Walgreens Removes Hanukkah Wrapping Paper Covered with Swastikas

[Stuart G]

Source: Talking Points Memo

By Ahiza Garcia Published December 9, 2014, 4:49 PM EST

A woman in Los Angeles discovered a swastika in the design of a roll of wrapping paper while she was shopping on Saturday in the Hanukkah section of a Walgreens, television station KNBC reported.


"I couldn't believe my eyes, I had no idea what to do," Cheryl Shapiro told the station.

Shapiro initially tried to reach her rabbi but was eventually able to get the rolls removed after complaining to the store's managers, KNBC reported.

"I told them I wanted this taken off the shelves immediately - not just your store, but national," Shapiro told the station. "I was really putting my foot down because I was appalled by this."




Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/swastika-hanukkah-wrapping-paper

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When you think you have seen it all, some if it is truly unbelievable. A picture of the wrapping paper is at the link.

[Rhiannon12866]

1. Appalling is only one word for this!

[yeoman6987]

4. It's been discussed all day

Most think it was an accident and part of a large pattern.

[NutmegYankee]

5. Not really. It's not a nazi swastika.

The nazi swastika is slanted at a 45 degree angle and faces the other way with it's arms. This is the more classic geometric pattern swastika (flat on base) used in eastern faiths for thousands of years. The lady in the article is wrong.

[cstanleytech]

7. Why? The symbol itself dates back thousands of years all over the world

and is still in use in many parts of the world.
For example its used in Hinduism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

[Rhiannon12866]

9. Somebody should have noticed.

[NutmegYankee]

10. The nazis stole the symbol from Hinduism.

Based on the idea of indo-aryan languages originating there.

[ripcord]

2. I'm fairly sure that was accidental

But you like to think think someone would have caught it.

[Stuart G]

3. I agree it was not on purpose, but someone should have looked at it.

Fairly easy to see what is truly offensive. I wonder if we will find out who approved this?

[Cooley Hurd]

6. If you isolate the continuous pattern to its source pattern:

...how could the designer of the source pattern *not* see the swastikas, unless the designer was oblivious to the history of it.

[cstanleytech]

8. Oh I agree there are plenty of people who are oblivious to the history of it all right. nt

[Igel]

11. Really not that incredibly easy to see. Until you've seen it.

It's like embedded designs in pictures and optical illusions--for example the standard example with the witch and the beautiful woman.

You stare and stare and don't see one or the other, then once you've spotted the second one it's so obvious that you find it impossible to miss.

Or the psychology-related video of college kids throwing around a beach ball ... You don't notice the gorilla traipsing through, stopping to stare at the camera. Once you've spotted the gorilla, it's sort of hard to notice the beach ball.

It's also worth noting that there's no way to tell how or where this was designed. China? India? Central America? By some 24-year-old who's only vaguely aware that WWII ended 5 years before his/her parents were born?

[Monk06]

12. The designer of the source pattern lived in Greece between 700 and 500 BC so was unlikely familiar

with the history of the Nazi party.

Here is a detail of the Ephesus Theater 300 BC The wrapping paper is a double row of the motif at Ephesus joined by the repeating double bar. It signified the river Meander or possibly the labyrinth of the Minotaur.

[Nihil]

27. Thanks for that photo

I had been trying to think of the building I'd seen with that exact frieze.

[snooper2]

35. people see nazis everywhere

[Gormy Cuss]

16. Oblivious to history, check.

Sure, it's only reminiscent of a Nazi swastika and not even in the right colors but holy hell, someone should have nixed this pattern for Chanukah wrapping paper.

[Renew Deal]

26. It was an intentional design

An accident like this does not happen.

[HERVEPA]

28. That is ridiculous

[snooper2]

36. It was done by a lady who lives in Vijayawada

take it up with her

[Xithras]

42. It was designed in China. Hallmark has already admitted as much.

The swastika is not an offensive symbol in China, where it is regularly used in art and various patterns. In addition to the Hindu symbolism others have discussed, the swastika is a symbol of changelessness and eternity in Tibetan Buddhism, and is considered a symbol of auspiciousness in China.

