BS: Those who don't learn from history.....

Subject: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: JohnnyBeezer
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 11:49 AM

Well, I'd just like to say to the psychotic wanker/s who desecrated those graves in Etaples. These brave young guys died in a just war so that TWATS like you can daub this kind of scum on their graves.
Anytime, Anywhere you COWARDLY FUCK!!

Johnny N

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: GUEST,Forum Lurker
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 11:52 AM

A link to or description of the story you're talking about would be quite helpful.

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 11:58 AM

There are people like that everywhere. Not many of them, but too many. Here is a link. - French plea as cemetery defaced

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: Troll
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 12:02 PM

Here ya go, fresh from The Drudge Report.
SICK French yobs daubed a swastika
                        and vile anti-war slurs at a cemetery for
                        11,000 British troops.

                        The showpiece cenotaph at the graveyard in Northern France was smeared
                        in red paint with the words: "Dig up your rubbish. It's fouling our soil."

                        Other slogans at the Etaples cemetery near Boulogne included "Death to the
                        Yankees" and "Saddam Hussein will win and spill your blood."

                        And the vandals wrote "Rosbeefs go home" — the French insult for Brits is
                        roast-beefs. Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush were
                        also branded war criminals.

                        The graffiti was discovered by a shocked gardener and spotted by around 80
                        visitors. It was cleaned off the same day.

                        Roy Hemmington — spokesman for the Commonwealth War Graves
                        Commission — said: "We are deeply offended. This is the strongest language
                        and most vile graffiti I have witnessed at a war graves cemetery.

                        "The suggestion that the bodies of soldiers who died for France should be
                        dug up is particularly foul."

                        Most soldiers buried at the cemetery were defending France at the Somme
                        and Ypres during World War I.

                        Another 122 are troops who died fighting the Nazis in World War II.

                        Among the dead are a winner of the Victoria Cross, 217 holders of the
                        Military Medal and 69 holders of the Military Cross.

                        A number had been awarded France's top military decoration, the Legion
                        d'Honneur.

                        Roy added: "Almost every British regiment has war dead here. This insults
                        just about the entire British Army."

                        Anti-British feeling has been whipped up in France since President Jacques
                        Chirac refused to let the UN back action against Iraq.

                        Last night Jim Kelleher, chief clerk to the Royal Fusiliers Association, said:
                        "No sane person would do this. It is a disgrace. I have family buried in
                        France and if I could get my hands on whoever did this I'd bury them too."

                        Jeremy Lillies, of the Royal British Legion, added: "It is distressing."

                        The Sun's Military Adviser Major-General Perkins said: "It is despicable."

                        Appalled local MP Jacques Lang said: "It is an attack on the memory of the
                        British and American soldiers who contributed to the liberation of our soil."

                        Police captain Thibault Martin added: "It is sick and cowardly."

                      The shocking news comes as a new poll reveals that a third of the French
                        want SADDAM to win the war. (italics mine)

                        A massive 78 per cent of 1,000 people in the poll by French newspaper Le
                        Monde disapproved of the Allied action.

                        But 16 per cent "really wish for" a Coalition victory — while 37 per cent said
                        they would prefer one.

Happy to be of service.

troll

                        

Here ya go, fresh from The Drudge Report.

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: Kim C
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 02:05 PM

That sure ain't very nice. I think there's a special place in hell for people like that.

A couple of years ago, near Columbia, TN, some drunk teenagers vandalized a historic church and its cemetery. They turned over headstones, broke into the church, and pushed the organ over the railing. (the organ was up in the balcony)

Some people have WAY too much time on their hands.

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 02:49 PM

A red letter day for the Francophobes, and a sad day for the rest of us.
Giok

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 04:15 PM

That link I gave gives a fuller version than the Drudge report does - with pictures of the vandalism as well. Worth noting that the graffiti included a swastika - not clear whether that was neo-nazis putting down their trademark, or if it was intended to refer to Bush and Blair.

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: Troll
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 04:44 PM

Drudge has the pics but I don't know how to cut 'n paste them.

troll

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: Ireland
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 05:02 PM

Second go at this post.

The swastika was in the form of the Buddhist peace symbol.

Strange how people advocate peace and in the same time wish harm on others.

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Apr 03 - 07:59 PM

You mean it was back to front? That's a pretty common error people make when they aren't too used to drawing swastika (they have it looking as if it's rotating clockwise rather than anti-clockwise.) U don't think it was meant as a peace symbol of any kind!

It's very strange what happened to this symbol - back in the 20s the Chinese Red Cross used to make use of it, and of course classic editions of Rudyard Kipling used to have it on the cover, because it was widely used in India as a sign of goodwill. Sometimes with the arms going one way, and sometimes the other way.

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 03 Apr 03 - 03:00 AM

Aye, disgusting. But before we go off ranting about the perfidy of te French, let's get things in pespective; one warped nutter could have accomplished this on his own. I bet a goodly number of the French folks in the area would happily give the culprit[s] a public flogging.

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: Ireland
Date: 03 Apr 03 - 05:41 AM

Your right Boab, I do not think that this type of vandalism has any support in France.

McG of H I understand your point,I did not know of the difference myself,it was pointed out on some TV show, that its configuration was that of the peace sign. I assumed that this was used with reference to the war from peace protestors.

(Have you been watching the UK History chn.? A lot of shows revisiting Vietnam, one on My Lai was quite interesting.)

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: Troll
Date: 03 Apr 03 - 06:00 AM

Doesn't the Swastika resemble the Cross of St Olaf or some such? I know that it has been used in the East for centuries.

troll

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: GUEST,Casual Observer
Date: 03 Apr 03 - 05:02 PM

It's also an old Southwestern symbol - Navajo, I think, but I could be mistaken - sometimes you will see it on vintage saddles and woven rugs and tapestries.

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Apr 03 - 02:27 PM

Here in this house museum where I live is a basket collection. One fairly large basket has a colored swastika woven in, taking visitors somewhat aback. I explain that the basket predates the 30s and 40s by generations. We have a copper spoon with the same symbol.

As someone said, Hitler despoiled a meaningful symbol for all time.

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: Mr Red
Date: 05 Apr 03 - 05:39 AM

I never knew the war but lived the privations following. Three generations on who tells their children of the terror, the horror of war - or the inevitability of human nature to throw-up an eloquent tyrant just as a culture is forgetting.

As we say at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month

Lest we forget" - we don't but the "ME!!" generation has. Was it ever thus!

Subject: RE: BS: Those who don't learn from history.....
From: Nemesis
Date: 06 Apr 03 - 05:14 AM

It's appalling .. I live opposite a large cemetery and there is consistent sickening vandalism to the graves .. even the war graves .. even the babies' graves .. "kids" get blamed but I just don't see how kids can physically smash, push over memorials and headstones, smash the concrete coverings on the graves .. larger kids more like.