Your comments:

"I do not like the pokemon craze at all. Anyone who put down that it is a harmless fad is wrong. With all the stealing of cards, like the one in The New York Post where a kid hid in a store until after it closed just to steal Pokemon cards, it is starting to get out of hand." C.Y., Fairfield

"I'll take Pokemon for my kids any day over WWF. I would not hesitate to buy Pokemon items for my children, but I would not buy them anything or let them watch WWF. Shame on you parents who do!" S.C., Stratford

"We have three children who each have taken their turn in playing, trading and buying Pokemon card and merchandise. It has never gotten out of control because our financial means, thank goodness, are limited and the children have been brought up being aware of this fact. I believe it to be a harmless game, but after I saw yesterday on a news program that the swastika, which is part of the Oriental culture and has nothing (?) to do with its use in World War II, is on some Japanese imported cards that are now circulating the country ... hmmm ... Who knows whether it is as innocent as it seems. If it is to be used for something bad, I will not be able to change it this way or that, nor will you. If it turns out to be for the worse, of course, it is sad to see that history would be repeating itself and we would have learned too little of our own past. And, we will only find out when it already is too late. Peace to all of you, and happy holidays." L.A., Westport

"I think Pokemon is gatting to be a big waste of money. Everywhere I go I see Pokemon, Pokemon, Pokemon. Sooner or later everyone will get tired of this. Before Pokemon used to be just for children, now it's grown into a big phenomenom where adults are going crazy to grab whatever items they can get their hands on. I'm glad I didn't get caught in Pokemon fever." G.B., Talcottville

"My younger brother loves Pokemon and everything about it. I worked over the summer with 6th graders and they feel the same. It is a hobby that kids love. Did we ever get in trouble for collecting Barbies or collecting baseball cards? No, we didn't! People, if you think this promotes gambling, get over it! Let these kids be kids!" S.K., Weatogue

"Pokemon is a pathetic, despicable, stupid fad. Who cares about mice with red cheeks,not me." Goose, Storrs

"Hello! ... Your children are being manipulated again. You are falling for the "collectable" scam again. Remember Cabbage Patch Dolls and Beanie Babies?" C.V., New London

"Pokemon is horrid! It is a waste of time playing the card/gameboy/N64 games. It is also very costly. Kids steal each others cards. It is also banned in many schools ... that is all kids do. I know because that is all my neighbors do -- play Pokemon. It also teaches kids to fight when they have a problem." J.G., Storrs

"Unfortunately, the Pokemon cards are an entryway for kids to get hooked on the Magic cards -- both are made by the same company. However, it's more than an attempt by the company to sell cards. The Magic cards are covered with Satanic symbols, and feature black magic, casting spells on your opponent, and things like that. Young kids who get involved in Magic cards because of Pokemon (you can be sure the company wants them to get Magic cards once they outgrow Pokemon) frequently have no idea what all the stuff means, but will begin to associate Satanic symbols with postive (in their minds) things. Is this what we want youth (the future of our country) to think? Another thing that disturbs me is the ideas that Magic conveys through the game, like Satan having much more power than God." M.M., Ashford

"I think Pokemon should be banned from schools and not sold in stores because children are blowing money out of their parents' pockets. They're getting taken away from kids by the principals or the teachers and there goes the parents' money out the window. I think it's a stupid show and also stupid for kids buying these cards and then they could get stolen from kids who want the cards or they get taken away by teachers ... kids especially are trading for money and that's stupid." K.C., Preston

"Pokemon, like the Beanie Babies, will fade soon enough. Because adults could identify with collecting a stuffed animal, the beanie craze was ruined for the children who enjoyed them. But, with Pokemon, I don't think adults really get why it's such a phenomenon for the kids (I know I don't!) and I think that's why it's such a fun thing for them. I think a lot of the creatures are cute (Go Pikachu!) but where the show and/or the movie is concerned ... I can leave it! Where running out to Burger King and stores for all the latest merchandise is concerned ... I can -- and do -- leave it! My kids do have Pokemon cards, toys and cartoon videos ... and we did go see the movie. But I don't let it become a fanatical thing around the house. It IS harmless, and it IS a fad, and it WILL pass." Sue, Groton