With so many of the worlds goods now coming from Asia, it's inevitable that we'll continue to see things like this happen.

[IronLionZion]

13. People who lived thousands of years before the nazis

should definitely have known better. I wonder what some people will do if they ever visit the Aryan stronghold of India?







http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

[niyad]

14. swastika in history

Swastika
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Swastika, a symbol of auspiciousness in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
In the Western world, the swastika since the 1930s has mostly been associated with the flag of Nazi Germany and the Nazi Party.

The swastika (also known as the gammadion cross or cross cramponnée) is a symbol that generally takes the form of an equilateral cross, with its four legs bent at 90 degrees (as a Chinese character: 卐 or 卍 .[1][2] It is considered to be a very sacred and auspicious symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.[3]

It appears as a decorative element in various cultures since at least the Neolithic, and is mostly known as a symbol in Indian religions, denoting "auspiciousness", adopted as such in pre-WWI-Europe and later, and most notably, by the Nazi Party and Nazi Germany. Because of its use in Nazism, in many Western countries the swastika is stigmatized,[4] while it remains commonly used as a religious symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism.[3]

. . .



The word swastika derives from the Sanskrit svastika "lucky or auspicious object". The older term gammadion cross derives mainly from its appearance, which is identical to four Greek gamma letters affixed to each other.

. . . .

[SoapBox]

17. I never would have noticed.

And my gut just says that there was no malicious intent...just my take.

When thy track down the Nazi Graphic Designer, get back to us.

[fishwax]

18. I'm a bit surprised that nobody picked up on this beforehand

It seems unlikely that there is any malicious intent here, but it's a strange pattern to sell for Hannukah paper.

[Behind the Aegis]

20. There you go. That is an appropriate response.

Isn't it amazing though, others find this amusing, even derive joy from this. Had this been run-of-the-mill wrapping paper, big whoop; but it was not. It was geared for a JEWISH holiday. At best, this was just an oversight, at worst, it is just another reminder of how deep the hate runs for Jews, and how funny some find it. (Read some of the talkbacks at some of the sites hosting the story.)

[sulphurdunn]

25. I doubt this event

warrants suspicions of antisemitic intent. Then again, when you make a mountain out of a mole hill, you shouldn't be surprised to get a mountain.

[HERVEPA]

29. Get a friggin grip! (I'm Jewish by the way)

Likelihood of any intent here is close to zero.

[William Seger]

37. I have to disagree (and I'm not Jewish)

Someone designed this, which means they placed each element with some deliberation, and no doubt evaluated and revised it until they were satisfied. It's one thing for a casual observer to say they wouldn't have noticed if it hadn't been pointed out, but I think it's virtually impossible that the designer wouldn't have noticed. Yes, the design was clearly influenced by ancient non-Nazi patterns, but I find it hard to believe a designer would intentionally mimic that pattern without recognizing it in modern context.

[Behind the Aegis]

41. Take your own advice!

I gave no indication of "intent" other than it is a possibility, which you just did as well.

[snooper2]

38. Has anyone gone off on the Raelians yet?

[Behind the Aegis]

45. UFO cult bummed about swastika gift wrap recall

Earlier this week, Walgreens came under fire for selling a gift wrap for Hanukkah that looked like it had swastikas all over it. Which was, if nothing else, startlingly inappropriate. The chain has since apologized and recalled said genocidal gift wrap.

While most people would probably agree that Hanukkah gift wrap with swastikas on it is a poor idea, and feel as though it was pretty appropriate for Walgreens to stop selling it, a certain UFO cult is not happy with the decision.

The Raelians, the world’s second-greatest UFO Cult (for none shall ever compare with the gloriousness of the Unarians), sent out a press release today explaining their displeasure over the recall.

