# How would you answer?



## Thorlifter (Sep 8, 2008)

I was wearing my t-shirt the other day where on the front it says Messerschmitt Bf-109 and on the back is a full color picture of Adolf Galland's 109.

I guy who was probably 50 stopped me and said, "Do you know the hatred that shirt represents?"

What would your response to him be? I'd like to hear what ya'll would have said before I post what I did say.


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## pbfoot (Sep 8, 2008)

Thorlifter said:


> I was wearing my t-shirt the other day where on the front it says Messerschmitt Bf-109 and on the back is a full color picture of Adolf Galland's 109.
> 
> I guy who was probably 50 stopped me and said, "Do you know the hatred that shirt represents?"
> 
> What would your response to him be? I'd like to hear what ya'll would have said before I post what I did say.


 F### o##


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## Lucky13 (Sep 8, 2008)

I'd be too  to say something I think....


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## evangilder (Sep 8, 2008)

Maybe the proper response should have been "No hablo"


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## Wurger (Sep 8, 2008)

People are able to present the hatred only , machines are their tool only.


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## ccheese (Sep 8, 2008)

I probably would have told him that I am an aviation buff of WW-II. That
these wonderful aircraft are gone, but not forgotten. In my small way I
am trying to generate support for the many, many organizations that are
trying to put these beautiful planes back into the air.

If he wouldn't accept that than I would have told his to shove his remark 
up his azz.

Charles


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## Erich (Sep 8, 2008)

move him to the side and ask to explain further privately. I've done it several times with other shirts. People really do not have a clue, but associations are associations in our times. any of you guys remember the "in" it was to wear a Maltese cross around your neck with chain............man did we get accused big time ....you nazi punk


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## Matt308 (Sep 8, 2008)

I'd make an attempt to explain it to him. But its hard to convey logic to what is an obviously emotional topic for that guy. Probably just going to waste your breath. As Mr. C said, Plan B should be close at hand.


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## B-17engineer (Sep 8, 2008)

I like Evanglider's response


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## Negative Creep (Sep 8, 2008)

I can see where the guy is coming from and how such a shirt could be construed as offensive. He wouldn't know you're interested in planes and would probably assume anything to do with the Nazis would make you one. I wouldn't wear such a shirt for that very reason. I also think it would be harder to get away with wearing it in this country. Does the plane have the swastika on?


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## Thorlifter (Sep 8, 2008)

Well, I told him, "Ya know, me wearing this shirt is in no way supporting the Nazi regime or ideals. It's a fascination of, in my opinion, the greatest time in aviation history. My supporting the restoration of machines of this era would be like a civil war buff restoring a canon, but that doesn't mean he hates or supports slavery."

He just huffed his breath, smirked, and walked off. So I raised my voice a bit and said, "And if you don't like that explanation, you can stick your head up your ignorant, uneducated ass."


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## Thorlifter (Sep 8, 2008)

No NC, it doesn't have a swastika.


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## ToughOmbre (Sep 8, 2008)

Me? 

I'm with Charles.

TO


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## Gnomey (Sep 8, 2008)

I would of attempted an explanation and if that had worked would of done something similar to what you ended up doing Thor.


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## timshatz (Sep 8, 2008)

"Do you know the hatred that shirt represents?"

"Yeah, I do. I understand that most T-shirts used to be made in the US and are now made all over the world by people making pennies an hour. Or worse yet, being pumped out by machines. Once apon a time, the average t-shirt was made in a plant in the US. But no more and those jobs have left the country. 

I feel your pain brother."

Like Zippy the Pinhead said, "If you can't say something nice, say something surreal."


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## Udet (Sep 8, 2008)

...


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## Matt308 (Sep 8, 2008)

Zippy the Pinhead is NOT surreal. He's just gay.


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## pbfoot (Sep 8, 2008)

I believe in economy of words and stick with my first it just cuts right to the chase


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## RabidAlien (Sep 8, 2008)

"Do you know the ignorance that question represents?"


