkeyman]

9. I was a soldier and want the same thing.

I sure would not buy that crap for my kids.

[Eric J in MN]

16. What if they ask for toy soldiers? NT

NT

[magellan]

5. Happy Easter, learn to kill things?

Never mind I think giving gifts at Easter is silly (we got baskets with some candy and went on egg hunts when I was little), but you really have to wonder what kind of people think Jesus would approve of celebrating his resurrection by giving children war toys.

[villager]

6. it is kind of odd to see this in an *Easter* basket...

I'm not sure the grafting of ancient fertility symbols like rabbits and eggs, onto the story of Jesus' resurrection, was in order to celebrate soldiers doing the bidding of large empires...

[Jonathan50]

38. I think it was the other way around..

The ancient pagan ritual welcoming the return of spring and new life was coopted by the Christians to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

[villager]

39. that's exactly what I was implying

I hope.

[rodeodance]

7. Gender-neutral basket.

[ContraBass Black]

31. Little girls need to get their war on too.

[babylonsister]

8. Got candy rabbits and jelly beans ? nt

[Monkeyman]

10. Hey didn't you here homeland security shot the bunny

Said he worked for Bin'Laden

[bling bling]

11. Isn't Easter a religious holiday?

What would we say if on their religious holiday the Palestinians, for example, gave their kids pastel colored jelly beans, furry baby chicks, and pink bunnies along with a pretend backpack filled with pretend explosives.

Be kinda horrified wouldn't we? And we'd be pointing to their religion as the culprit.

Just thinking out loud.

[Forkboy]

12. Nothing screams "Religion" like an M-16!

[NEDem]

14. Praise Jesus and pass the ammo.

[IChing]

24. The Hum-vee looks like it

it has the new plastic armor for Jesus.

[bling bling]

36. Support the plastic troops!

[uppityperson]

26. rather "War on Easter"ish, isn't it.

[robinlynne]

15. Interesting I got a "fashion trend" pamphlet describing military chic. I shredded it.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

20. It's medication time n/t

[HCE SuiGeneris]

22. I like my Resurrection with

a side of Bradley's and a couple of grilled Anti-aircraft guns. :crazy:

[EFerrari]

28. Bring on the Resurrection. Bring it on.

[kath]

30. WWJB? Who Would Jesus Bomb?

I've been wanting that bumper sticker for a long time.

How many little Iraqi children would he blow to bits?? Just wonderin'.

[RC]

32. What's more Christian than War?

Is there a problem here?

[Laurier]

33. Those have been around for many years.

They still suck, but they aren't new.

[rebel with a cause]

35. I agree, they always have sucked.

When my kids were small this type of basket was around, and the kids would look at them and want them because they looked good with all that clear plastic over them, but I never bought one. I often bought their baskets in the craft department, cheaper and better made. Got the grass, candy and an appropriate toy usually a bunny or other stuffed animal. (even for my son) I would boil and color enough eggs for their baskets and the egg hunt. I always preferred doing things my way and making unique baskets and not buying the packaged stuff that anyone could have. My kids are adults and they still have a few of their favorite stuffed animals.

Off subject, but one Easter, I got my daughter a gorilla (so ugly it was cute) and dressed it in homemade baby clothes complete with a bonnet and a pacifier. I won't let her get rid of that one, she'll have to wait until I'm gone to give it away. ;-)

[rebel with a cause]

45. I should have added that I saved the war toys like G.I. Joe and He-Man

for Christmas. I thought that it was more appropriate. ;-)

[RedCappedBandit]

34. Surprises me too..

I never got toys or fun-dip for easter..

[paparush]

40. What better way to militarize the christo-mythical bugaboo?

[blues90]

41. All we had back in the day was

A basket with fake grass ( may have been toxic , don't know , never ate the stuff ) a bunch of jelly beans , some Choc eggs , a bunny and a few other assorted candies and some home colored easter eggs .

No packeged M$M's or other packaged crap let alone guns or toys but then this was in the 50's and very early 60's .

There were easter hats for the girls .

[rebel with a cause]

46. Yeah, the same for me.

I sometimes got a stuffed toy if my mother made it. My Easter outfit was also usually homemade. So was my new spring coat and sometimes even my hat. I always hated jelly beans except the black ones, and the assorted colored candies. I loved the chocolate, as long as it was milk chocolate. Allergic to the dark stuff. Usually spent the whole day in church, and we got up early for Sun Rise Services so when we got home we had our egg hunt hurriedly before going back for Sunday School. Perhaps that is why I tried to make my kids day a little more special with the egg hunts and stuff. Of course the church services were not usually observed but the meaning of why the day was celebrated was taught.

[Fla Dem]

42. Probably assembled in China..what isn't these days. They obviously have the impression

that warmongering is part of our religious rituals. What would really bother me, are the parents that would buy that basket for their kids. Definitely instilling the whole religious war doctrines.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

43. As the general said, "Killing is fun".

[Vinca]

44. Any chocolate bunnies to blow away or marshmallow peeps

to slaughter? I'm afraid the basket just doesn't have that warm and fuzzy Easter feel to it.