Thursday 3 January 2013

Union asks Toys'R'Us to pull UFC action figures

Below is a look at the petition letter written by The Culinary Union to Gerald Storch:
To:
Toys "R" Us CEO Gerald Storch
UFC Fighting Championship
I just signed the following petition addressed to: Toys "R" Us CEO Gerald Storch.
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Remove UFC Action Dolls from Toys "R" Us Stores
Part of a parent's job is to attempt to teach our children to value and respect the dignity of every human being. It is also necessary to struggle to keep children safe. We do not need toys that glorify famous athletes or entertainers who choose to promote hatred, intolerance and violence with their words.
Everyday women must struggle against violence, as well. Allowing or glorifying this behavior of bullying, uncontrolled anger, and using hate speech against other human beings IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
There are many examples of this unacceptable behavior. One of the UFC fighters depicted by an "action figure" being sold at Toys "R" Us taunted his opponent by threatening to act like accused child molester, Jerry Sandusky. Making jokes about child molesters or molestation is not acceptable.
Another UFC fighter screamed a homophobic slur at his opponent, made lewd gestures and shouted obscenities at the crowd -- the very people who pay his large salary by purchasing tickets -- in a bullying manner. This is not acceptable.
By selling UFC Action Figures, and by purchasing them, a message is sent to children and people with anger issues that this behavior IS acceptable. IT IS NOT. I believe in freedom of speech. I believe that parents are responsible for the choices they and their children make. However, by selling these cage fighting toys, Toys "R" Us, and by UFC, allowing their fighters to say these mean, hateful, violent, intolerant things at their fights, they are sending a message to children that it is acceptable to behave this way. I ask that UFC and Toys "R" Us be responsible for NOT promoting this behavior.

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