聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The power of an image is an astounding thing that people create and perpetuate.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In example, the swastika, when most people think of this symbol their minds automatically jump to one of the most hated men in the world, Adolf Hitler. We think of Nazis, death camps, gas chambers, and genocide. That is, in the modern western world.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The swastika actually has a history dating back 12,000 years. It spanned cultures and continents before Hitler and the Nazis ever used it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 It is an important symbol for Hindus and Buddhists, while it was used in Ancient Greece, as well as by Druids and Celts. Remnants of it can be found with Nordic tribes and early Christians. The symbol was also used by Mayans and Navajos in the Americas. It was a symbol that spanned the world and survived the centuries.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The word, swastika, itself is Sanskrit and means 鈥淕ood Existence,鈥� 鈥淕ood Luck,鈥� or 鈥淲ell Being.鈥� A Sanskrit scholar from 1979 said that the word is deeper, meaning 鈥淧ermanent Victory鈥� and comes with positive and negative connotations depending on how it is drawn. A right-hand swastika symbolizes the god Vishnu and the sun, while a left-hand swastika points to the destructive goddess Kali and magic.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Buddhists believe the symbol to mean good fortune and prosperity. It is in fact related to the Buddha.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So the same symbol that we associate with Nazism is seen as something completely different to others around the world.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I find it quite interesting how people give symbols meaning and power because although the swastika was once a positive symbol, and still is to some like Buddhists and Hindus, it has been perverted through use by the Nazis.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Currently a dialogue has opened about the Confederate Flag. Since this flag was used by the south in the American Civil War it has come to represent slavery, while others see it as a symbol of the south of being 鈥淩edneck鈥� and associate it with the Dukes of Hazzard.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Though dialogue was evident regarding the flag in the past, it has been brought into the forefront of thought after nine churchgoers were killed and one was injured on June 17 in Charleston, 麻豆视频 Carolina.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The individual charged in the matter had photos of himself with icons associated with white supremacy and it was a photo of him with a Confederate flag that sparked a debate surrounding the modern display of the flag, which resulted in the removal of the flag at the 麻豆视频 Carolina State House grounds in Columbia.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There had been a national survey conducted in 2015 which resulted in 57 percent of Americans seeing the flag as representing 麻豆视频ern pride, while a poll based in the southern states only saw a split. 75 percent of white Americans in the 麻豆视频 saw the flag as symbolizing 麻豆视频ern pride, while 75 percent of African Americans said the flag represented racism.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So, a symbol can be used in multiple ways and seen in different lights. In the modern world we are extremely concerned with offending people who were wronged in history which is why the flag is being removed, because it does have a legacy associated with racism; however, I can see how different meanings are attributed by different people to the same symbol, it鈥檚 historically proven with the swastika.
