Swastika Display Outside California Home Has Neighbors, Lawmakers Up In Arms.

[Damerflinn]

Should be free to put it up, though I'd look the other way if it gets torched after he leaves home.

This kind of logic is astounding. I agree he should be allowed to put it up, and don't agree with his intended view point he is expressing. But you're expressing quite a hypocritical view. Would you feel that way if you put up your own decoration on your house, that you were perfectly allowed to do, and someone who didn't like it looked the other way when your neighbor burned it down? Laws are laws, and rights are rights, whether or not you agree with that view point or not. And this sort of logic is exactly why we will never see true equality amongst members of the human race.

[Slant]

No, unless he is part of some kind of home owners association there is no basis to make him remove it. There are ZERO laws that dictate what you can and can not decorate your own yard with.

While it is indecent, it is his own house and his own yard, don't like it, don't look at it. And it is not offensive material, anyone who has ever actually looked into it, knows that the swastika, as we call it now, is a Celtic symbol in origin which was appropriated by the Nazi party. Just because you disagree with his views, as I do, does not mean that we can force him to do as we wish him to and remove it. He has every right to decorate his yard as he wishes.

The symbol is of indian origin, but good that you looked it up!

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Considering its mass use in pictures and iconography throughout the years, I would say many people would still know what a swastika was regardless of Nazi's using it.

Except that the mass use of it in pictures and iconographs usually is in connection with... Nazi Germany. I mean, seriously? Have you ever seen the symbol anywhere else in any other context? Ever? Don't bother I'd just all you a liar outright. And I'd be right, too.

[Merkava]

Could this fall under hate speech? That's likely the route the local govt. will go

Can you explain what you're talking about?

[Doctor Amadeus]

Considering its mass use in pictures and iconography throughout the years, I would say many people would still know what a swastika was regardless of Nazi's using it.

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Comparing Nazi's to ISIS is a pretty big fallacy of your own there though.

Both are Enemies of the U.S both are totalitarian extremist. One does it based on race, the other religion, but considering it's you pointing out fallacy's, I'll pass on taking it seriously.

[Damerflinn]

Maybe not the Swastika in and of itself, but if this is a Nazi flag it sure the hell is an Enemy flag. which should not ever be flown over American Soil, and if this guys Swastika is being placed up, and he is a KNOWN Neo Nazi or white supremacist, he should be treated accordingly. The same as if it was an ISIS flag.

Except that isn't treason by an definition of the word. This man could just as easily have posted an ISIS flag and it still wouldn't be a violation of any law. You might bring upon yourself quite a bit of disdain, and maybe even a federal investigation into your intentions, but you don't violate any law in doing so. He has the RIGHT to be a racist, that is an unfortunate part of the US's culture. You have the right to be a homophobic, racist, sexist, person, and I think you would be surprised how many people are one, or a combination of those. It isn't laws that keep that stuff hidden, it's the cultural implications of being one of those things that from being mainstream. If we had TV 200 years ago, there would be outright racist behavior being promoted because that is what the cultural norms were back then.

[theostrichsays]

Looking at the picture, I honestly wouldn't say I would think he is in favor of Nazi thought processes, but is making a political statement on his opinion about Israel and America.
I maybe wrong, but if I passed the house, after looking at the picture that is what I would think.

[Doctor Amadeus]

No, unless he is part of some kind of home owners association there is no basis to make him remove it. There are ZERO laws that dictate what you can and can not decorate your own yard with.

While it is indecent, it is his own house and his own yard, don't like it, don't look at it. And it is not offensive material, anyone who has ever actually looked into it, knows that the swastika, as we call it now, is a Celtic symbol in origin which was appropriated by the Nazi party. Just because you disagree with his views, as I do, does not mean that we can force him to do as we wish him to and remove it. He has every right to decorate his yard as he wishes.

Bullshit, yes, we can we do it all the time, and this idiot, for sure, isn't entitled to any special defense in my book, at most its treason, at the least it's an exercise of hate, he should be forced to take it down and probably pay a fine and do some jail time.

[Doctor Amadeus]

So it's suddenly offensive to display flags of former enemies? Aww hell no! Let's see what kind of enemies did America have in the past. First up, brits. Is the UK flag offensive? Nope. Next, France, is the french flag offensive and should never be displayed on american soil? Nope. Germany, is the german flag offensive? Nope, but you seem to have a problem with the flag of the political party that ruled Germany at that time. Japan, quite a lot of bad blood going on there, is the Japanese flag illegal to display in America? Cuba, etc etc etc.

It's a fucking flag. Not only that but it's a symbol of a defunct enemy that only lives through its twisted ideology and nothing else. Stop being so fucking afraid of it, it's dead.

Actually it completely depends on the circumstances, the Nazi Flag, represents a regime that was put down, and afterwards there has been NO diplomatic or any other bridge to redefine that relationship, as for your other examples there has.

[s_bushido]

What's the issue here? People are offended by swastikas? Too fucking bad. There are places around where I live where you can't go 10 feet without seeing a Confederate flag...and I don't see people pitching a fit over that (nor should they).

