Nazi Salute in high school

[Zombie]

He's a kid trying to be funny. If he were doing what some of you and the media were accusing him of he would have held it up and out. No reason to have it below his waist and touching his pants.

But i get it- we all need to have something to be outraged about even if we have to make it up in order to get there.

Wonder what it would be like to assume the worst in people- even kids- all the time and then let myself get offended by my dumbass assumptions. Pathetic way to live life, tbh.

I didn't make up anything. It's a fact that those other kids were making a Nazi salute, and this kid is making a gesture which among other things has come to be a white power symbol. It certainly could be that he was just playing the punching game, and sans context I'd agree that's probably the case. But there's no way a high school kid isn't familiar with the other meanings of that hand symbol, and he chose to use it anyway, again, among a group of people making other white power symbols.

 

[One Brow]

It's neither. It's a game kids play- we even did it 35 years ago - where you make that circle- has to be on your body and below your waist and if your buddy looks at it, you get to punch him. The giveaway for that particular kid is that it is below his waist and touching his body.

We didn't have that game in my neck of the woods (St. Louis area). Perhaps they do in Wisconsin. Are you from there?

At any rate, I don't see the need to single out the one kid in the front row for discussion.

 

[infection]

this very well known white power gesture.

Hadn't heard of it until today.

 

[Harambe]

Sorry you typed that long post based on a misunderstanding. I was just talking about the one kid in front who was trying to be funny with a sign kids play to find a good excuse to punch each other.

Well that's no where near as fun.

 

[Alfalfa]

Hadn't heard of it until today.

Maybe you don't follow such developments? I spend quite a bit of time on Reddit.

 

[Zombie]

We didn't have that game in my neck of the woods (St. Louis area). Perhaps they do in Wisconsin. Are you from there?

At any rate, I don't see the need to single out the one kid in the front row for discussion.

You are right, of course. This isn't about that kid in particular. What we should be worried about is what is going on in our country when a group of 'normal' high school kids feel comfortable throwing up Nazi Salutes.

 

[infection]

Maybe you don't follow such developments? I spend quite a bit of time on Reddit.

You're right; I don't. But I would have thought the meaning of "well known" would imply one wouldn't have to be perusing cesspools to contextualize symbolic meaning in order to understand.

 

[seattlejazzfan]

I didn't make up anything. It's a fact that those other kids were making a Nazi salute, and this kid is making a gesture which among other things has come to be a white power symbol. It certainly could be that he was just playing the punching game, and sans context I'd agree that's probably the case. But there's no way a high school kid isn't familiar with the other meanings of that hand symbol, and he chose to use it anyway, again, among a group of people making other white power symbols.

My son is 17 and never heard of the that being a symbol of racism. I think i just heard about it a few weeks ago on a message board. And ultimately who the hell knows what that kid's intentions are- but on first glance i laughed because it reminded me of the game i used to play with my friends and my assumption was that's what he was doing. Of course i could bec wrong (as could you), but I'll stick with giving the kid the benefit of the doubt in spite of what his jackass classmates are doing.

 

[Alfalfa]

You're right; I don't. But I would have thought the meaning of "well known" would imply one wouldn't have to be perusing cesspools to contextualize symbolic meaning in order to understand.

It's well known in white nationalist circles, which mainly congregate online. The kids doing the Heil Hitler know it, since they're much more likely to be on forums like the_donald and 4chan.

But, maybe it was just a punching game. I don't know. I do know that the 50 other kids in the picture are doing the nazi salute, however.

 

[fishonjazz]

Within the context of nearly everyone else in the photo giving the Nazi salute, I don't see any reason to extend the benefit of the doubt to someone making what is by now a well known alt right hate symbol.

I had no idea that was an alt right hate symbol.
I would be curious to know how well known it is.

Someone should make a poll

 

[fishonjazz]

But since I can't read the kid's mind, I'm done with the back and forth. If you want to try and sell the idea he's just playing a game that happened to look like a WP gesture, while the whole class does the HH salute that's fine. But I doubt anyone is buying.

It actually doesnt look like white power when its upside down imo. Has to be rightside up in order for W and P to be made with the fingers.

 

[fishonjazz]

Hadn't heard of it until today.

Me either