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## JugBR (Sep 8, 2008)

Thorlifter said:


> I was wearing my t-shirt the other day where on the front it says Messerschmitt Bf-109 and on the back is a full color picture of Adolf Galland's 109.
> 
> I guy who was probably 50 stopped me and said, "Do you know the hatred that shirt represents?"
> 
> What would your response to him be? I'd like to hear what ya'll would have said before I post what I did say.



i would answer:


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## Thorlifter (Sep 8, 2008)

timshatz said:


> "Do you know the hatred that shirt represents?"
> 
> "Yeah, I do. I understand that most T-shirts used to be made in the US and are now made all over the world by people making pennies an hour. Or worse yet, being pumped out by machines. Once apon a time, the average t-shirt was made in a plant in the US. But no more and those jobs have left the country.
> 
> ...



hahahaha. I like it, Tim!!!!


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## Catch22 (Sep 8, 2008)

I'd either ignore him or explain to him what it's really about. It's obvious he really knows nothing of the conflict.


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## Heinz (Sep 8, 2008)

I believe 'Do some research' would be my answer.


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## wilbur1 (Sep 8, 2008)

Well i think i would say" sir i understand the meaning of this shirt,and the fact that it represents a regime that did absolutly despicable things, but at the same time this man represented his country, not his king, and he did what he had to do. In my oppinion he did his job very well same as every fighter that fought in the air. He did what a soldier would do ....followed his orders." if the guy still had a problem i would get all lesofprimus on him and ask his ass what the f##k were you doing for the country you lived or born at the time! im not old enough to have been in that war but it looks to me like youve been around since the crusades and are probably just as much a jackass now as they were then (sorry for the reference Dan)


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## marshall (Sep 9, 2008)

I would like to say that I wouldn't be so harsh on the guy. In my country such a t-shirt could be easily offensive to a lot of people. I know it's bad to be intollerant and personally I don't have anything agianst such a t-shirt, though I wouldn't put on this t-shirt, and I can understand why it can be perceived as something bad by a lot of people. The plane which of course is guilty of no bad thing (the people are) but it represents a regime which made a very bad things. Plus in Europe, I'm not sure if in whole Europe, but in Poland and Germany we have problems we neo-nazi movements. So wearing such a t-shirt you can be seen as a member of such movements. Especially by people which are not aviation enthusiast.

Just my two cents.


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## Thorlifter (Sep 9, 2008)

I do understand where Marshall, Seesul, Wojtek, and all our English friends would have a different view of the shirt. And out of respect for them and their culture, I wouldn't even think of wearing it if I ever got the opportunity to visit their countries.

It seems to me that this guy read a magazine article about WWII and that's all he knows about it. He probably believes the Japanese were just like the Bugs Bunny cartoons.

I don't know.......I was cool explaining it to him until he huffed and walked away. That just shows a closed and ignorant mind, IMO.


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## eddie_brunette (Sep 9, 2008)

A person that just walks up to you and start judging you immediately looses all respect from me.

w


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## timshatz (Sep 9, 2008)

Matt308 said:


> Zippy the Pinhead is NOT surreal. He's just gay.



He's that too. Out there.


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## Clave (Sep 9, 2008)

I have 2 x T-shirts with a Spitfire, P-40, Hurricane, and Mustang on the back.

Should I worry about offending someone?


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## marshall (Sep 9, 2008)

Thorlifter said:


> I do understand where Marshall, Seesul, Wojtek, and all our English friends would have a different view of the shirt. And out of respect for them and their culture, I wouldn't even think of wearing it if I ever got the opportunity to visit their countries.
> 
> It seems to me that this guy read a magazine article about WWII and that's all he knows about it. He probably believes the Japanese were just like the Bugs Bunny cartoons.
> 
> I don't know.......I was cool explaining it to him until he huffed and walked away. That just shows a closed and ignorant mind, IMO.





To be clear on this, I don't think you did something wrong wearing this t-shirt or talking like you talked to that guy, but I can imagine that such a thing (wearing this t-shirt) can to some people bring some very bad memories. I don't know if that was the case with that guy, probably not and he was just an ignorant.


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## Thorlifter (Sep 9, 2008)

Clave said:


> I have 2 x T-shirts with a Spitfire, P-40, Hurricane, and Mustang on the back.
> 
> Should I worry about offending someone?



Nowadays........yes.

You could offend people of German, Italian, or Japanese heritage that had family members shot down by these planes.

Geez, you can't make anyone happy anymore. People will find something to complain about.