[Doctor Amadeus]

Except that isn't treason by an definition of the word. This man could just as easily have posted an ISIS flag and it still wouldn't be a violation of any law. You might bring upon yourself quite a bit of disdain, and maybe even a federal investigation into your intentions, but you don't violate any law in doing so. He has the RIGHT to be a racist, that is an unfortunate part of the US's culture. You have the right to be a homophobic, racist, sexist, person, and I think you would be surprised how many people are one, or a combination of those. It isn't laws that keep that stuff hidden, it's the cultural implications of being one of those things that from being mainstream. If we had TV 200 years ago, there would be outright racist behavior being promoted because that is what the cultural norms were back then.

Yes it is, it's supporting a enemy state put down, on American Soil, why not, the guy put that bullshit up to show his pride or whatever, then he should take heat and responsibility for that.

[Damerflinn]

The symbol is of indian origin, but good that you looked it up!

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Except that the mass use of it in pictures and iconographs usually is in connection with... Nazi Germany. I mean, seriously? Have you ever seen the symbol anywhere else in any other context? Ever? Don't bother I'd just all you a liar outright. And I'd be right, too.

The earliest archeological evidence for it comes from 10,000 BC in Bulgaria, and then 6,000 BC in ENGLAND, the Indian version can only be dated back to 3000 BC. So good try. So where exactly did you look that up again?

I'm sorry that you have been living under a rock your whole life, and are incapable of accepting that people might actually know that a symbol is only as powerful as the meaning people put behind it. But that doesn't mean that you are correct all the time. Hell when I was in school we were actually taught that the swastika didn't originate with the Nazis and that the symbol was taken from other cultures. Sorry that your education system failed you, but don't extend that to others.

[Doctor Amadeus]

What's the issue here? People are offending by swastikas? Too fucking bad. There are places around where I live where you can't go 10 feet without seeing a Confederate flag...and I don't see people pitching a fit over that (nor should they).

I would put the Confederate flag in the same category. And I disagree about nobody pitching a fit over it.

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Holy crap! You'd make a fine nazi. Treason for displaying a old flag of an old and dead enemy in a time of peace?! Are you fucking kidding me?

Am I just being trolled here, or something?

It's a time of peace, but that flag represents a regime that cost the lived of millions of innocent people across the U.S, Europe, both Allies and Enemy's alike, I am not trolling, I am dead serious.

[Merkava]

I would put the Confederate flag in the same category. And I disagree about nobody pitching a fit over it.

You can pitch all the fits you want. Freedom of speech includes the freedom to offend.

[Super Kami Dende]

Except that the mass use of it in pictures and iconographs usually is in connection with... Nazi Germany. I mean, seriously? Have you ever seen the symbol anywhere else in any other context? Ever? Don't bother I'd just all you a liar outright. And I'd be right, too.

It isn't just Indian in Origin, it has appeared on many different types of icons across multiple different cultures. Before Nazi Germany adopted it, it was widely research due to it's appearing all over the world even in cultures that had never met other cultures before.

You don't hear much about it these days because all people do think of is "NAZI NAZI OMFG" so people generally don't talk about it anymore in a different way because narrow-minded people assume that just because Nazi Germany used it that is was irrelevant and not used beforehand. History did exist before 1935 you know.

The fact Hitler did use it is BECAUSE it was a well-known symbol.

But keep telling yourself what you want to believe.

[Fexus]

As shitty as these people assuredly are, I hold freedom of expression to be of the utmost importance. Let everyone talk about how terrible these people are. There is no reason to criminalize it.

[Doctor Amadeus]

You can pitch all the fits you want. Freedom of speech includes the freedom to offend.

No it doesn't, in fact it doesn't include the right to project hatred, or raise flags on american soil for enemy states which could be considered an assault in my opinion.

[WskyDK]

Can you explain what you're talking about?

It's likely that the local government will in some way try and call this hate speech (despite nothing being spoken) as hate speech isn't protected speech, and they could force him to remove it.

It's a flag, who gives a shit.

[Damerflinn]

Yes it is, it's supporting a enemy state put down, on American Soil, why not, the guy put that bullshit up to show his pride or whatever, then he should take heat and responsibility for that.

You are right, he should take "heat" for it, that is what I said in the first place. Social norms will dictate the kind of response that comes from this action. I imagine he won't be getting invited to any BBQ's this summer by his neighbors (assuming they don't share his views). But that does not at all make it treason. You can walk up to a police officer and tell them that you agree with the stance that ISIS has, or with the stance that the Nazi's had back then, and it is no way illegal to do so. This is no different. There is a BIG difference between what is socially acceptable, and what is actually illegal. There are many things that we think are bad, and unfitting of a civilized culture, but that doesn't make them laws, it makes them social norms. Now if he was rallying people to his cause and spreading messages of hatred towards others, then yes, that is illegal, but simply putting up something you disagree with is not in any way illegal.

[Merkava]

It's likely that the local government will in some way try and call this hate speech (despite nothing being spoken) as hate speech isn't protected speech, and they could force him to remove it.

It's a flag, who gives a shit.

Does the United States have laws against hate speech?

[Doctor Amadeus]

It's likely that the local government will in some way try and call this hate speech (despite nothing being spoken) as hate speech isn't protected speech, and they could force him to remove it.

It's a flag, who gives a shit.

People who were killed and sent to gas chambers, might give a shit along with their relatives, still living along with anybody who died, putting that flag in the dirt where it belongs.