I think it was last week that the class briefly got into a discussion about the swastika symbol that's found on the Buddha's body. Unfortunately, the symbol (though slightly altered) also represent the Nazis. What a contrast, isn't it?
Well something kinda funny happen to me concerning this symbol. Back in the 5th grade, I wore a necklace with this symbol on it everyday. However, it would always be tuck behind my shirt because the purpose of wearing it isn't to show off but to ward off evil spirits (it's an Asian thing). One day, it somehow crawled above its protective shield and revealed itself without my knowledge. Then all of a sudden, my teacher told me to step outside of the class for a bit. He told me that he's a vet from WWII and asked if I knew what this symbol means? I told him it just represents the Buddha. At the time, I had no idea what is the significance with WWII and this symbol. When I knew, I told my parents that I don't want to wear it anymore.
Symbols...they're more powerful than people think.
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Not to keep talking about the unfortunate confusion of the swastika and the Buddhist symbol, but I heard an interesting and related story on N.P.R. Saturday. It seems the stain and shame of Nazism is still so pervasive in Germany today that anything even remotely related to that tragic chapter of history is, rightfully, banned.
ReplyDeleteA coffee company advertising in Germany launched an ad campaign around the slogan "To each his own". The ads were quickly squelched and the company forced to collect all material with the offending phrase on it.
The reason this was so offensive? A concentration camp in eastern europe displayed a sign at the entrance which read "To each his own".
I find it amazing how wide, deep and indelible a bad connotation can be. Granted, the evils of Nazism remain to be just about the most horrible the world has ever known, it shows just how powerful graphic media is. Something to think about as aspiring graphic artists.