Posted on 08/18/2007 8:41:59 AM PDT by RDTF
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia is still for lovers, but the state's tourism agency will eliminate images of people making heart symbols with their hands in its upcoming advertising campaign because the gesture is also used by a violent street gang.
The Virginia is for Lovers "Live Passionately" campaign will remove images of models making the hand gesture, one of several signs associated with the Gangster Disciples, Virginia Tourism Corp. officials said Friday. The gesture shows thumbs and index fingers formed into a heart.
"Our intent was to show people using their hands to make a heart to signify 'Virginia is for Lovers,' " the state's longtime tourism slogan, the agency's president Alisa Bailey said in a statement. "For the majority of people, the heart sign is a symbol of love -- and the campaign's images intended to convey a love of travel and a love of Virginia."
At first, tourism officials thought the gang was a small group in South Carolina and continued with the ads.
Then the agency received e-mails this week pointing out that the gesture is flashed by members of Gangster Disciples, also known as Black Gangster Disciples. The Chicago-based group is known for its large-scale crack-cocaine operations, and was featured in a chapter of the best-seller "Freakonomics" in which a sociology graduate student gained the trust of gang members to learn about the group's operational structure.
"Out of respect to those who have concerns about the use of this symbol, we will adjust the creative images in our ad campaign to eliminate any further misinterpretation of the heart/hand symbol," Bailey's statement said. "We regret if anyone interpreted the symbol as anything other than a symbol of love as was intended."
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(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Damn those Amish of Swiss-German descent! Always ruining it for others!
Two women in the background. Perhaps they are part of the dreaded homosexual gang The Rainbow Brights.
I predict that some enterprising journalist will uncover (or encourage) a gang that uses perpendicularly crossed fingers as a symbol. A call will go out for all crosses to be banned nation-wide ...
How bizarre to have three women in that picture.
It’s a nice start but lets make sure to remove the number 88 from everything in sight because it’s part of neonazi symbolism. Hog farms should also be outlawed in the state as well. We know hogs will upset “someone”. [/sarc]
Now if we could just get 'em to get rid of that dumb-@$$ slogan...
Wow did they pay money for this ad? ‘Cause I have a sudden urge to call my travel agent and fly to Virginia. /not
Maybe they want to encourage groups of girls to come to Virginia to pick up guys, like in that awful article fanfan posted earlier this week.
Certainly there was plenty of casual promiscuity at Virginia Beach, when I growing up.
Sounds like you have some first-hand knowledge of Swiss-German Amish — ?
I was actually considering moving to Virginia until I saw recent liberal legislation and other evidence that said Virginia is for Liberals. Case in point: the recent ticketing and fining of a young Virginia pregnant woman doing 57 in a 35 mph zone on the way to the hospital. Come on $1150 for going 22 mph over the speed limit in an emergency on the way to a hospital?
Virginia is not worth the trouble when there are so many other places to live that aren’t quite so Liberal.
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Wouldn't it make more sense then to show pictures of cute guys? I think the good people of VA are a bit confused.
Future headline? “Congress drops Old Glory as gang takes red, white and blue colors.”
“For the majority of people, the heart sign is a symbol of love — and the campaign’s images intended to convey a love of travel and a love of Virginia.”
This is the problem. ONE gang of low lifes adopts something like this and the MAJORITY give it up and let ‘em have it so the FEW who know the gangs use it aren’t offended. God help us all.
I don't pretend to fathom the advertising mindset. "Virginia is for Lovers" was a stupid slogan in the 80's; the tourism bureau must be a patronage dumping ground for legislators' useless brothers-in-law.
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I think you're right. It also seems whoever is responsible for this recent campaign isn't aware that most couples are comprised of a man and a woman.
The tourism bureau probably has contracting set-asides for “minorities” of the “sexual-orientation” type, too.
(Can you tell I’ve worked for the government?)
LOL! I have no doubt you are right, unfortunately.
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