I think I may have brought this up on another message board. There are three things that before WWII were perfectly harmless. And now, due to their association with Hitler and/or Naziism, will never be innocent again: • The "Hitler moustache". This actually is called the toothbrush moustache. Charlie Chaplin had one. It's just a moustache. But no one ever wears it anymore. I certainly wouldn't. • The traditional, old, Roman salute. Old paintings from ancient Rome still show it. In 1892 this became known as the Bellamy salute after Francis Bellamy who introduced recommended it for the US Pledge of Allegiance. Now Neo-nazis and others sometimes still use it. And people are greatly offended by it (as they should be...). • The Swastika or fylfot. It was called the fylfot because it literally filled the foot of windows, on the outside, in a ceramic square. At one time it just meant good luck. Like we'd use the four-leaf clover today, for example. Actually, though the word "Swastika" fills people with terror today (as I also said on another message board). It just means "causing well-being". I.e., good luck, as I said (I personally think "fylfot" would the the better word—it's more general). Actually, people like the Jain still use it. The Jain literally would never harm a fly. Everyone else, of course, should not use it. Definitely not. Actually, on that last one, Swastikas. Some old buildings still have the Swastika on their floors. It was once perfectly innocent, as I said. It was on the floor of the very old church, at my HS. I saw it there often. A few years back, a local school where I live, had it on its floor. People thought it was offensive and demanded it be removed. Rather than damage the old building, they just threw a rug on it. As I said, it is often on or in very old buildings. And covering it is probably a good idea now. As I said, I agree people shouldn't use the Swastika, unless they are Jain. And I agree it is sometimes a good idea to cover it. But just to go into the history. Hitler used it because he thought it was an old Aryan symbol. From India, as I said. He was obviously wrong. It still shouldn't be used though.
