Confederate Memorial

[OC Richard]

The true significance of the CS Battle Flag was allowed to be corrupted by supremacist groups...

Yes it sure happens sometimes: a group with a political agenda will highjack a long-established symbol, and it becomes impossible for people to see back in time past the current political meaning.

There's a building in Redlands California that has a huge swastika moulded into the plaster at the top of the front of the building. This has been hidden by putting a sign over it. The swastika is original to the building, which was built c1890. Of course this swastika has absolutely nothing to do with Nazism but is an ancient Native American symbol and was often used on rugs etc.

Hawai'i was the "rainbow state" and used the rainbow as a state symbol long before it aquired its current political meaning. The rainbow was used on Hawai'ian car licence plates, on shirts, etc etc. A gay coworker of mine returned once from a vacation in Hawai'i. He was showing us his vacation snapshots, one of which was him and his partner posing in front of a helicopter which was painted in rainbow hues and had the words "Rainbow Tours" painted on it. He said something like "it was so cool, a gay helicopter!"

The answer to the Confedate Battle Flag problem is to use the Stars and Bars instead! It was the original flag anyway, and nobody associates it with anything.

[macwilkin]

Yes it sure happens sometimes: a group with a political agenda will highjack a long-established symbol, and it becomes impossible for people to see back in time past the current political meaning.

There's a building in Redlands California that has a huge swastika moulded into the plaster at the top of the front of the building. This has been hidden by putting a sign over it. The swastika is original to the building, which was built c1890. Of course this swastika has absolutely nothing to do with Nazism but is an ancient Native American symbol and was often used on rugs etc.

Hawai'i was the "rainbow state" and used the rainbow as a state symbol long before it aquired its current political meaning. The rainbow was used on Hawai'ian car licence plates, on shirts, etc etc. A gay coworker of mine returned once from a vacation in Hawai'i. He was showing us his vacation snapshots, one of which was him and his partner posing in front of a helicopter which was painted in rainbow hues and had the words "Rainbow Tours" painted on it. He said something like "it was so cool, a gay helicopter!"

The answer to the Confedate Battle Flag problem is to use the Stars and Bars instead! It was the original flag anyway, and nobody associates it with anything.

To further Richard's comments, copies of the works of Rudyard Kipling always contained a swastika, as the ancient symbol may also be found throughout India, where Kipling was born.

The Finnish Air Force also used an inverted swastika as a roundel on its aircraft during the Russo-Finnish & Continuation Wars (1939-40, 1941-44) against the Soviet Union.

And props to Richard for actually knowing that "The Stars & Bars" is NOT the Battle flag. We used to deal with that misconception on a daily basis.

T.

[jForrester]

Yes it sure happens sometimes: a group with a political agenda will highjack a long-established symbol, and it becomes impossible for people to see back in time past the current political meaning.

There's a building in Redlands California that has a huge swastika moulded into the plaster at the top of the front of the building. This has been hidden by putting a sign over it. The swastika is original to the building, which was built c1890. Of course this swastika has absolutely nothing to do with Nazism but is an ancient Native American symbol and was often used on rugs etc.

.......

On a cross-country trip with my son, we were delighted by the Kimo Theater in Alberquerque. Absolutely amazing, beautiful decorations inside, (Pueblo Art Deco) including many swastikas. They educate people on the original meaning of the symbol and keep it on display. Good for them!!

The answer to the Confedate Battle Flag problem is to use the Stars and Bars instead! It was the original flag anyway, and nobody associates it with anything.

Well, that's one answer, and I fly the Stars and Bars. But it has been hijacked by Georgia for their state flag!

However, in my opinion if it were to become widely used, it would be derided as well, as their beef is not with the flag, but with the country.

[cavscout]

That is the solution that we in Georgia have come to ( sorry Forrester ). It didn't satisfy everyone but as the old saying goes, you can't please everyone.

[macwilkin]

On a cross-country trip with my son, we were delighted by the Kimo Theater in Alberquerque. Absolutely amazing, beautiful decorations inside, (Pueblo Art Deco) including many swastikas. They educate people on the original meaning of the symbol and keep it on display. Good for them!!

You'll also find pre-WWII examples of its use by the 45th Infantry Division, made up mostly of Oklahoma NG units -- the "Thunderbirds" wore it on their shoulder patches until 1939 when it was replaced by a Thunderbird, for obvious reasons.

T.

[jForrester]

That is the solution that we in Georgia have come to ( sorry Forrester ). It didn't satisfy everyone but as the old saying goes, you can't please everyone.

Oh, I know. But my CSA yacht flag (the Stars and Bars with a fouled anchor within the circle of stars), is now often mistaken for a Georgia flag. (Even though it predates the current Georgia flag by several years.)

[cavscout]

LOL Oh, and my statement about "pleasing everyone" wasn't directed at your post, it was referring to the extremes on both sides who weren't pleased with the compromise.

[jForrester]

LOL Oh, and my statement about "pleasing everyone" wasn't directed at your post, it was referring to the extremes on both sides who weren't pleased with the compromise.

Isn't that what a compromise is? A solution designed to equally displease the extremists on both sides.

[Lallans]

1: Swastika trivia. It is indeed an ancient Indian symbol of goodness and was adopted via Buddhism all over Asia. To this day, Buddha images arriving in Canada from the Chinese mainland typically have a swastika on them, to the dismay of almost everyone who sees one for the first time.

Stars and Bars: even with Google, I'm not able to tell what the difference is between that and the Confederate Battle Flag: please enlighten. But I was rather started to see the crossed starry bars image used on the silks of a jockey in the recent annual running of the Queen's Plate thoroughbred race here. The name of the horse was I believe Starry Night, which fit the image, but it was amazing that the PC police didn't make an hysterical arrest before the race even started. The horse lost and was not seen again so it may of course have happened afterwards.

[Lallans]

Oh, I know. But my CSA yacht flag (the Stars and Bars with a fouled anchor within the circle of stars), is now often mistaken for a Georgia flag. (Even though it predates the current Georgia flag by several years.)

Cousin Forrester,

Is that you with the SC Colour Guard for the CSS Hunley ceremony as seen on the Forrester Family website?