"I don't mind Pokemon. I believe that it is better for children to be occupied with this than to have them grow up bored and eventually using drugs or alcohol because they have had nothing to do when they were children. However, I do believe that it gets out of hand sometimes when kids should be concentrating on their education." J.A.R., Seymour

"Pokemon IS banned in many school systems because of its disruptive nature. My wife, who is a teacher in whose school Pokemon is banned, bought my son some Pokemon sneakers. Go figure." D.W., Storrs

"I think that the Pokemon are basically the same thing as beanie babies, everyone loves them for a couple of months and then they are out of style as quick as they were in. So I say just let let the kids have their cards and play the game; in a couple weeks they will want a new fad that everyone else has." Jen, Branford

"I think Pokemon is a waste of time. They make the characters look so cute so little kids will get hooked on them. Some kids know more about Pokemon than anything in school. Where is it going to get you in life? Addicted to gambling? There are better things in life than Pokemon cards. And those Magic cards are even worse! What happened to Smurfs, Carebears, and Rainbow Brite? Kids used to love those! Pokemon: Harmless fun, YEAH RIGHT!" T.M., Ashford

"It is my belief that manufacturers take advantage of people's emotional fears and needs to make money -- this and other fads seem to be a manifestation of this ... commercialism at it`s worst." B.D., Gaylordsville

"I think that it is harmless and fun for the children. My son wants to collect all the stuff and I think it is OK. But I think the bad part is that in this day and age children with no morals will do anything to get them. That is sad. Makes a good thing bad." Sesran, Naugatuck

"I think Pokemon rule! I collect the cards, they're really cool. I have the most valued one, Charizard." Danielle, East Hartford

"Ok, OK, it's a harmess fad. Then why do I hate it? I have actually seen a few Pokemon TV shows (though not the movie.) In each of these, there was little or no "development" of characters or plot except a sort of mindless-threat and escape-from-threat. The "narrative" makes Road Runner and Jetsons and Tom 'n' Jerry read like Moby Dick. So: Pokemon has little redeeming value except as a purpose-made, almost factory-robot-made, "entertainment" vehicle to support spinoff "industries." J.P.S., Lyme

"I think the pokemon fad is just stupid. And no, it isn't harmless, because many kids have been getting into fights over trading these stupid cards! Now that's "not harmless playing!" At most schools they've been banned, but they should be banned from all schools because they interfere with learning and because kids can't handle not having a "#41 Pickachu card" if their friend does. What I'm trying to say is Pokemon is stupid and just something to raise money." D.M.B., Middletown

"Personally, my sister and myself collect the Pokemon cards and collectible dolls. We think of this as a fun unharmful fad! I have the Blue Version for the game for my Gameboy, it is totally outrageous, and I can't wait until the Silver and Gold Version come out in 2000! We hope POKEMON will stay around for a long time!" H.H. and R.H., Canterbury

"I think that these fads are caused by so much media attention. It would seem the media could focus on things that are much more important than the sale of a specific toy, or a certain movie or trading cards. The media alone can take the blame for kids and parents over reacting to the sale of Pokeman and Cabbage Patch Dolls, etc. People should learn to think for themselves and not follow others' examples. People have gone mad collecting and hoarding small stuffed toys (which most likely won't have any value down the road) because there have been so many manufactured to meet the demand. Perhaps there is a little bit of greed mixed in too. Everyone is looking for that one item that is going to be worth a $1,000,000 down the road." N.C.F., Lyme

"I think of Pokemon the same as I did; Beanie Babies, pet rock, Rubics cubes, CB radios, mood rings, and other such nonsense ... and that is to say, that I don't think of them at all unless someone else brings up the subject first. P.T. Barnum had it right ... "There's a sucker born every minute" ... and modern day parents are the world's biggest suckers." J.B., Naugatuck

