Is the Cubs “W” flag going to be the next symbol of racist hate?
Come on people! I had to write this blog because things are getting completely out of hand! Mostly that is the media’s fault and not the general public’s fault but this latest thing about the “white supremacist” Cubs fan flashing some neo-nazi hand sign during the Cubs win over the Marlins is just plain stupid.
I spent most of my time as a cop in the gang and narcotics unit and there are a HUGE number of different hand signs as well as sports jerseys, logos, etc. that can be used to signify gang affiliation, racist meanings etc. However, the use of those signs and apparel, as well as the way one would wear the apparel, has to be taken in context.
For instance, The L.A. Kings hockey team used to have a five-pointed gold crown as their team logo. One of the world’s largest and most organized street gangs, The Latin Kings, used to wear the jersey as a way of representing their gang. Does that mean if you saw an elderly woman wearing an L.A. Kings jersey that you could assume she was a Latin King? Ahhhhh…No.
[caption id="attachment_1211" align="alignleft" width="260"]![L.A. Kings old logo that was used by Latin Kings to signify membership.]()
L.A. Kings old logo that was used by Latin Kings to signify membership.[/caption]
The guy in the video is more than likely, playing an old game of “break the circle” or by its other names “A-hole” or “Gazer”
It is a little childish and versions of this game are all over but all use the circle that you lower to your waist and if you catch someone looking at it you yell A-hole! or Gazer! The person then has to stick their finger into the hole you created and if they don’t do it in time you get to punch them as hard as you can in the shoulder. I told you it was childish. I ended up playing this in the military and you come up with creative ways to catch people. Maybe like flashing it during a Cubs game that you know your buddies are watching while you are on the phone with them so that after the game you get to go find them and punch them in the shoulder. Again, childish but it is a real thing. Now I don’t know who this guy in the video of the broadcast is so I can’t comment on his ideology but the Cubs organization is launching a full investigation to find this guy and ban him from Wrigley field without even knowing his intentions. God forbid they actually release his name and he starts to get death threats or someone makes good on the threats.
Of course, if you have a Cubs fan at a game dressed like Henry Gibson from the Blues Brothers and yelling racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic slurs while burning a cross in center field then chances are you might actually have a neo-nazi on your hands.
[caption id="attachment_1213" align="alignright" width="203"]!["The Blues Brothers" Henry Gibson © 1980 Universal Pictures]()
"The Blues Brothers"
Henry Gibson
© 1980 Universal Pictures[/caption] All kidding aside for now, racism sucks, hate of any kind sucks but if we are not careful, every move we make, every color we wear could potentially get us into trouble. Take for instance the Cubs “W” flag. There is a neo-nazi white supremacist group known as the Church of the Creator which was established by Ben Klassen in 1973, There is also a spinoff of the group called the World Church of the Creator which was established by Matt Hale in 1996 which uses, among other symbols, a large “W”. [caption id="attachment_1212" align="alignright" width="278"]![The logo of the "World Church of the Creator" a notorious neo-nazi group.]()
The logo of the "World Church of the Creator" a notorious neo-nazi group.[/caption]
Could it be that with all of the racist emails from Joe Ricketts and that evil racist fan flashing that upside down OK symbol that the Cub Fans’ beloved big white flag with the big “W” might actually mean something else? If we are not careful and use a little common sense we will all have to burn our Cubs “W” flags and they will maybe have to issue a neutral gray color flag with a “V” for victory instead of “W” for?
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L.A. Kings old logo that was used by Latin Kings to signify membership.[/caption]
The guy in the video is more than likely, playing an old game of “break the circle” or by its other names “A-hole” or “Gazer”
It is a little childish and versions of this game are all over but all use the circle that you lower to your waist and if you catch someone looking at it you yell A-hole! or Gazer! The person then has to stick their finger into the hole you created and if they don’t do it in time you get to punch them as hard as you can in the shoulder. I told you it was childish. I ended up playing this in the military and you come up with creative ways to catch people. Maybe like flashing it during a Cubs game that you know your buddies are watching while you are on the phone with them so that after the game you get to go find them and punch them in the shoulder. Again, childish but it is a real thing. Now I don’t know who this guy in the video of the broadcast is so I can’t comment on his ideology but the Cubs organization is launching a full investigation to find this guy and ban him from Wrigley field without even knowing his intentions. God forbid they actually release his name and he starts to get death threats or someone makes good on the threats.
Of course, if you have a Cubs fan at a game dressed like Henry Gibson from the Blues Brothers and yelling racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic slurs while burning a cross in center field then chances are you might actually have a neo-nazi on your hands.
[caption id="attachment_1213" align="alignright" width="203"]
"The Blues Brothers"Henry Gibson
© 1980 Universal Pictures[/caption] All kidding aside for now, racism sucks, hate of any kind sucks but if we are not careful, every move we make, every color we wear could potentially get us into trouble. Take for instance the Cubs “W” flag. There is a neo-nazi white supremacist group known as the Church of the Creator which was established by Ben Klassen in 1973, There is also a spinoff of the group called the World Church of the Creator which was established by Matt Hale in 1996 which uses, among other symbols, a large “W”. [caption id="attachment_1212" align="alignright" width="278"]
The logo of the "World Church of the Creator" a notorious neo-nazi group.[/caption]
Could it be that with all of the racist emails from Joe Ricketts and that evil racist fan flashing that upside down OK symbol that the Cub Fans’ beloved big white flag with the big “W” might actually mean something else? If we are not careful and use a little common sense we will all have to burn our Cubs “W” flags and they will maybe have to issue a neutral gray color flag with a “V” for victory instead of “W” for?
Find Chicago History The Stranger Side on FACEBOOK
Find Ray Johnson on Twitter
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