I am not comfortable with MtheGM speaking for virtually the entire british nation possibly including me - indeed he hints that much of Europe agrees with his viewpoint -

"50,000,000 people in this country, and who knows how many more in the rest of Europe, view it differently"

As someone who on his own admission was heavily involved in the CND movement his viewpoint is undoubtedly coloured by his experience

Things change and a great deal of time has passed since the symbol first appeared - as artbrooks suggests there will undoubtedly be many who have grown up since who know nothing of these origins

I accept that I can no longer tell people that I am feeling gay without conveying a false impression. MtheGM accepts that the semaphore signalling system is different now than it was when he was in the scouts. I also accept that the CND symbol has taken on a far greater meaning than it originally had and I would have thought that the originators would be PROUD that it has.

if 50,000,000 people agree with MtheGM let them or some of them join this thread and support the argument because at the moment all we can say for sure is that 3 people think that way and one of those seems prepared to accept that it has changed. "Clearly that was here and then. The symbol means something more general and apolitical now, throughout the rest of the world at any rate."

In the meantime this is one Brit who is quite comfortable (and proud) that the people of this land have created a worldwide symbol of peace however it originated