PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — His U.S. Senate campaign under fire, Maine Democrat Graham Platner said Wednesday that a tattoo on his chest has been covered to no longer reflect an image widely recognized as a Nazi symbol.
The first-time political candidate said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007, when he was in his 20s and in the Marine Corps. It happened during a night of drinking while he was on leave in Croatia, he said, adding he was unaware until recently that the image has been associated with Nazi police.
A skull and crossbones sounds like a symbol that was co-opted by nazis but not an explicit nazi symbol. I didn’t know that connection either. Without seeing it, that sounds more like a pirate symbol, or poison.
The pirate skull and crossbones is different from the one used by nazis. The pirate one has the skull facing forward and long bones behind. The nazi one is facing a bit to the side and only the snobby joint parts of the bones behind are showing.
Kind of like how the US and other countries have eagle iconography that is visually distinct from the nazi eagle iconography.
Yes, he did have the nazi one but his explanation of it being a mistake sounds reasonable. Nobody is perfect, we can admit mistakes and change for the better.
Yes, but the bigger question is, if it was a mistake, why didn’t he remedy it in the part 20 years since? He apparently did learn it was a Tottenkopf at some point, if the reports that he has told others that exact thing are to be believed; why wait to cover it up until he was running for office?
Also, he had it covered with a Norse wolf, which, Nazis appropriate Norse imagery to cover up their most unsavory bullshit is a whole goddamn thing…
He didn’t even wait until he was running for office, he waited until the photo leaked. He never would have disclosed it.
Could he be lying and really a secret nazi pretending to be a decent person? Sure. Is a norse wolf a sketchy choice. Yes.
But people not knowing things and then doing something when they find out is reasonable.
He knew about it WAAAAY before this year. He only did something about it now because it was interfering with his political ambitions.
He’s a disingenuous Nazi twat, and anyone still defending him at this point should really reconsider calling themselves antifascist.
That newly presented information does make it look like he was not honest about the timing of when he found out.
norse symbols, runes, iconography, even thier gods are coopted by nazis.
I do agree with you. But on the other hand…
people
notknowing things and then doing something when theyfind outget caught is… ?Good to know, thanks
I agree, the description is vague and the symbol was most assuredly was co-opted by Nazis (past and present) just like the swastika, blackletter typeface, Nordic symbols, and a whole bunch of other stuff of historical significance.
But, accidental or not, this seems a pretty cut and dry comparison, art-wise.
And a quick search of the historical context
Depending on the person, id give it the benefit of doubt for a case of “You were in the wrong tattoo parlor and didn’t recognize the more subtle nazi and/or supremacist dogwhistles”.
Politicians are blatantly exempt from any benefit of doubt. They have PR teams for this shit, and couldn’t be bothered to utilize that.
If your PR team is well versed on the minutia of Nazi symbology, they are either expensive or they are Nazis.
Establishment candidates have more support from the national party than progressive primary candidates running for the chance to challenge an incumbent. I’d give the latter more benefit of the doubt, especially when they express remorse and regret.