‘Swastika’ earrings no longer for sale at Brooklyn jewelry store Bejeweled

[ellisonz]

Owner says she will stop selling the controversial baubles
By Simone Weichselbaum / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Thursday, January 12 2012, 12:37 AM

The apologetic owner of a Brooklyn jewelry store blasted for hawking earrings that look like swastikas said Wednesday that she will stop selling the controversial baubles.

City Councilman Steve Levin (D-Brooklyn) went to Bejeweled in Greenpoint inquiring about the odd sales choice and met with owner Young Sook Kim.

“She was regretful, said Levin after the noon showdown. “She agreed to take them down.”

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A Bejeweled manager retorted that the earrings had nothing to do with Nazis. Rather, the manager said, they are a sign of prosperity in Tibetan Buddhism.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/swastika-earrings-longer-sale-brooklyn-jewelry-store-bejeweled-article-1.1004934#ixzz1jJOgUSA2

I think this is an overreaction on the part of the City Councilman; it's important to remember that the Nazis did in fact reverse the swastika and perverted its meaning. What do you think?

The swastika (Sanskrit: स्वस्तिक ) is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing (卐 ) form in counterclockwise motion or its mirrored left-facing (卍 ) form in clockwise motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient India as well as Classical Antiquity. Swastikas have also been used in other various ancient civilizations around the world. It remains widely used in Indian religions, specifically in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, primarily as a tantric symbol to evoke 'shakti' or the sacred symbol of auspiciousness. The swastika is also a Chinese character used in East Asia representing eternity and Buddhism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

[Behind the Aegis]

1. It is sad.

I am aware of the history of the swastika. It is a shame it was co-opted by such an evil empire. Even if the one displayed isn't the Nazi one, most people can't tell the difference (with the exceptions of many Jews, Germans, and a few others). Hell, half (or more) of the attacks on Jewish places where swastikas are spraypainted aren't even the "correct" ones. It may be "unfair," but until the differences are learned, I am one who will side with caution. And, to be honest, I have seen some anti-Semitic fucks who have tried to "bring back" the swastika (the original), and I believe they do so because it would allow them to display their hate, even if the form wasn't quite right.

[ellisonz]

2. Ignorance abounds...

I see no reason why we shouldn't look the past head on and say that its meaning was misappropriated, but that shouldn't stop us from accepting the many cultures that did use it in its original form (which it is in this case). I don't think we should let the Nazis own the original symbol. I really don't think it was any other use than the traditional Buddhist use; I don't see Neo-Nazis going to buy swastika ornaments. IMHO this will do nothing but create bad press for Jews with non-Buddhist gentiles.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. I can see your points.

I will say this, however, as someone who has encountered a number of "progressives" who are anti-Semites, there are more than a few trying to "revive" the swastika. Those are the ones of most concern to me. It is almost a "dog whistle" to others. I also frequent sites like Stormfront and National Vanguard (well, not "frequent" frequent), and there have been calls to "reclaim" the Nazi one, by co-opting the original, as well. Of course, this also shows me that despite several people claiming neo-Nazis are all knuckle-dragging troglodytes, there are SEVERAL out there who are anything but stupid!

It is one of those "slippery slope" issues. If people want to sell them, do it, but understand the issues surrounding it. Sometimes, things, even innocent things, get so polluted, it is best to wait for it to clear before using it again. A perfect example is niggardly. It is a perfectly innocent and good word, that has no racist connotations, HOWEVER, you will rarely ever see it used except in old press. It is, much like this situation, IMO, a victim of "guilt by association."

[ellisonz]

4. I agree, they Neo-Nazis are clever buggars...

...but I really just think this whole episode was kinda ambulance chasing. This merchant was doing no harm.

"I also frequent sites like Stormfront and National Vanguard"

And I thought the Gungeon was bad...

Here have a hazmat suit, you'll need it if Ron Paul keeps running his mouth:

[Violet_Crumble]

5. It's not just sites like Stormfront and its ilk where that happens...

I've seen it happen on a progressive site where someone was using it and insisting they were doing it because of it being an old Hindu symbol and making out that anyone who had objections was just culturally ignorant. What disturbed me was how many people defended that person using it, even after the content of their posts made it crystal clear what they were all about....

I'm not Jewish or Hindu, and I'm no good at spotting which is counter-clockwise and which isn't, and when I saw those earrings I connected them immediately with the Nazis. And I strongly suspect that's what most people would do. It's one thing to see the original symbol if I were in India, but here or in the US, it's a completely different matter. It sucks that the Nazis took things that were innocent to start with and corrupted them, but in this case I think the Nazi association is so strong it may never clear....