Aircraft Mech Paul wrote:
Political Correctness aside here. I am all for brining these aircraft, from whatever nation that spawned them, back to life. However, I do believe that it is against the law to display the Swastika. But that aside I would agree on not displaying on several fronts. Not the least of which is that in the States, we have so many skinhead groups and their ilk, that would just love one more reason to spread their hate filled rhetoric, we don't need more of that kind of crap we need less. Our nation, in recent history has been through a lot of things...all on a national level from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina. And during those times we see some of the best of us as a nation come out. We need more of that, and less of the hate speech that many would use to promote their rather tired and backwards agenda.
And secondly, as to the display of the nazi swastika. I think it would do us a genuine diservice, even within our Warbird community, to put something like that out in the public eye. Because it represents hate, violence and certainly not the best we as a nation have to offer. The German aircraft I have seen bear the "Cross" symbol and not the swastika of the Luftwaffe. I also think that allowing it to be portrayed in the public view, such as on a magnificently restored Warbird, would bring back so many very painful memories of those who served our armed forces and their loved ones. Many men lost their lives during that war.....
And finally, ask yourself this question. Remember when the movie "Saving Private Ryan" came out ? The footage of the D-Day Invasion brought so much back to the surface, due to it's very realistic portayal, of the vetereans who were THERE or who saw real combat during the war...that the emotion level was unbearable.
It has been said that we are loosing our Veterans of what Tom Brokaw wrote in his book as "The Greatest Generation", at what some say is the rate of 500-1000 per day. Do we not owe them the courtesy of honoring both them and their memory by doing the right thing here ?
I am not by any means a "politically correct" individual. But common descency MUST prevail in life.
Please forgive the brief editorial on my part, but I felt the somethings need to be spoken. And they should always be REMEMBERED.
Why pick on the swastika...?
Why not the 'rising sun' of the Imperial Japanese, under whose banner were committed equally barbaric acts...??
I have yet to meet any veteran, who thinks that not putting on the swastika serves anything other than to draw attention to it and thereby it actually has the reverse effect to what the misguided PC brigade are trying to achieve.
Do these people really think, skin-head neo-nazi's and such like would really descend upon a museum and 'pay homage' to the tail fin of an old aeroplane, just because it had the swastika on it......
Get real......
Those nasty groups have a very different agenda, I know, I've seen it up close.
Provided it's in the correct historical context of course, I say put the ruddy thing on.
The law in Germany though is a different matter.
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