Swastika To Replace Red Cross - Cultural Diversity Training

[Wojo 98]

A lesson in cultural diversity for all, with a hint of warped humor.

 

I know this word congers up all sorts of emotions to Americans and Europeans. But in India, and other cultures it represents an entirely different element and not the one if represented for a brief period of time with Hitler and Nazism. When I was in the banking industry it was not uncommon to have savings passbooks and checking account books to have a swastika on it in certain neighborhoods. I remember having a branch flip out about this and contacted our office.

 

I came across this story as part of my daily SITREP as I am heading to India in early February. Recently there was a terrorist attack that injured dozens and killed an infant just shy of her 2nd birthday named, Swastika? Really, I'm thinking...okay, I have to click this thinking it was like those kooks that named their kid Adolf Hitler and wanted it on his birthday cake...rednecks. I've never heard used as a proper name before. Anyway, there was a link to this story about how several people in the medical community are proposing to switch from the Red Cross to the Indian / Hindu version of the swastika symbol.

 

Here comes the humor part, could you imagine, if this story ran on our nightly news? "The Swastika, a powerful symbol that has been in use for nearly 3000 years. The symbol is used to represent life, strength and good luck.Even the Nazis used it. But the symbol may soon have a new meaning, if some doctors in Bhopal have their way.

 

"...With a live report here is....

 

What would the ACLU, JDL, or other groups do? Who would they sue? The fallout would be endless, but nonetheless would provide a lively discussion about the First Amendment to say the least.

 

Swastika versus Red Cross

[vladtepes 1,060]

I think that anyone who might get offended should be easily able to identify the difference between the symbol used by Nazi Germany, and the symbol you are referencing.. while the look similar.. they are distinctly different..

[bbk 188]

I could definitely understand why people might be shocked/appalled if they saw the symbol emblazoned on a building. But go anywhere beyond the countries of the West, and the symbol is everywhere-- notably in Asian countries; spanning from India to parts of South East Asia, and prominently East Asia.

 

I remember on one of my trips to South Korea when I was 10 or so, and my familywas doing the tourist thing-- so we had one of hose cultural maps of Seoul. Even at 10 I knew what WWII was and Nazis (I read a lot, and my culture doesn't shy away from things like war). All I saw were evil Nazi symbols scattered around the map, and, at the actual sites, were flags being flown with the evil signs! But as noted, I didn't realize it was such a common symbol used by certain belief systems for thousands of years-- that had recieved such a bad rap because of the Nazis.

 

The same could be applied to how facist Italy tarnished the ancient fasces symbol (I might have butchered that spelling) first used by the ancient Romans.

[kenw 293]

I'm personally divided on this.

 

Intellectually, I want to say that it doesn't really bother me. The swastika, as purely a graphic element, far predates the the horrific events that occurred under it in recent history. As such, it shouldn't really disturb me that it's making a new appearance in an entirely different context.

 

But it does. Viscerally, I find the display of it abhorrent, and I would rather see any other symbol being used in its place. I lost a large chunk of my family in events that took place under that banner and what it stood for for that short period of history, and the vision of it brings a tear to my eye, not only for what it means to me personally, but for the fact that the atrocities that took place in its name put a permanent and indelible scar on the history of mankind, and caused unimaginable losses to an entire generation of humanity.

 

I vote no.

[tbtrout 141]

The same can be said for all symbols that were on the side of Victory/Slaughter. Depends on your side and interpretation.

 

I was interested in where this would go and so far I am not dissapointed. The people I thought would respond did and in the intelectual manner I expected. Personal and reasoned. Well done

[Radek 73]

The Indian Swastika is depicted in various beautiful forms during Diwali (festival of lights) and many auspicious occasions throughout India. It's been used as a symbol of all that's good, referenced in epics such as Mahabharata and Ramayana, as well as Vedic writings, dating back over 4000 years, well before western civilization existed. I am not a particularly religious person, but looking at the swastika brings forth peaceful thoughts to me, similar to being in a temple with the quiet and cold stones on the floor ...

 

Here is an example.

[tbtrout 141]

Hitler knew the Swastikas meaning and used it because of that. He used a lot of Ethnic and religous symbols to make people feel more comfortable and bring them into his camp. Germanic pride, Aryan superiority( which is Ironic when you learn about where Aryans came from). Then unfortunately the rest is history.

As I wrote, this is a very sensative subject. Keep it respectful

[Old School 611]

We all respond to graphic stimuli in different ways based on our schema. My dad a WWII vet none Jew would react differently than I would. It's all the cumulitive experiances that make us "us". Me personally, it's crescent shaped magazines. I guess it's just the "if they're carrying a weapon with a crescent shaped magazine, drop them" mentality.

 

Just a rant!

[Radek 73]

We all respond to graphic stimuli in different ways based on our schema. My dad a WWII vet none Jew would react differently than I would. It's all the cumulitive experiances that make us "us". Me personally, it's crescent shaped magazines. I guess it's just the "if they're carrying a weapon with a crescent shaped magazine, drop them" mentality.

 

Just a rant!

 

Crescent shaped mags ... is that referring to AK mags or something else in particular?. Mags are mags, (and you know guns don't kill people ...), but a vision of something sinister is all in the mind of person/group anyway. Generalizations of that sort bother me.