The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports that the vendor was selling the hats embroidered with swastikas and a skull-and-bones logo used by the Nazi SS at a stand during Biketoberfest, an ongoing festival that draws thousands of bikers to the Daytona Beach area this month.
*****
Nazi symbols and memorabilia have been a part of the outlaw biker culture almost from the start.
I used to hang out with a retired Red and White guy and his house and shop was filled with everything from Nazi flags to SS skull pins to dress uniform runes, all of it authentic. That was his hobby, just like some folks collect stamps and others collect carnival glassware. His collection of Wehrmacht helmets was huge, some of them in great condition and a couple with bullet or shrapnel holes in them.
He collected all kinds of 20th century military memorabilia, but the largest parts of his collection were Nazi shit and 101st Airborne pieces from the unit he served with in Vietnam.
I wonder if they would pitch a bitch fit over Hammer and Sickle, Red Star, or Che merchandise?
ReplyDeleteI am just going to say it. My hometown is a very small, less than 800 people, village in Michigan, called Hesperia. Not California, thank God. We were very white, very conservative, but very non bigoted, having a couple of black families, and a large number of hispanic families who we never considered as other than part of the community.
ReplyDeleteImagine to my surprise when my dad told me, when I was maybe 17, that a house just south of town, that had been empty for probably 40 years, had been abandoned, and when someone went inside they found a large cache of KKK items, including robes and hoods, literature, and pictures, etc. I guess that it had been some type of a meeting place for a small group in the area.
I don't know if the owners just up and left, if there was some trouble involved with it, or any of the story. I do know that there is a place to the north and east that was a part of what was called the underground railroad. It is near the old CCC camps, of FDR's attempt to give people a job. In high school it was the party spot for Juniors and Seniors. Among other spots. The actual place of the underground railroad was a farm house, but I haven't been up there in over 35 years, so I don't even know that it is even a farm anymore.
Even though our nation has only been in existence for around 2 and a half centuries, as a nation, the history of it is at times just amazing, especially when you look right in your own back yard. Just north about 3.5 hours, I have driven the path that Father Marquette took and found a church building that was built from logs, and still standing. I can't remember the story of it, just north of the Tunnel of Trees north of Harbor Springs.
I was looking for it, and found this bunch of pictures of the Upper Peninsula, which if you love the outdoors, it is worth a look. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=the+church+in+upper+michigan+that+is+falling+apart&qpvt=the+church+in+upper+michigan+that+is+fallen+apart&tsc=ImageHoverTitle&form=IQFRML&first=1
Of course the racist police are everywhere now with their cellular device taking pictures. Meanwhile if you turned the camera around you would see an overweight person in pajamas with a unicorn rainbow shirt wearing crocs and has no job, but for some reason has enough money for full sleeve tattoos on both arms.
ReplyDeleteThe idiots that know pretty much nothing do not understand the connection, just like the Southern items, especially in Southern Rock. Most folks I know who are involved with that type of symbols or memorabilia are not in it for any racist aspect, it is more the 'rebel', 'sticking it to the man', etc. and some of the Nazi stuff is just down right cool looking.
ReplyDeleteMy WWII Vet Uncle gave each of his nephews a German gun that he mailed home when he was with 3rd Army. When it was my turn the two Lugers were taken by older cousins and I was not impressed by the Broomhandles. I chose the Walther PPK in 7.65mm because it was small. I used it for a daily carry until a co-worker/shooting buddy pointed out the Luftwaffe cartouche and the value of the pistol. It is a safe queen now.
ReplyDeleteI know a biker lady who has a set of Sig runes from Sonny Barger. She's Korean, so her White Supremacist creds are at least a little iffy.
ReplyDeleteThe late, great Lemmy was a well-known collector of Nazi stuff, but was definitely not a racist.
ReplyDeleteThese people need to get a clue.
These weren't memorabilia nor war relics. They were newly-made ball caps, red of course, with a swastike, SS runes, or the SS Death's Head on the forepeak.
ReplyDeleteThat pointed out, it didn't amount to a tempest in a teapot. The goods were seen on display, the owner of the venue was informed, he immediately told the vendor to remove them, she did, and the party continued. That didn't stop the Daytona News-Journal got a full-on case of the vapors over it. Front page, above the fold, banner headline.
We all know that NAZIS are evil. The child rapists in Hollywood told us so.
ReplyDeleteThe Cabbage Patch had a few vendors that sold a variety of politically incorrect goods like that. Klan shit, Nazi shit, you name it. Haven't been in a while, so maybe that's stopped
ReplyDelete