In addition to my snail mail I submitted this for their viewing pleasure </font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
To whom it may concern,

The very fact that your marketing department and your sales department have come up with such an offensive idea is beyond comprehension. That you haven't pulled this item because "it was designed to be a light-hearted depiction of the sentiment of love" is just flat out wrong! Exactly how does a bear in a straight jacket depict love?! And is the fact that this extremely offensive seasonal item is not a permanent addition to your line supposed to somehow placate the growing number of offended citizens?

Your decision to not meet with NAMI until the 8th of February speaks of your company's eye on the bottom line instead of the socially and morally correct thing to do. By not pulling this bear you have already shown your company to be insensitive to the reality of mental illness in this country.

A number of mental health message boards are having long conversations regarding this issue and the majority consensus is your company will suffer financially because of your lightheared approach you've shown with this matter thus far.

Shame on you! Shame on all of you for not pulling this product and getting with the times that mental illness is about as funny as cancer.

With great offense,

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> and yes I did go look at more than one mental health website to see reaction about this fracas.

I look forward to my form answer from them. Tools!

p.s. for those that think this is all something about nothing I will join those speaking up of personal experience with restraints or a strait jacket or the loved ones witnessing the use of these items on a loved one and the workers of the facilities where such items are used.

I witnessed the use of heavy restraints on a coed teen county psych unit and it was terrifying to watch four men hold down one patient in a four point hold (think spread eagled face down) and attach these restraints to some kid. I have nightmares to this day about some of what I witnessed on that ward. I find nothing lighthearted about straight jackets or restriants. Yeah my mental illness is freakin' hilarious! grrrrrrrrrr