Cheryl Shapiro could hardly believe her eyes when she walked into a Walgreens store in Northridge on Saturday looking for Hanukkah gift wrapping paper with her grandson and saw one that appeared to have dark blue swastikas embedded in its design.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes, I had no idea what to do,” Shapiro, the distressed shopper told L.A.’s NBC News affiliate. “I came home and spoke to my rabbi. He couldn’t believe it.”
Shapiro’s experience brings up a larger issue: how close to a swastika should something look to be considered offensive?
The wrapping paper is only the latest in a series of swastika products spotted on the market in recent years. In October, Sears apologized profusely for selling a ring with a swastika on it in its “men’s punk rock style” jewelry collection.
In 2013, a clothing line called “Spiritual Punx” began putting colorful swastikas (that look, oddly enough, like donuts) on clothing, stickers, and accessories. In 2007, Zara was caught selling a handbag that featured four green swastikas next to an array of flowers.
The 63-year-old grandmother told NBC Los Angeles that she went to the manager of the store to complain about the Nazi symbol.
“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.”
NBC said they found the wrapping paper in at least one other area Walgreens. However, the chain says it’s now pulling the paper from all of its stores.
“We have implemented a process to prevent the product from being sold at the register as we remove the item from our stores,” Walgreens spokesman Phil Caruso told The Huffington Post.
The swastika dates back thousands of years, well before Hitler’s rise to power. In fact, before the late 19th century, the symbol was primarily associated with the cultures of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, which represented good luck or well-being. By the start of the 20th century, the swastika could be seen throughout Europe, not just in Germany. Today it is still seen in temples in places like India and Indonesia.
Sources: OpposingViews, NBC Los Angeles, Whatrends.com
