Swastikas
Dear Editor: On October 5, flyers were illegally glued to the windows of downtown businesses with a political message. The flyers prominently featured images of swastikas.
Although the image of the swastika has deep roots in many cultures, it is burned into the collective memory of the Jewish people as the flag of Nazi Germany. It evokes the specter of a government with an official policy of genocide. It remains the powerful symbol of a regime that impoverished, imprisoned, tortured and murdered millions of people because of their religion, sexuality, ethnicity or disabilities. Because it is a historically powerful and potent symbol, the swastika continues to be used by white supremacists to intimidate and terrorize Jews and people of color.
For people whose relatives and ancestors were murdered by Nazis, or who fled the Third Reich, or who have directly experienced hatred based on their religion, race, sexuality or disabilities, the image of the swastika, regardless of context, is hateful. It conveys a threat of violence. Any other intended meaning is lost.
Fellow Sitkans, we call on you to avoid using symbols of hatred in our political dialogue in the future.
Rob Allen, Elliot Bruhl,
Gustav Bruhl, Lisa Busch,
Toby Campbell, Gretchen Clarke,
Abbey Cohen, Maggie Gallin,
Beth Kindig, Owen Richard Kindig,
Maite Lorente, Davey Lubin,
Terry Pike, Robin Sherman,
Libby Stortz, David Avraham Voluck,
Lauren Wild,
Sitka
