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photo by Donald Kinney
Realistically, I have pretty much given up hope. We are a nation of war.
click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
The olive branch as a symbol of peace dates back to early Roman times. Doves also. The symbol of a broken rifle came along in 1909 with the War Resister's International organization founded in Norway.
Later between wars, white poppies that had been used to commemorate the dead were used by the British Peace Pledge Union as "a pledge to peace that war must not happen again". Apparently, Hitler didn't get the message.
click photo for full-size image
photo by Donald Kinney
The broken rifle has also been used, as has three dots in a circle. Finally, in 1958 Gerald Holtom designed what we currently know as the internationally recognized symbol for peace for the British nuclear disarmament movement. In the code of the semaphore, this is a superimposing of the letters "N" (holding flags in an inverted V) and "D" (one flag straight up and the other straight down). "ND" stands for nuclear disarmament, although since then the peace symbol has become widely used by the anti-war movement.
But again, I have pretty much given up hope. Oh, I will continue to do what little I can do, but I am starting to come to the realization that peace must begin as a spark within ourselves. First we must find our own personal peace, and there are unlimited ways to go about this. I'm sure you have your own way of going about it, but for me, I attempt to seek peace in the subjects I photograph. I'll keep trying.
note: First two images are recent. Last image taken December 22, 2007.
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4 comments:
Don ... Peace to you! And thanks for sharing your daily tokens of race with us!!
JB
Thanks JB (JAN BELL) -- I think Siri meant "peace" instead of "race", but I got the idea.
Peace, yes peace. Peace be with you!
JB
Dear Donald,
I share your wish for peace in the world and I hope that 2013 will be a better year in this respect.
On the other hand, I read yesterday in the newspapers that weapon sales increased (!) in the US after Newtown massacre and that there are around 90 guns for every 100 Americans. It’s difficult to understand: Why do civil American citizens "need" to buy weapons? Your country has the most powerful police, secret service and military forces in the world; why would civil citizens "need" to carry guns and rifles?
Greetings,
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