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Sure, Wear The Pin

Nov 23, 2016
by Caroline Miller
Adolf Hitler, Carnation Revolution, Christopher Keelty, Iwo Jima, safety pin as sign of inclusion, the power of symbols, the swastika, World War II
8 Comments
safety pin

Courtesy of yahoo.com

After the 2016 presidential election, I read an opinion piece that mocked people who donned a safety-pin to show their solidarity with marginalized people. (Click)  The critic, Christopher Keelty, accused these individuals of hypocrisy: assuaging their guilt rather than taking substantive action.  “Marginalized people know full well the long history of white people calling themselves allies while doing nothing to help.” He went on to explain, “Even if you aren’t a racist, you still benefit from racism.” 

In a second blog, he expands upon his theme.  He exhorts white people to attend black churches as an example of real action.  (Click)  His advice leaves me nonplussed. If white citizens don’t have much skin in the game and can’t be trusted, what good would that gesture serve?  To be honest, his suggestion strikes me as a trifle arrogant. Are white people to assume they can arrive at black churches without invitation and  be welcomed simply because they are white?  How antebellum is that?

My guess is that Keelty knows little about race relations.  Certainly, his ignorance about the power of  symbols is breathtaking.  Perhaps he is too young to remember World War II,  when the Danes engaged in a symbolic gesture of defiance against their occupiers, wearing four coins tied together with red and white ribbons in their buttonholes.  Perhaps he is too young to remember Portugal’s Carnation Revolution in 1974, a bloodless flower defiance that spawned the Rose Revolution in Georgian (2003) and the Tulip Revolt in  Kyrgyzstan (2005).

The flower,  the swastika, the four coins and certainly, the cross have all played their

iwo jima

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part in the course of human history.  More recently, the red ribbon rallied support for HIV victims.  Frankly, we live smaller lives without the outward show of our inward feelings.  Recall the image of marines raising the American flag over Iwo Jima.  Was that an empty gesture?

Symbols are not a substitute for action.  They are a call to act.  Those who wish to wear the pin as a sign of solidarity should do so.  They break no laws by revealing what is in their hearts.

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8 Comments
  1. Maggi White November 23, 2016 at 7:35 am Reply
    Well said.
    • Caroline Miller November 23, 2016 at 7:48 am Reply
      Thank you, Maggi
  2. MaryBeth Kelly November 23, 2016 at 8:20 am Reply
    Great reminder to us of the importance of our symbols. I find it strange that critical remarks have been made by others about the safety pin. Americans are devoted to their symbols and wear them all the time. I usually buy a red poppy on Memorial Day and wear it. The local VFW offers the poppies then, and I note that at my beach cabin, the local VFD as expanded the poppy days to other holidays, such as Veterans' Day. Our presidents (and other politicians) now wear an American Flag lapel pin. I recall criticism being made of our current president for not wearing one. Even the president-elect has started wearing one. I wear a red-white-blue t-shirt on July 4. Tattoos may be the ultimate in symbol wearing. Many I see have obvious symbols of solidarity tattooed prominently on their bodies. Your examples of symbol-wearing are most apt. Thank you.
    • Caroline Miller November 23, 2016 at 10:15 am Reply
      About symbols, you chose some great ones, MaryBeth. Thanks for reminding us.
  3. Sydney Stevens November 23, 2016 at 8:53 am Reply
    Bravo!
    • Caroline Miller November 23, 2016 at 10:13 am Reply
      Bravo to safety pin wearers where ever you are.
  4. Pamela November 23, 2016 at 11:51 am Reply
    Excellent piece, Caroline!
    • Caroline Miller November 23, 2016 at 12:06 pm Reply
      Always happy to hear from you Pamela. And thank you. Glad you agree.

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Contact Caroline at

carolinemiller11@yahoo.com

Portland, Oregon author Caroline Miller had distinguished careers as an educator, union president, elected official and artist/advocate.

Her play, Woman on the Scarlet Beast, was performed at the Post5 Theatre, Portland, OR, January/February 2015

Caroline published a serialized novelette, Marie Eau-Claire, on the website, The Colored Lens.  She also published the story Gustav Pavel,  a parable about ordinary lives, choice and alternate potential, on the website Fixional.co.

Caroline has published four novels

  • Ballet Noir
  • Trompe l’Oeil
  • Gothic Spring
  • Heart Land

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