Score: 8
"Interesting"
date: October 29, 2003
I am jewish too, and i like the way u presented that. It brought to light a whole new way that symbols and words take on new meanings as times change. Another example is the word "gay" and how it has changed in 50 years (while it still means the same thing, the default definition to occur to people is homosexual, whereas 50 years ago it was "happy"). In terms of your ultimate question, I believe I have an answer. Human drives are singular, but it depends how you guide them. For example, if you get angry you can either go murder someone (bad) or you can use it to write a wicked rock song or fight oppression (good). Or your sex drive, you can go out and have random unprotected sex with whoever u want (bad) or find a monogamous relationship and use it (as one of many parts) to strengthen the love between you and your partner, thereby fulfilling u both as human beings and making you more productive towards society (obviously, good). Same thing with other elements, for example fire, you can use it for destruction or, conversely, to heat your home in the winter or cook your food. Obviously my examples are crude and extreme, but the point should not be lost. The swastika, when it is used by the hindus, it is a symbol of good that their culture has been using for hundreds of years and is therefore unrelated to nazism. For the rest of the world whose main introduction to the swastika was by the nazis, then thats all they associate with it. A swastika is meaningless unless you know the connotation behind it. When skinheads spray paint swastikas on synagogues, they basically mean ("Die Jews"). If a Hindu who happened to be clueless about social norms spray painted one on a synagogue, then maybe he has jewish friends and he was just wishing them prosperity and long life. I, however, and most of the world, will continue to see swastikas as the representation of evil and hatred and racism (especially anti-semitism)_as long as I live.
