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Offensive Emblems On Equipment
I was readiung Statter911 abut Emont FD of NY. There were issues with a confederate flag in the firehouse and on the emblem. As an African American I do find this offensive. Someone commented that Chapel Oaks an African American Fire company has a black panther as a "mascot" Now to me one is offensive and one is not. Looking at Chapel Oaks Website (they are my companies sister company) using the animal as opposed to a Huey Newton Black Panther is totally different. Just like companies use, owls, bulldogs, alligators, chickens...okay you get the point. I would be the first, maybe the second to say the Huey Newton Black power first would be a wrong emblem, cool but wrong. They want to be called the rebels but to me there are hundreds of images that denote rebelishness without denoting slavery.
We had debated in adding a green strip to out black over red engines. for you whipper snappers red, black & green was used to show black unity on flags in the 60's and 70's. The problem was that while we are considered a "black" fire company (even though we've always been intergrated) we wanted to be known as a fire company, period.
My question to the gallery is, what do you consider offensive.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by joemac on
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I don't find much of anything offensive, but maybe that's because I've learned to be tolerant.
I do, however, see lots of things that I find to be embarrassing.
Firefighting/rescue/EMS apparel and equipment should be unadorned, except for symbols that are tied to that organization. We're supposed to be professionals. You want to dress up something with stickers? Put them on your car, where you can embarrass yourself without marring the perception the public has of your department.
My opinion. Your mileage may vary.
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Permalink Reply by Shawn Bottomley on
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lets see............ grow up people, comes right down to it........ were all the same.
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Permalink Reply by ROOKIELZ on
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For the life of me, I have no idea why there should be slogans, cariactures, any flag other than the state and country's flag on any fire equipment, gear or in station. This stuff seldom belongs to an individual. It belongs to the taxpayer. Trying to come up with something that absolutely will not offend any one taxpayer will be like herding cats. It simply isn't up to any fire organization or individual to "dress up" or use to exhibit their mottos or pride.
There are some folks that are offended if you look them in the eye, and others that are offended if you do not look them in the eye. Some people enjoy being offended because then they have something to get all huffed up about.
Just do the job and try to further your skills each day.
End of story.
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Permalink Reply by Chief72 on
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why is everybody so thin skinned? company logo's and tat's are next. James Dean, was a Rebel without a Cause. By todays thinking, maybe we should boycot the movie. If your house is on fire, you wouldt'nt care if they showed up wearing pink underwear! Next, somebody will be offended by the use of the maltez cross on fire vehicles and station, because of their non regilious beliefs. maybe Iam not cool or wrong..
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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on
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I agree completely Craig.
If everyone had the common sense to abide by the above list, I'm sure we'd see a huge reduction in the amount of law suits out there!
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Permalink Reply by Robert Owens on
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The problem is that everyone is different on what they find offensive....Some dont like the confederate flag....I dont like the Canadian flag (just an example got nothing against Canada)
So either people have to suck it up and stop being so sensative....or we have to go away from anything personlized on our rigs, and equipment...I do not think anyone wants that.
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Permalink Reply by Jack/dt on
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The canadian flag? Really, you're comparing not liking canada's flag with someone not liking the confederate flag?
The confederate flag is historically linked to slavery and oppression of blacks. And you think simply not liking a flag (e.g. canada's) is no different than not liking the confederate flag? More and more you come off (to me anyway) at best as a secessionist sympathizer and at worst, some kind of white supremest.
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Robert,
That's ridiculous! Surely you could have found a better example than the Canadian flag.
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Permalink Reply by John Crabbe on
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I have no idea why there should be slogans, cariactures, any flag other than the state and country's flag on any fire equipment, gear or in station. This stuff seldom belongs to an individual. It belongs to the taxpayer. Trying to come up with something that absolutely will not offend any one taxpayer will be like herding cats. It simply isn't up to any fire organization or individual to "dress up" or use to exhibit their mottos or pride
Have to disagree there. While the taxpayer may actually "own" the equipment, seldom are they doing anything to operate or take care of said equipment, so there is a sense of pride and ownership by those who do take care of said stuff. After all there are countless cariactures, slogans, symbols and so forth in any number of military units. Yep, even them foreign militaries, I've seen such symbols of ownership all over the place, there really is nothing wrong with doing so.
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Permalink Reply by Vincent Phang on
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The Confederate flag was the standard for the secessionist south. I take no issue with that. I am willing to take it and put it on anything as a symbol of a proud heritage, that is, if it was just a standard used by a part of this nation in a struggle to define itself. However, for that cause it was not totally. The South seceded over the issue of slavery. In that regard, I will stand with my African-American brothers and sisters in condemning the use of that symbol for any purpose. The South had lost; slavery had been terminated; let the Dixie flag rest in it infamy in history; it does not have a place in a slave-free world. The swastika, on the other hand, had been a Buddhist symbol a lot of centuries before a hatemonger bastardized it when he had no reason to do so.
That being said, unfortunately, our world will not be free from individuals seeking to destroy the good in it. Long before the United States was even conceived, the Cross and the Bible existed in a large part to serve God's Love. In a very small part of history, they were used to persecute. The Bible and the Cross and prayers have been a part of the American scene from the beginning. Now we have disgruntled groups challenging the presence of The Ten Commandments on public displays. Who knows! Tomorrow Mickey Mouse may be decried as a symbol of a corrupt society!!!
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Permalink Reply by Jessi Ann Montgomery on
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not meaning to be rude.....but to me, the confederate flag brings a sense of pride to me......not because of its original meaning......but because of the high school that i graduated from......The Central Rebels.....everyone proudly flew a Confederate Flag to support our school since that was our school flag and our mascot was a little rebel man who oddly resembled Colonel Sanders......no one around our community found it offensive...and may i mention that we did have quite a few African American families that attended the school district.....im not saying your wrong in your beliefs because your not......everything to everyone means something different......its just the perception of the community or in this case, the department.........i know of a department that flies the Jolly Rodger flag along with the American flag from the back of the pumper
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