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[Burger]

So today I got a job where I had to produce a rubylith for some screenprinting for a local gang here. They wanted their logo (a bulldog head wearing a helmet) screenprinted onto some sleeves and hoods. This ain't no small gang either, its a nationwide thing.

The existing artwork was too big, and it wasn't on record, so I scan in what I have, and proceed to clean it up.

It feels weird in the year 2004 that I have to redesign a symbol of such hatred and oppression, the Nazi Party logo, the Swastika.

Thats right, here I am, drawing up the Swastika which sits on the helmet this bulldog is wearing. Should I be offended ? I don't really know.

But here is the kicker...

Most people in this gang are black.

 

[XS+]

OK and?

 

[Nintendo Ate My Children]

Haha, I didn't know gangs had their own screenprinted T-shirts. That's so church group-y.

 

[way more]

That's not ironic, it's just unsettling.

 

[Burger]

What I mean is, Hitler didn't exactly like the black man. If you formed a Black gang, why would you have the swastika as part of your logo ?

 

[Ill Saint]

Yeah, that is pretty surreal.

 

[Nintendo Ate My Children]

Hitler was more concerned with Jews than blacks. Germany wasn't exactly overflowing with those of the African persuasion, so they didn't get much attention. Anyway, if this gang has any Nation of Islam connections, they'd be against Jews also. Didn't Louis Farrakhan once say something along the lines of it was too bad Hitler didn't get a chance to finish the job?

 

[IAmtheFMan]

Yeah, Hitler focused on the Jews but he had a great amount of disdain for Blacks too. In his propaganda reels, he uses the fact that the French had a large number of Black soldiers as fuel for his Aryan conquest, and the reels make hugely racist remarks about these soldiers. If Blacks had been as prevalent throughout most of Europe as the Jews were, you can bet that the number of them persecuted would be outrageously high.

 

[FightyF]

Well, you're sure it's the swastika? If it is, I agree, it's odd.

 

[BTMash]

I know there is a symbol very similar to the swastika in the hindu religion (except its reversed? I have absolutely no clue ) and that symbol is meant as a sign for auspiciousness. So who really knows...

 

[yoshifumi]

no no no that's not irony.

now rain on your wedding day, that's ironic.

 

[Alucard]

...or a free ride when you're already late.

 

[Matlock]

Or the good advice, you just didn't take.

 

[XS+]

Well, I can't find any websites on Google, but I have heard of biker gangs (from the east coast US) with black and hispanic members that use swastikas in thier insignia. It's not Nazi-related. A&E made a documentary of one of them several years ago.

 

[yoshifumi]

who would've thought...it figures

 

[Luscious LeftFoot]

Maybe they're just buddists and want everyone to see their dedication/faith

 

[Alucard]

Isn't it ironic?...Don't you think?

 

[Burger]

I apologise for my carefree use of the word irony.

Does anyone know what these gangs mean when they use the swastika then ?

 

[Nintendo Ate My Children]

Does anyone know what these gangs mean when they use the swastika then ?

They use it because it's controversial. Do you think gangbangers sit around and have scholarly discussions about possible negative publicity as a result of using the symbol of the German National Socialist Party, circa 1919-1945?

 

[White Man]

Actually, I know a few black nazi skins. I don't think they're that uncommon. More bizarre are the gay nazi skins. I'd assume that there's gay black nazi skins out there, too.

 

[NetMapel]

I know there is a symbol very similar to the swastika in the hindu religion (except its reversed? I have absolutely no clue ) and that symbol is meant as a sign for auspiciousness. So who really knows...

That's Buhddism.

 

[Fresh Prince]

No I'm fairly sure it occurs in hinduism. However it may have been carried onto Buddhism.
link

 

[Luscious LeftFoot]

It's used in Zen Buddism as well. I think it's a called a Manji...

 

[sefskillz]

Until the Nazis used this symbol, the swastika was used by many cultures throughout the past 3,000 years to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck.

If these gangs can start bringing this symbol back then hopefully someone can bring back the Hitler-stache. Men around the world are being robbed of a nice looking mustache because of the Hitlerness associated with it.

 

[Chopin Trusty Balls]

They use it because they think it looks Bad Ass,Evil and scary,not because they want to be gased.oh and because they are too dumb to connect these two things.

 

[Christoff Yurievich]

They use it because it's controversial. Do you think gangbangers sit around and have scholarly discussions about possible negative publicity as a result of using the symbol of the German National Socialist Party, circa 1919-1945?

:lol

I'd love to see that.

 

[Leon]

Irony was defined when I saw a pop-up advertising a pop-up blocker. I still stand by that definition.

 

[Drinky Crow]

The reversed swastika is a "crux gammata", and has been around far longer than the swastika. It's been a symbol of life and rebirth in many religions, including Buddhism and Rosicrucianism.