"It's a kids' game, for crying out loud! All you complainers should dig out your old hula-hoops and get a life. Let the kids have fun." Jim, Milford

"Although it appears, just another fad in my seven-year-old's already crowded life, I wonder just how many more will be stuffed down her throat by the "merry mad marketers of America" who can and will sell anything. Unless you live in a bubble, we are all victims of them. Oh, how I miss my pet rock Bubba." Brian, Glastonbury

"It's amazing to me that so many people think it is a harmless fad and that corrupting values isn't a more popular response. When children become so greedy that they just have to have more and more of something or they will try to "take" (i.e., steal!) from someone else, this is a a corruption of basic moral values. As a society in America, what are we teaching our children to "value" Beanie Babies and Pokemon? Its not wrong to have material things, we are a fortunate society ... but we need to help children value nature, their self esteem, their health, and to give to others and be productive citizens.... not be obsessed with a stupid toy ... and it is a ridiculous no-value-added toy." N.C., No Town

"Pokemon is the worst thing that I have ever seen in my entire life." M.B., Wallingford

"A HARMLESS FAD?! A HARMLESS FAD??!! Pokemon is so not a harmless fad. Have you people heard about all the horrible stuff kids have been going through to get those STUPID cards? And the parents who help them? There was this one kid who hid in a furniture store and waited until it closed to steal the Pokemon cards then had to call 911 to get out of the store. Burger King promotes Pokemon and this one mother bought something like 500 of those kids meals because it came with a Pokemon toy. And one mother threw back the meal because it didn't have the toy her child wanted. And other incident that is not so funny .... children were playing Pokemon and a kid ran out into the street and got hit by a car. Children have been beating each other up to get Pokemon cards. This is no harmless fad, people ... this is beyond harmless fun, it's dangerous. I'm not blaming it on Pokemon, I am blaming it on the people who made it a sport to collect these things. Even Beanie Babies or Furbies or Tickle Me Elmos weren't this bad." A.D., Simsbury

"Davy Crockett hats ... Barbie dolls ... laser tag ... Pokeman ... We should get upset already?" No Name, Kent

"Once again, where are the parents? If they say no and don't give the child money, they they can't and won't have them. But for the most part, it's harmless fun like yoyos were in the '60s and '70s." G.L., Guilford

"This Pokemon is a copy of Tarot cards. Should children be led to this vice of witchcraft unknowingly? May God help us to open our eyes." Vernice, New Haven

"If I hear Pokemon one more time I'll go crazy. Who invented these stupid toys in the first place?" k2@24, Danielson

"It's another craze for the kids. I think that it is harmless fun. I wish that my daughter showed more interest in school than what she shows for her Pokemon cards. They were a good incentive for her to get 100s on her spelling tests. She would get a pack of cards if she did well on her tests. That worked!" K.J., Canterbury

"I am really concerned about the Pokemon craze children are experiencing. I do not have children, so it was not until I started researching children's gifts for a charity Christmas orginization that I had discovered the meaning behind these "cute" characters. The whole basis of this toy and cartoon is the capture of creatures for training as new-age gladiators. It is promoting an underlying theme of slavery. The children that this new craze is aimed at are too young to understand the underlying themes and parents on a whole that I have talked to are unaware of them. They are just seen as cute harmless creatures. Do we really want to promote the ideas of slavery and fighting as an acceptable form of recreation to our young? I think this current craze has dangerous themes and should be banned. There really isn't anything "cute" about it." D.H., Niantic

"I a student, do not like Pokemon. It should be banned from all schools. Did you hear the story on the news about a boy who stole some kid's Pokemon cards? Well if you didn't, its really awful. After stealing the Pokemon cards, he left school running across a street with many cars on it. He got it with a car and his cards went flying through the air. Meanwhile the students had been watching from the playground, and ran out towards the kid. However, the students picked up the Pokemon cards, instead of helping the kid who was hurt! Well anyway, they should go away soon, like all other fads do in society. Thank you." Dan Brand, Meriden