# Time to rehabilitate the swastika, loons proclaim **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 25, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248 "2012-06-25T15:01:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/1 "2012-06-25T15:01:48Z")
[Lotsa weirdos out there.](http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/160197205.html) ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/2 "2012-06-25T15:06:55Z")
I was going to say merely wanting our cultural symbol which stretches back thousands of years out of the purview of the Nazis isn’t loony, but then I read the article. Ayup. Lots of crazy people out there. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/3 "2012-06-25T15:12:01Z")
There are places in the world where the Swastika did not fall out of usage. Mostly the cultures it was hijacked from. When you visit those places, and see the symbol, (or it’s cousin), carved into a centuries out temple, things suddenly snap back into perspective, in a way, I guess. I don’t believe the ‘taint’ should last forever. Hope that doesn’t make me a loony! ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/4 "2012-06-25T15:20:24Z")
Oh, those Raelians. Do they think the aliens invented the swastika or something? O\_o ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/5 "2012-06-25T15:22:36Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Mostly the cultures it was hijacked from. We’d have to ask Snooki to be sure, but I don’t think it’s a traditional symbol of the Jersey Shore. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/6 "2012-06-25T15:25:22Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > There are places in the world where the Swastika did not fall out of usage. Mostly the cultures it was hijacked from. When you visit those places, and see the symbol, (or it’s cousin), carved into a centuries out temple, things suddenly snap back into perspective… You may not have to go far or peer deeply into the past - if you have any Buddhist or Hindu communities in your area, you’ll get used to seeing swastkas on grocery store shelves and restaurant menus pretty quickly. Heck, to me, the primary association I have with swastikas in day-to-day life is “vegetarian-friendly.” ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/7 "2012-06-25T15:27:38Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Heck, to me, the primary association I have with swastikas in day-to-day life is “vegetarian-friendly.” You know _who else_ was vegetarian?\* 😉 \*I’m not making any claim he was _friendly_, mind you. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/8 "2012-06-25T15:29:33Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I was going to say merely wanting our cultural symbol which stretches back thousands of years out of the purview of the Nazis isn’t loony, but then I read the article. > > Ayup. Lots of crazy people out there. This except I would have said a cultural symbol not our 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/9 "2012-06-25T15:48:53Z")
I wonder if Hitler was just misunderstood. Maybe he was blaming everything on the _juice_. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/10 "2012-06-25T15:53:50Z")
I think the Raelian’s might want to work on their public outreach. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/11 "2012-06-25T16:08:46Z")
Wow… I mean, yeah, people who have a good reason to use the swastika shouldn’t necessarily be put off by Hitler, it would be a shame if he permanently appropriated it. But flying a swastika just to fly a swastika is still incredibly offensive. And it was a very nazi swastika – if you want to start rehabilitating, try starting with something more like an abstract design, a rainbow of flowers in a vaguely pinwheel shape on a red and gold background or something, not a white-on-black iron-cross-like design 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/12 "2012-06-25T16:18:13Z")
[Raelians](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raelians), they mad. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/13 "2012-06-25T17:11:13Z")
One of my aunts (born around 1910) had some planter pots in her backyard that had swastikas on them. Freaked me out as a kid in the 70s and 80s. Did I mention that side of the family is Jewish? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/14 "2012-06-25T17:23:57Z")
**This** is why gun control is bad. The whole thing would be a moot point if we were allowed to have [appropriate weaponry](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Gepard_1a2_overview.jpg/330px-Gepard_1a2_overview.jpg). Lousy liberals… ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/15 "2012-06-25T18:21:39Z")
“It Girl” Clara Bow agrees! [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/\_G\_PFpPtO6og/TKFboKhZCGI/AAAAAAAAAec/7HbUkUGe3io/s1600/Annex%2520-%2520Bow,%2520Clara\_42.jpg](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G_PFpPtO6og/TKFboKhZCGI/AAAAAAAAAec/7HbUkUGe3io/s1600/Annex%2520-%2520Bow,%2520Clara_42.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/16 "2012-06-25T18:45:30Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > “It Girl” Clara Bow agrees! [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/\_G\_PFpPtO6og/TKFboKhZCGI/AAAAAAAAAec/7HbUkUGe3io/s1600/Annex%2520-%2520Bow,%2520Clara\_42.jpg](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_G_PFpPtO6og/TKFboKhZCGI/AAAAAAAAAec/7HbUkUGe3io/s1600/Annex%2520-%2520Bow,%2520Clara_42.jpg) Can you tell us anything about the context of this photo? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/17 "2012-06-25T19:32:40Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I wonder if Hitler was just misunderstood. Maybe he was blaming everything on the _juice_. Hey now, Hitler wasn’t all bad. After all, he _did_ kill Hitler. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/18 "2012-06-25T19:36:19Z")
I recall seeing the palace doors (of the last Nepali king) decorated with swastikas. The Hull, MA city hall had a tile floor with swastikas (they were discovered when the old floors were stripped and cleaned) The swastika is a very old symbol, predating the Nazis by thousands of years. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/19 "2012-06-25T19:44:42Z")
I think the only way to rehabilitate the swastika is to let this civilization die off and let some new species rise and use it for some other purpose. Don’t need no stinking aliens. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248/20 "2012-06-25T19:52:47Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Can you tell us anything about the context of this photo? It was taken ca. 1926, before the Nazis co-opted the symbol. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-to-rehabilitate-the-swastika-loons-proclaim/626248.md?page=2)