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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 Russ on
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strongly agree! PC has been used as a weapon to destroy people or support a clearly prepostrous subject which sometimes at its core allways ends up being some kind of personal reason. If somone is "hate speeaching" thats one thing (first admendmant). But speech directed to a person or group that includes a call or intention to do harm directly or indirectly shouldnt be protected. PC has been warped to suit the occasion. if someone dosent like whats being said...the PC flag gets raised. Look at colleges, some have speech codes and a student could (and has) been thrown out for PC violations. i am personally offended that "opinion speech" gets the PC flag thrown. accept that people have their own opinions (which they are entitled to have) and thats that. if you dont like it, walk away
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Mike, I have been through four big changes in my life: Colored, Negro, Black, now i'm african american. funny that the last one finally cited that i'm an "american". i wonder whats gonna be next?
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you have to remember nate that the confererate flag has been co-opted by racists and thats something that the southern heratage folks are gonna have a tough time distancing themselves from. nobody wants to remember that blacks fought for the confederacy with the promise of freedom in some cases. they just see the symbols.
the best way to put this matter to rest is for the heratage folks to continiously distance themselves from those that co-opt THEIR symbol(s)
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Permalink Reply by David Earl Gregory on
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As has been said already, EVERYBODY these days is looking for something to be offended by. There are three and ONLY three separate and distinct races on this planet. Negroid, Caucazoid, and Mongoloid, period. All these newly created racial divisions are BS to say the least, as well the recently invented ethnic divisions here in America. All the hyphenated American crap is a load of BS perpetrated and foisted upon us all to keep the tensions stirred up. Whether your skin is darker than mine or your so-called native language is different than mine, if you were born in this country, you're an AMERICAN. No hyphen, no this or that, simply an American. If you've immigrated here from another nation and have applied for and received your citizenship, you're now an AMERICAN.
Under our Constitution, ALL persons, regardless or where you came from, are supposed to have equal treatment under the law. Notice I said "supposed to" there. Everyday I see and hear about Latino this, Black or African-American that and I'm supposed to be all fine and well with that, because I was born white. I don't see a United WHITE College Fund, National Association for the Advancement of WHITE People, WHITE History Month, etc. ad nauseum, but I DO see that for some. Exactly "who" is being divisive here and "who" perpetuates it at every opportunity they can find? Everyone screams for acceptance and equality but honestly folks, I damn sure don't see it in your actions, ALL races! As a man I greatly admire once said, "What you DO speaks so loud, I can't HEAR what you're saying." Much wisdom in that sentence.
Now, me personally, I don't give a rat's ass who you are, or what you claim to be, or what your beliefs are, it's how I "see" you treat others and how you react to the ignorance of other folks. Nowadays it seems everyone has to have their own little personal "cause" or claim to offense. BULLSHIT!!! Grow up, get a life, and stop trying to control how other people behave. The best way to change how people behave is to NOT give air time to the manipulators. That moron out there with the Westboro Baptist Church going all over the country protesting funerals saying "God Hates Fags" get's attention because "we" give it to him. Same with the likes of all the other manipulators in the media. Give them a little "air time" and next thing you know, there's damn trouble.
I'm an equal opportunity offender. I'm not politically correct by any stretch of the definition. A fat guy is FAT, he ain't "gravitationally challenged." A blind person is blind, not Visually challenged or non-sighted. We try so damn hard not to offend someone or hurt someone's feelings, we've collectively and individually shit all over what our ancestors and forefathers fought and died to provide for us as a nation. No, America is not a perfect society and I doubt it ever will be. Utopia only exists in fiction. We must have done something right however because in less than 200 years after gaining our independence from Great Britain, we became the wealthiest, most industrialized, most depended upon, and highly respected nation on the planet. WHAT THE FIRETRUCK HAPPENED?????? The damned progressives happened.
I lived through and survived the massive integration movement in the late 60's and early 70's. It was a good thing for the most part. Some of the whites started fights and raised hell. So did some of the blacks. People got hurt and killed and what did we gain? Are we all one big happy family now? HELL NO!! Why is that do you suppose? We give the antagonists air time. We allow someone else to tell "US" how to think, what to think and believe, and how to react to a given stimuli. If you can read this, thank the individuals who taught you HOW to read. If you are reading this, you obviously have a brain and have the ability to understand and comprehend the written word. Try using that same brain to think for yourselves. Call it what it is, not some new-speak mumbojumbo gobbledegook that makes no sense.
