HO wants swashtika painted above front door! - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

MattCoops · 12-10-2006, 10:51 AM

No lie,

I had a homeowner call me back after we did a faux finish on Master Bedroom and a space mural in kid's room.

She's an Indian lady. And wanted me to paint a white swashtika over her front door!

Mind you we're in the south. And also the bible belt.

I got a good laugh but told her I couldn't do it.

I guess in India, the swashtika is actually a sign of prosperity.
Hitler adopted the insignia as his own.

I told her it would be better to paint it inside. But I still couldn't do it.

Got quite a kick out of it when she unfolds a paper with a design she wants painted over her front door.

A snot came out my nose from laughing so hard.

mdshunk · 12-10-2006, 11:00 AM

Now, that's funny. You made the right call to not do it, however.

While people certainly have freedom of speech and expression, I don't have to be a party towards making that easy for them. On a similar note, can't imagine any billboard owners selling space for a "death to the infidel" sign, for instance.

Perhaps if someone clearly explained what reprocussions such a symbol painted on her front door would have in her neighborhood, she might pick another symbol? Maybe she just doesn't understand what's going to happen?

Glasshousebltr · 12-10-2006, 11:03 AM

Hell yea! I would have painted the door....maybe even the neighbors door as well..........the fall out alone would have been priceless.

Bob

JNLP · 12-10-2006, 11:38 AM

They do have different meanings, also positioned different ways mean something else. I would probably do it but not let the neighbors see it was done by me.

Woz the Painter · 12-10-2006, 12:19 PM

She should contact her local white supremacist, they would do it for free...

AAPaint · 12-10-2006, 01:09 PM

I would have done it....escpecially considering it has a totally different meaning and relevance to her people. You know, if we keep getting stuck on simple ideologies of things like symbolism the human race is only going to continue to spiral downward. Just my .02.

Richard · 12-10-2006, 01:21 PM

That's frickin' awesome!

...I would have pissed my pants and said, "hey in some countries, pissing your pants is considered attractive"...

BMAN · 12-10-2006, 04:12 PM

One house we painted this past summer had a wrought iron one on the chimney that predated Hitler. The ho said the same thing about prosperity.

Brian · 12-10-2006, 04:21 PM

The swastika is a sacred symbol in many Eastern religions.

Hitler believed that the Aryans were the "chosen race". Aryans orginated in India/ Persia. Thus his adoption of the symbol.

Regardless of what the symbol means to the HO, I wouldn't have done it. I know what it means to me, and I won't be a party to such things.

Brian Phillips

jack75 · 12-10-2006, 06:03 PM

I would do it --why not? Yet, lest I might get shot or gased, I'd reasonably charge just enough to cover my funeral, about $10,000..

The Nazi swastica is in fact a bit different from the ancient Eastern one: the Nazi swastica's arms are bending backwards.. Hitler was messing around a little bit when adopting the hallowed symbol..

**slickshift** · 12-10-2006, 09:30 PM

You can see them as a design and in the borders in some old pre-war ads
Pretty weird when you see them lining the border in a 1900's mattress ad
Coca-Cola still used them into the 30's

Joewho · 12-11-2006, 12:45 AM

Knowing that it has a meaning to her, I would have done it. It's time to take back symbols and words other people have bastardized.

Try saying "gay". Complelty lost it's original meaning.
Yeah, try driving your girlfreinds car that has rainbow on it. I'm sick of that type of thing. Special interest groups have taken words and symbols as their own. Society accepts it and walah, you have to watch what you say and do. It's ridiculous and ignorant. Hell yeah, I'd paint it for her.

mdshunk · 12-11-2006, 03:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AAPaint

You know, if we keep getting stuck on simple ideologies of things like symbolism the human race is only going to continue to spiral downward.

Hey, that's good to know. Now I can start to market my flaming cross tiki torches, intended to ward off mosquitoes in the summertime. I'm sure they'll be big sellers in the inner city, since we're gonna quit getting hung up on symbolism.

bigchaz · 12-12-2006, 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdshunk

Hey, that's good to know. Now I can start to market my flaming cross tiki torches, intended to ward off mosquitoes in the summertime. I'm sure they'll be big sellers in the inner city, since we're gonna quit getting hung up on symbolism.

Im bringing back white pointed hoods and robes as a fashion trend

**Teetorbilt** · 12-12-2006, 02:00 AM

big, I was just called up for jury duty and thought about wearing that uniform to the courthouse, I don't think that I'd pass for a Black Panther.

AAPaint · 12-12-2006, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdshunk

Hey, that's good to know. Now I can start to market my flaming cross tiki torches, intended to ward off mosquitoes in the summertime. I'm sure they'll be big sellers in the inner city, since we're gonna quit getting hung up on symbolism.

Indeed they will be when the time comes. For now, we just keep trying to shine the light on a few here and there....

rjordan392 · 12-12-2006, 08:00 PM

A few years ago, a ship docked at a Philadelphia terminal bearing what most people thought was a Nazi swastika. They did not know that what they really saw was a symbol of something else. I think the only differance between the symbols is that if you take an mirror image of the Nazi swastika, it would be the reverse and then be a differant symbol. Its a shame a government took a good symbol and changed it around and now people around the world will still confuse it with Nazism.