Taking the Swastika Back, Jack

I have finally selected my new tattoo. Out of every possible image in the world to have tattooed on my body forever, I have selected the swastika. 

I know, I know, it seems crazy, but the original meaning is great. Of course, most of you only associate the swastika with that sticky situation in Germany back in the 1940’s where over 11 million people were executed, but the swastika has actually been around much longer. The swastika was used as a sacred symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, long before Hitler was ever born.  

Although the exact meaning of the symbol has varied over time, the word originates from “good fortune” or “well-being.” Should the swastika clad soldier who represented the bad news of execution defame the original meaning of the image? And, to be honest, most people who raise objections to the symbol were born decades after the war. 

Some of you may object to my new tattoo, not only because of the use of the symbol by the Nazi party, but by the current use of the symbol by white supremacy hate groups. Having a swastika tattooed on my forearm does not mean I am a member of the Klu Klux Klan, it simply means that I love history, real history.  

I am positive that when people see my new and beautiful tattoo, they will be encouraged by my love for history. If a Jewish person is offended by my selection of tattoo, they need only ask me why, and I will give them a beautiful history lesson, and will even show them how people use the symbol in religious ceremonies.  It is important for people to remember their heritage, the good and the bad parts. For those of us who are not Hindu or Buddhist, the swastika is a war memorial, a reminder of the men who fought for the pride of their country. It is history, not hatred.

I hope you realize that I am NOT now or ever going to tattoo a swastika on my body, and I am also not going to wave a confederate flag from my front door.  I wanted to apply the same arguments used to defend the confederate flag hanging on state capitols or outside of Christian homes, to support tattooing a swastika on my body. It may seem like a stretch, but the two images stir up, more often than not, similar feelings of hate and fear. We can debate all day on the history, the legacy, the true meaning of these images, but communication is more than the words you say, it is the meaning that is heard. 

All men were created in the image of God, and if God is love, let me NOT reflect hate.