“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” (1918) Theodore Roosevelt
Doesn’ bother me at all.
I veto’d a bunch of clothing purchases my wife was going to make on behalf of my 8 year old because of that symbol.
For me, it is the symbol of a movement that believes:
“We are not endowed with anything by a creator.
Moreover, no truth is self-evident, and the freedom to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are very alienable. As such, we believe that no institution, regardless of its history, merits, or origins, has any compelling value proposition to society.
In fact, we believe that live and let live is the only truth in evidence, and to that end, one should do what you will.”
What would the Founding Fathers say?
“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your consels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”
Samuel Adams, August 1, 1776
... because of the appallingly low quality of humanity that displays and upholds them.
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RESISTOR
Swear allegiance to the flag, whatever flag they offer;
Never hint at what you really feel.
Teach the children quietly for, someday, sons and daughters
Will rise up and fight while we stood still.
Der Elite Møøsënspåånkængrüppen ØberKømmändø (EMØØK)
ping
That applies to the 60s/70s crowd anyway. In the current generation, it's mostly about ignorance.
I’ll give you two perspectives, one from my Vietnam vet uncle and one from an aunt of the same era.
My uncle detests most symbols from that era, not just the peace symbol. Tie die, Willie Nelson braids, love beads, VW buses ... anything like that still sets him off to this day. He makes an effort to be at the airport to greet returning soldiers. If he sees anyone dressed in 60’s attire, he’ll ask them what their intentions are: protesting or supporting? If they’re protesting, he goes ballistic and gives them “what for” about how Vietnam vets were treated. Typically they leave, but sometimes he “converts” them and gives them a “Support Our Troops” t-shirt to put on.
My aunt wouldn’t let her children wear 60’s attire growing up. She lost many friends in Vietnam. Her grandson got involved in Seattle grunge music and bought an old VW bus to transport his band and gear. She forbade him from coming to her house for family functions in that bus. When he quit the band and wanted help with college tuition, she made him sell the bus before she’d help him. To this day, she forbids her grandchildren to wear any 60’s attire to her house. If she helps run them around to their activities, she makes them change clothes if she perceives their attire to be “disrespectful” in any way but especially so if they’re wearing 60’s tie-die and peace symbols.
“Peace symbol” is what its proponents called it. But the really meaning and usage was “anti-war symbol.” And it was directed against our soldiers fighting in Vietnam. That history outshadows everything else, including the possibly evil or satanic sources of the symbol.
As far as I know, nobody had any idea what the prior history of the symbol might have been. It suddenly appeared, and it was an expression of protest against the Vietnam War—and often in favor of Ho Chi Mimh and the Communists.
I’m not. But then I wasn’t in Vietnam.
That is, I suspect, a rather dated attitude these days - I am certain the young 0bama girl couldn't have had a clue how offensive it might be and I rather doubt that her parents did either, given the decade's difference in our ages. But despite the intervening years I find that I have neither forgiven nor forgotten, and so yes, it does offend me. I'll get over it.
Naive
Doesn’t bother me at all, I even loosely sewed a very good looking uniform version of one on my dress uniform once. It had the American flag and eagle incorporated into it and looked almost like a bold, very good looking army patch.
It was entertaining to watch the double takes from the other guys in the unit.