if we were talking about walking by some guy in the street it would be one thing. but i spend more time at my club with the people there than i do with my family. it matters to me who i spend so much of my time with.
The conclusion! So, I finally talked to the dude. I was wearing a Suicidal Tendencies shirt and he says "you like suicidal?" so we started talking and it turns out he's a jewish guy from brooklyn/queens and isn't racist at all. Yeah, I guess I'm an idiot for judging, but I guess I'll know better next time.
End of the day you had concerns, and you stood up, like a man, and asked about them. Obviously the best thing to do and i'm sure that once everyone at the gym is aware of the truth then this guy will feel a lot more at home.
there you go. good thing you talked to him and cleared it up. and it does not sound like you had to even specifically ask him about the tattoo so no harm no foul. i don't personally think you did anything wrong other than maybe taking too long to talk to him. so i think this has shown it is totally possible to clear up concerns about these kinds of things without stepping on any toes or turning the situation into a bad one.
Let's not forget that the swastika is also a religious symbol. Another good example of corrupted use of symbols.
That's remarkeable - I thought most of those guys were almost dead. The Simon Wiesenthal Center may be interest in hearing about it.
well maybe the original nazi party, but there are many Neo-Nazi groups, and National Socialism (the political ideology that they followed) is alive and well throughout the western world.
These groups do exist and you would be well advised to be aware of that fact if that is your point than you'll get no arguments from me. I do think Lordazazel raised the best point of the thread by asking why the title was not "Is the new guy in my MT gym a nazi?" because the original point of the thread was he wanted to find out. Since he stated the guy is a nazi he has drawn a conclusion already that has now been proven wrong.
All-in-all, I'd say it turned out to be one of the most productive threads on MAP. I can't think of a better showcase for the problems that can be caused by stereotyping. Now, if we can make this happen in the real world more often I think we will be just fine. P.S. Don't you love a happy ending.
And to highlight that fact, look at this... (and this is only in the U.S.) Hatewatch.org Totally right there man...
Thank-you very much for seeing my point here. Sure, the guy who posted this topic has his heart in the right place (ie. he respects the rules and etiquette of his gym and his fellow students, which includes many ethnic minorities). Nothing fundamentally wrong with that, I'm sure we can all relate to that. BUT.... The over-riding theme here is that so many people, even the articulate, educated and disciplined sections of society (a description which many people on here fit), are so quick to wrongly judge others, based solely upon their appearance. Take a look at my description below and you'll see what I mean. 1. I'm 25 and have a shaved head (an unfortunate course of action, taken due to onset of premature baldness! ) 2. I constantly wear black (I'm a rock/metal fan). 3. I am also heavily tattood on both upper arms (including double barbed-wire on my right arm!). 4. I own a copy of Mein Kampf (NOT because I agreed with his mad plans, but because I wish to learn from history). 5. I even dispute the oft-quoted "six million" Holocaust figure (because there is CONVINCING academic evidence to the contrary) and watch with disgust at Israel's treatment of the Palestinians (over 66 UN Resolutions against them speaks for itself :bang: ). SO.... Am I a Nazi? Not a chance! Yet no doubt, many of you out there would assume I am and willingly ban ME from training at your club, based on the above description. Well, I'm sorry to say this, but looking at all 12 pages of this thread, I'm glad I don't train with any of you.
i agree with a lot of what you are saying, but the description of yourself and mein kamph are beside the point. no one once said because he has some tattoos and wears black he is a nazi. people were saying because he has a *specific* tattoo that is often used by neo-nazis it is *possible* that he is a racist. there is a difference.
Possibly not, but in my experience anyone who tries to draw some kind of parallel between the Holocaust and Israeli government policy usualy turns out to be a closet anti-Semite. Are you? The only people who have ever found the so-called 'evidence' against the murder of six million Jews by the Nazi's have been... you've guessed it: other Nazi's. No reputable acedemic has ever been put forward to support this evil nonsense. Charlatans like David Irving have made a career out of Holocaust-denial, but have been shown up for the frauds they are. I don't know what your sources are, but I'm afraid you have been misled. Please, please, look at the facts before you post stuff like this, because if a lie gets repeated enough times then some people start to believe it.
I can't believe this thread is still kicking around. Damn. Do I have to go back and read all these pages to figure out whether this cat that showed up at the gym was a bonafide Nazi or not?!?!? Yes there were many, many Jew's killed during the holocaust... and there were also many, many other's who were killed as well. You'd think for a people that were almost wiped out by the Nazi's genocide that they'd have been a bit more clued up in regards to how they dealt with Palestinians and all that has happened with the Jews in Israel. Guess people don't learn from history as much as we'd like to think eh. :bang:
