By Kelley Kepler
Catholic Herald

Grandmothers for Peace say no to war toys in Easter baskets

SUPERIOR --For years the local chapter of Grandmothers for Peace has been urging parents not to buy war toys for their children. They also hold "nonwar" toy drives for the needy. Now, the grandmothers, like many Northland residents, are appalled at the latest marketing trend -- Easter baskets filled with war toys.

The secular world has turned the Christian holiday into one of jelly beans and chocolate bunnies. Candy sales at Easter are second only to those at Halloween. Now as the United States moves toward possible war with Iraq, the toy industry is filling Easter baskets with toy soldiers dressed for battle, machine guns, planes and tanks alongside the typical candies.

"We were not happy about this," said Jan Provost, a member of Cathedral of Christ the King. Provost founded the Wisconsin Northland Chapter of Grandmothers for Peace in 1982, shortly after her sister Barbara Wiedner started the international peace organization. The local chapter has 45 members living primarily in the Superior and Duluth, Minn. region.

The group's main focus is to rid the world of nuclear weapons. This is an effort that Provost said must start within the community because "peace begins at home."

This is why the grandmothers give out scholarships to high school and college students involved in social justice activities. This is why they write to their senators and representatives, and those who are able hit the streets to protest war. Most recently, March 8, they joined an anti-war rally in Duluth that drew about 1,600 protesters. This is why they don't want children to play with war toys.

Grandmothers for Peace spotted the baskets being sold at three major retailers: Walgreens, Kmart and Wal-Mart. They began sending e-mails and calling corporate offices in hopes of getting the military baskets out of stores.

The effort compelled Walgreens to reconsider selling the baskets. Carol Hively, a spokeswoman for the 3,998-store chain, told USA Today, "We reconsidered the appropriateness of having them in Easter baskets and considered the impending war and thought it would not be appropriate to sell baskets with soldiers or military men."

"Walgreens was wonderful," Provost said. "All of Walgreens took them off their shelves almost immediately."

Representatives from Kmart and Wal-Mart told the grandmothers that the items were big sellers, and the stores had no plans of removing the baskets from their shelves. Wal-Mart official said the toys encourage patriotism in children.

"Most of us have grandsons who are in Kuwait or husbands who are veterans. We love the warriors, but we want them to be home safe," said Provost. The grandmothers argue there are better ways to teach children to love their country.

A study done by Physicians for Global Survival (PGS), a physician-led organization based in Canada and committed to preventing war, abolishing nuclear weapons and promoting nonviolent means of conflict resolution, states that war toys are dangerous because they "convey values inconsistent with the values we hold vital to a peaceful and just world."

In this study, family physician Darlene Hammel and child psychiatrist, Joanna Santa Barbara raise concerns that war toys are likely to increase aggressive behavior in children because they teach children that: "1. War is a game, an exciting adventure; 2. killing is acceptable, even fun; 3. violence or threat of violence is the only way to resolve conflicts; and 4. the world is divided into 'goodies' and 'baddies' where the bad guys are devoid of human qualities and their destruction is desirable."

Moreover, when parents give war toys to their children, they argue, it implies that parents approve of this violence, thus conveying inconsistent values to their children.

"War is not fun and shouldn't be a toy," said Elizabeth Johnson, another member of Grandmothers for Peace. "That's not a good Easter message to send out to kids."

Next on their agenda, the grandmothers plan to directly target the war toy manufacturers. In the meantime, they are turning to their Catholic faith and looking to Christ for peace.

Karen Barschdorf, who is a member of Holy Assumption Parish, has been having Mass said for the Catholic parishes in Baghdad; the men, women and families in the military; and most recently, for the children of Iraq. Many Iraqi children, she said, are born with birth defects caused by the depleted uranium left after the Gulf War.

"Prayer is one of the biggest things we can do right now," Provost said. "Prayer and protest."

Editors note: More information about Grandmothers for Peace can be found at www.grandmothersforpeace.org.

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2003