“Why?,” You ask? “Are they Nazis or something?” Nope. They’re just a bunch of folks who want to build a “sexy” UFO Embassy and are really into cloning and swastikas and some other stuff, led by a former French race car driver who says he hung out with aliens one time in the 70s and that said aliens send him messages for people on earth or something. I highly recommend a good fall down a Raëlian internet hole if you have yet to take that journey. Because it is amazing and it involves many videos like this:

more: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/232356/ufo-cult-bummed-about-swastika-gift-wrap-recall/

[hr]

Raelians protest Walgreens' recall of swastika-patterned wrapping paper

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 9 – Upon learning that wrapping paper containing a swastika pattern in its trim has been recalled in Walgreens stores nationwide following a complaint by a Jewish shopper, the International Raelian Movement has issued a statement asking that the paper be placed back in stock.

“We feel outraged by Walgreen’s decision and ask for this gift wrapping paper to be made available again,” said Raelian Guide Thomas Kaenzig, who is also president of an organization known as the ProSwastika Alliance.

“The swastika is still a holy symbol for billions of Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Raelians,” Kaenzig explained. “Long before it was unjustly hijacked by Hitler and the Nazis for ill purposes, it was revered for thousands of years as a religious symbol and a sign of good will. It can be found worldwide in architectural features and decorative ornamentation of all kinds, including in Jewish synagogues. It can even be found in many places in Israel.

The federal government deemed the ProSwastika cause of rehabilitating the swastika charitable in nature and recently granted the organization 501c3 tax exempt status.

“It’s unacceptable for us to see a major U.S. retail chain ban this symbol that is so dear to billions around the world,” Kaenzig said. “Would Walgreens dare to remove gift wrapping containing crosses if a Native American complained that his culture suffered enormously under the Christian cross? And what about an African American whose ancestors died at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan in front of a burning cross?”

source can be found by Google search "wrapping paper" "pro-swastika alliance"

[truthisfreedom]

19. I think the appropriate response to this is...

Too soon.

[sir pball]

21. It's a major Eastern motif. I'm applying Hanlon's Razor here.

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity."

[Behind the Aegis]

23. And, had it been marketed as unspecific or for Diwali, no biggie.

It was marketed for a Jewish holiday, that symbol doesn't have the same meaning to my people.

[sir pball]

40. Oh, I'm not saying it's anything other than grossly offensive

I just think it's a case of utterly raging idiocy, rather than a deliberate attempt to intimidate or anger. Doesn't make it any better, profuse apologies and withdrawals are in order, but at the end of the day I'll chalk it up as a mistake.

[JohnnyRingo]

22. I don't know if I would have seen it if I didn't know it was there.

Having said that, the right thing to do is end the pattern and pull them from the shelves. Now that it's been pointed out, it seems obvious and offensive.

If it was unintentional, the loss will bring greater quality control in the future.

[Ash_F]

24. First thing would be to find out who designed it. /nt

[dhol82]

30. Best reply in the comments section

The Times of Israel had the best take on this story with this tongue-in-cheek tagline:

Shapiro is expected to fully recover from the ordeal.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/walgreens-pulls-swastika-gift-wrap/#ixzz3LRtdC8Km12

[BobbyBoring]

31. I saw the face of Jesus, not swastikas

It's how you look at it.

[underpants]

32. I saw the face of Glenn Frey circa 1978

But that's happens to me all the time. I can't tell you how many pieces of Glenn Frey toast I have come out of the toaster and I'm standing there thinking - Damn if only it was Jesus toast I could charge money* for people to see it!!!

*we're talking pay the light bill money here not Eagles concert tickets money. That's the big bucks.

[jamzrockz]

33. All I see

are Greek columns in horizontal and vertical placements. If really have to look into it to see the swastikas. But once you see it, thats the only think you can see after that.

[sinkingfeeling]

34. I'm so tired of ignorance and faux outrage.

This is a swastika:



This is a recognized Greek geometric pattern:



http://patntf.com/greek-geometric-patterns/

And this is the wrapping paper:
?w=650

[HERVEPA]

39. Stop making sense!

[LiberalFighter]

43. I had to look hard to find it.

If it was stand alone or was given a different color from the rest of the design I would see a problem.

[yurbud]

44. Wait till you see their Kwanzaa line! PIC

[bklyncowgirl]

46. LOL