Now, a little humor. Define "disingenuous." Let's see, the prefix "dis" means no or not. Same with the connected prefix "in" which also means no or not. Then we have the root word, "genuine" and the suffix of "ous" which denotes "of or pertaining to." So, we now have a word, "genuine" which means something real as opposed to artificial or false. Modify that with all those prefixes and suffixes and what the hell did they just say? If you're "dis" genuine, you're "in" genuine. So the only logical conclusion is that rather than being real and authentic, you're neither, and not only that, you don't possess either. Are you sufficiently confused at this point? Fantastic, that's exactly what "they" want you to be.
Y'all be careful out there...........
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Permalink Reply by Mongo on
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It's funny I saw this topic because it is something that bothers me on occasion. For example, our station is trying to get a new logo/patch and someone designed it with a skull, more people were questioning it but due to standard operating procedures no one says anything. It got approved but hasen't been made yet. The guy who designed it is into skulls, thinks it looks mean. I think skulls represents only one thing, death. Something I'd prefer not to have on my firetruck.
But then again, the same amount of people bitched about their being a four leaf clover on the patch, since not everyone is Irish.
I had my vote and it was one in the minority. Knowing the guy who made the sign, we won't see it on a truck anytime soon.
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Permalink Reply by Vic Silverfish on
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Patti - good post! Not bad at all for some cracker redneck from a flyover state.
I'm so glad we aren't getting "offended by everylittle thing" any more. It's like a great weight has been lifted.
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HEY DAVE, CAN YOU HEAR ME ALL THE WAY BACK THERE IN THE '30s?
My Gods, Negroid? Mogoloid? These are antiquated, Victorian-era terms that I don't think have been used for at least 50 years.
The rest of your post does not merit a response. I'd whack you (gently) over the head with a history book, but I strongly suspect it would just bounce off.
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Permalink Reply by E4 on
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The slave ships flew the Stars and Strips as in Red, White and Blue not the Stars and Bars.
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Antiquated? Victorian era? Na Vic, it's called science and proven fact. Try doing a little self-education sometime. Whacking me over the head would only get you a ride in your area's EMS wagon and I'm sure they're quite busy enough, and yeah, it probably would bounce off cuz' I'm a leatherhead. Seriously Man, look at what's going on around you. Pay attention every now and again. Learn to listen "to" what you're hearing rather than "at" it.
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Permalink Reply by Just Plain Craig Moyer on
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To say I'm alittle surprised and disappointed is like saying I'm alittle overweight.
For those that say "get over it" I guess you never seen your father cry in frustration because he was denied entrance to a restaurant in front of his sons. You have never listened to another chief tell a nigger joke in a meeting. Or been told by an employer that they took you off the street. All of these things happened to me and I'm still not over it.
I wasn't talking about every little symbol like, rainbow flags, I'm talking about something that means something negative for someone. People say the flag shows southern pride. But the power fist shows black pride and would be wrong to dispay on fire equipment. The swastika shows white pride (and I have no problems with white people being prideful) but would you use it? Probably not. Its not about what you do in the privacy of your own home. I'm talking about public displays on fire equipment.
Also, people can never explain why that flag means so much to them. Like the swastika it shows that a group tried to oppress another group (and got thier asses kicked btw), That what that flag means. Pick a flag of a winner now a loser.
But whats worse is the person that smile in your face and calls you nigger behind your back. Hey, you guys did a great job, Nice stop etc etc. But back at the firehouse, those niggers didn't do anything, etc etc. I have more respect for an open racist then one in the closest.
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Craig - stop right there - the swastika does not show white pride at all. As a white-guy, I am offended to see it, and am personally insulted by everything the Nazi party stands for. Same deal for a burning cross (originally a call to arms in the Scottish Highlands) or the Stars & Bars (originally the flag of the Confederate Navy). Please do not associate hate groups with your average white guy or with pride in being white. I take pride in who I am and in my ancestry, but that pride does not come at the expense of others.
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Dave, one of us has a masters degree in biology, so spare me your "science."
You call your self a leatherhead- that's the perfect metaphor (look it up): an outdated technology that is no longer appropriate, and isn't nearly as tough or resilient as modern materials, but continues to endure due to tradition.
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