Citizens there is outrage over the ban on Cadbury’s in America!

It is worthy of a Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” episode because so many disbelieved what their own eyes were telling them.

Cadbury’s that symbol of nostalgia and home has been banned – by Hershey’s of all people.

Those chocolate-chomping charlatans at Hershey’s are fruit and nuts.

On the IrishCentral’s Facebook page yesterday over 1,400 people commented – almost all negatively – while over 55,200 shared on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Elsewhere, on Twitter, and in newspapers and on websites in Britain and Ireland people fulminated.

UNACCEPTABLE. It's not Cadbury's fault their chocolate is loads better. #boycottHershey #hersheychocolatenazis http://t.co/8ndfVSDSx0

— Annie McCafferty (@FiddleAnnie) January 25, 2015

Irish import stores banned from importing Cadbury’s into US (Hershey’s doesn’t like competition) http://t.co/bGOPr7Gyz9 @TheSuggmeister

— sir jester (@sirjester) January 25, 2015
For Irish and British ex-pats Cadbury’s chocolate is a wonderful guilty pleasure, always to be enjoyed, and a very fond reminder of home.

Cadbury’s forms part of every festive occasion, especially Easter and Christmas. A box of Irish Roses is an obligatory offer in every house at Santa time.

To go without is the equivalent of being anti-Christmas.

Recently medical science decided chocolate is good for you. It could not have come at a better time for us Cadbury chocoholics.

But now Hershey’s is throwing their corporate weight around, banning Cadbury’s from America.

The reason? They manufacture a vastly inferior version of Cadbury’s under license which any decent Brit or Irish person would never touch!

Hershey's is to Cadburys as the Toledo Mud Hens are to the New York Yankees or Duffy’s circus is to Disneyland – there is no comparison.

I feel sorry for the American who grew up not knowing what real chocolate was like. Instead they got the tin pan Pennsylvania valley Hershey version.

Cadbury’s is that single phenomenon along with Guinness and Tayto a product that means Ireland (or Britain) and home to hundreds of thousands of people.

When people in my office go back to Ireland on a visit they are firmly expected to return with a vast offering, usually a tin of Irish Roses or they will be very unpopular indeed.

Irish import stores practically survive on Cadbury’s candy. How many times have I slipped in for a Fruit & Nut bar or Irish Roses box? Let me count the times.

How about the Cadbury Easter eggs? They're a must buy for every expatriate.

But now it'll be like Easter without the bunny.

Now big bad Hershey's and their bland, tasteless chocolatiers have decided to play Big Brother.

Have you ever tasted Hershey's fake Cadbury’s? It has a sawdust quality mixed with glue. It is like eating green jello after strawberries and cream, spam after sirloin steak, Hamburger Helper after Shake Shack.

No doubt a black market in real Cadbury's will quickly spring up. I’m prepared to join the freedom trail if that is what it takes.

As Charlton Heston once remarked about guns they will have to pry that last box of Cadbury’s Irish Roses from my cold, dead hands before I will give it up.

No surrender is the cry!

Here’s a petition to sign.