Sad to see a kilt there

[bubba]

I guess I never paid much attention to the nutcases over there. Probably because we have such an abundence of morons and loons here blocking the view.

[bear]

I have found that if one takes a look at the true basis of all of the major religions, one will find that compassion at the centre.

It is another travisty that the nazi's took the Buddhist symbol and used for their evil deeds.

Casey

And they took the Olympic salute and turned it into the Nazi salute.
I'd like to see Buddhists and the Olympics take back what is theirs and use them again. It will erase the power that the skinheads give the symbols.
(What skinhead wants to give the Olympic salute or wear the Buddhist symbol. Imagine the skinheads with tattoos! Hah!)

[macwilkin]

The Swastika is found not only in Bhuddism, but also in India & Hinduism, as well as in othe cultures, including the First Nations in North America.

The Finnish Air Force had a blue swastika (facing backwards) as a roundel on their planes during the Winter War of 1939-40. What a story! Read William Trotter's "A Frozen Hell" to learn that story...

T.

[Raphael]

Unfortunately when Evil adapted an innocent symbol, that symbol will forever associate with it.

[bear]

Unfortunately when Evil adapted an innocent symbol, that symbol will forever associate with it.

Sorry mate,
I disagree with that. If it can be turned to evil, it can be turned to good.

Just look at Darth Vader!

[Raphael]

Bear, I thought that Customers are always right?

[zeytoun]

Not to be controversial, but I think that when we try to villainize people for their crimes, we just give their cause more mystery, romance, and fuel for resentment. The Nazi power did horrible things that we've all seen the pictures of, and those actions shouldn't be condoned, minimized, or forgotten. So have a lot of other governments, to greater and lesser degrees. But we feel free to discuss other governments rationally and openly, while with the Nazi party, we limit ourselves to speaking only in terms of negative pejoratives, often out of fear. I'm not a Nazi supporter or sympathizer, but I think that that fear is dangerous. I've talked with German WWII veterans (and by extension, members of the Nazi party during WWII), and I think a lot of them were just trying to serve their country and feed their families, and didn't want to think about any of the possible wrongs of their government. Much like a lot of good men that have fought for many other countries, even my own. I know that Neo-Nazis are a different group, who actively support the worst ideals of the Nazi party, but I try to keep the other men in mind too when I talk about the Nazi party.

It's our human nature when someone does something disturbing, to try to distance ourselves from that person, often by saying they were crazy or evil. Truth be told, we probably aren't that different deep down. And that's scary for some.

And I think you can bring positive meaning back to misused symbols with time. Otherwise, there's no hope for any of our symbols; all of them will or have been sullied at some time or another. Even Darth Vader.

[shillelaghbruises]

The Swastika is found not only in Bhuddism, but also in India & Hinduism, as well as in othe cultures, including the First Nations in North America.

Hitler actually took the Swastika from ancient Norse/Germanic religion where it is a symbol of Thor's hammer spinning. He perverted a lot of pagan myths and ideas and used them as symbols of the greatness of Germany to turn people away from Christianity so they would devote themselves entirely to Germany and Hitler himself.



Also, I know I've said this before, but it's a minority of skinheads that are Nazis. There are Socialist skins (RASH skins)and others with radical political beliefs, but most skinheads don't care about politics at all. It's really just a music scene (Oi! music) that came out of the working class of England and later America. I bought Doc Martens because of their skinhead associations and I wear them proudly (I'm not a skin buat I love skin music), in fact the quote in my signature is from an English Oi! band (the Cockney Rejects). Actually, there's an organization called SHARP: Skinheads against racial prejudice created to promote a more correct view of skinheads. So just in the future, remember skinhead does not equal Nazi.

[bubba]

Bobby, I can accept that. After all, at one time if you had long hair everybody called you a hippie, which was a strange thing to call some of us that were combat veterans.