Patrick Henry also said, “Give me my Candy Raisins, or give me Death!”

I'm serious. He said that. Unfortunately none of that made it in HBO's miniseries, "John Adams", which I sort of review a couple posts down.

(the following was in-part taken from SavetheCandyRaisins.com)

Back to my post. Wisconsin's Candy Raisins are in danger of becoming extinct. And we need your help. NECCO (New England Confectionery Company), whose corporate headquarters is in Revere, MA, is the oldest multi-line candy company in the United States, dating back to the summer of 1847. Necco manufactures candy classics such as NECCO Wafers, Sweethearts Conversation Hearts, Mary Jane, Clark, Mighty Malts, Haviland Thin Mints, and Candy House Candy Buttons.

According to a recent article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Necco is closing the Stark Candy plant in Pewaukee, WI - and they are unsure if they will continue to manufacture these sweet little gems. I have no idea where else you can get Candy Raisins - they may have been indigenous to Wisconsin, I'm not sure. I grew up eating them. My mother and her siblings grew up eating them. My mother ships them to me in California. I can not live without my Candy Raisins.And I'll be damned if someone's gonna take my Candy Raisins away from me!

One of the funniest comments on the petition to get Necco to continue to manufacture Candy Raisins at their MA plant - "Even though I almost choked to death on candy raisins once, I still love 'em."

What exactly are Candy Raisins? They're this strange little nugget - a translucent, honey colored candy similar in shape to a jujube. They have the texture of Dots and a unique flavor. The best way to describe their flavor is a light ginger taste. Generally they're found in bulk candy stores and in the case of Wisconsin, some of the major grocery chains. You can even purchase them on Amazon.com.

Neccos may have retained their position in the candy world by virtue of their having been developed for the troops in World War I. Their selling point was that they stood up under the harshest conditions and didn't rot or break down.

Candy Raisins were originally manufactured by three companies: American Candy Company, the Ziegler Candy Company and the Haase Candy Company. Stark Candy Company began making its own version of the Candy Raisins in the early 1970s. Today, the Stark Candy Co. (part of NECCO) is the only company still manufacturing this juju candy. Stark trademarked the candy in 1976. Candy Raisins are a Midwest, and almost exclusively Milwaukee, thing.

So go to the Save the Candy Raisins site and sign the on-line petition to stop this madness. If not for yourself, for me, my family and the state of Wisconsin. We already lost our QB to retirement. Don't let them take our candy away.