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Tok3n- t1_je5ubyo wrote

Reply to comment by Interesting_Pudding9 in Dammit! by absolute_panic

No, it’s not time to stop. There’s no hateful intent there. It’s a game for kids. If white supremacists started using the peace sign, or sign language, would we have to stop that too? What if they started saying “love” as a hate word, should I stop telling my family that I love them? No…that’s just foolishness and fear mongering.

So long as you’re not acting like a racist shitbag and your intentions are good, you shouldn’t change your behavior. Some little group’s idea of what hate gestures are will corrupt everything and everyone if you let them win.

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Gobiego t1_je64zjt wrote

Not only that, but it was a 4chan troll job that some folks looking for boogie men latched onto. The freaking circle game hand signal has NOTHING to do with anything else, despite how desperately some folks cling to that myth. 4chan trolls are the best trolls.

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Tok3n- t1_je67dja wrote

Thanks, that’s really good to know.

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Interesting_Pudding9 t1_je5v3h4 wrote

There's the way the world should be, and there's the way the world is. Yeah, it should work the way you want it to, but it doesn't. Believe it or not, if one of the first impressions people have about you is the possibility that you're a white supremacist, it's going to negatively impact your life.

It's why I don't fly the Canadian flag anymore. Because ignorant assholes have turned it into a symbol of ignorance, so if I fly it, that will be people's first thought. Sure, if they talked to me and got to know me they would see that I'm not an ignorant asshole, but far more people are going to see the flag than actually get to know me.

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Tok3n- t1_je63dpj wrote

I personally respect your patriotism and love for your wonderful country 🇨🇦 (I’m not Canadian, but there’s a lot to love there). The people of Canada should not be afraid to fly their own flag.

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LeTouatteRatte t1_je5ux3c wrote

Under that logic, swastikas are ok for you?

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Tok3n- t1_je5v7vr wrote

They use them in movies and history books frequently. Their intent is not to spread hate, it’s to teach anti-hate. Yes, they are okay when their intentions are not racist.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to elaborate further. I hope that clears it up.

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LeTouatteRatte t1_je5vynt wrote

I mean as a religious symbol. It was a religious symbol before it got appropriated by the nazis.

I believe a significant amount of people would find it unbearable if that sign were to be displayed on the streets.

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Tok3n- t1_je5zlxu wrote

Yes, it is okay and is still used as a religious symbol. My mother in law follows Buddhism and some of her statues have the symbol on it. She doesn’t eat meat, doesn’t kill bugs (intentionally), believes in non violence and watches pbs kids and other family friendly shows. Like this picture though, the angle on her statues are not the same and there is no hate intended in her prayers.

Edit: Part two to your post: If it was turned from a symbol of peace to a symbol of hate, in time it could return to a symbol of peace again if people chose to believe in it. For now they see it as a symbol of hate, and that’s completely understandable.

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