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## JugBR (Sep 9, 2008)

marshall said:


> I would like to say that I wouldn't be so harsh on the guy. In my country such a t-shirt could be easily offensive to a lot of people. I know it's bad to be intollerant and personally I don't have anything agianst such a t-shirt, though I wouldn't put on this t-shirt, and I can understand why it can be perceived as something bad by a lot of people. The plane which of course is guilty of no bad thing (the people are) but it represents a regime which made a very bad things. Plus in Europe, I'm not sure if in whole Europe, but in Poland and Germany we have problems we neo-nazi movements. So wearing such a t-shirt you can be seen as a member of such movements. Especially by people which are not aviation enthusiast.
> 
> Just my two cents.



marshall we could understand why such t-shirt would be ofensive for some polish people. but for an american or a brazilian or any other country that wasnt heavly striked by germans. just cant understand why.


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## JugBR (Sep 9, 2008)

Thorlifter said:


> Nowadays........yes.
> 
> *You could offend people of German, Italian, or Japanese heritage that had family members shot down by these planes.*
> 
> Geez, you can't make anyone happy anymore. People will find something to complain about.



dont know..


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## B-17engineer (Sep 9, 2008)

Clave said:


> I have 2 x T-shirts with a Spitfire, P-40, Hurricane, and Mustang on the back.
> 
> Should I worry about offending someone?



Today you can offend anyone with anything........


Edit> Sorry Thor didn't see your post till after I posted this sorry


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## Captain Dunsel (Sep 9, 2008)

Adolf Galland wasn't a Nazi, but he was a German who fought for his country. I admire the technology and creativity the planes he flew displayed, and I respect his willingness to fight for his homeland. 

CD


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## Crunch (Sep 10, 2008)

Thorlifter said:


> Geez, you can't make anyone happy anymore. People will find something to complain about.



Thats pretty much it... I think you've answered it right there and then.

Now how about if the shirt had "WWII aircraft restoration society" or something on it. Would he then have made the connection with the machine and the reasoning for the shirt? 

I think there's many correct answers for this, from a quick F-off to a long-winded reply such as the ones above. But no matter how you choose to do it, an ignorant mind cannot be breached.


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## Freebird (Sep 10, 2008)

Thorlifter said:


> I was wearing my t-shirt the other day where on the front it says Messerschmitt Bf-109 and on the back is a full color picture of Adolf Galland's 109.
> 
> I guy who was probably 50 stopped me and said, "Do you know the hatred that shirt represents?"
> 
> What would your response to him be? I'd like to hear what ya'll would have said before I post what I did say.




OK I'll take a stab at this...


"Yes sir, I do know the hatred that this shirt represents, it represents *MY HATRED* for the hypocritical wimps and appeasers that allowed a corporal, a chicken farmer a drug addict to take a country with NO TANKS, NO AIR FORCE and NO NAVY, build 1,000's of these aircraft and crush the whole of continental Europe while the Democracies sat idle. 

Sorry to say that we still have these *IGNORANT* peacniks today, who protest and insult our brave military men, while taking advantage of THE SOLDIERS sacrifice to drive their gas-guzzling SUV's down to excersize first amendment rights at the anti-war protest.

I'm sure glad you arn't one of those ignorant buffoons, sir"


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## lesofprimus (Sep 10, 2008)

Since not many people in their right mind would actually come up to me and say something like that, this turd obviously has thrust his unwarranted opinion on others in the past...

My reply would be simple:

"Do I look like the kind of guy that gives a sh!t what an ******* like urself thinks???"

Then I would stare him down...


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## Becca (Sep 10, 2008)

and the old addage..."opinions are like as*holes..." comes to mind...


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## Lucky13 (Sep 10, 2008)

lesofprimus said:


> Since not many people in their right mind would actually come up to me and say something like that, this turd obviously has thrust his unwarranted opinion on others in the past...
> 
> My reply would be simple:
> 
> ...












Les'Bride said:


> and the old addage..."opinions are like as*holes..." comes to mind...


Those that don't have an opinion....does that mean that they don't have an *sshole?


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## Becca (Sep 10, 2008)

Nope, Lucky..even when you don't have an opinion, you can still fall back on the latter.


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## Wayne Little (Sep 10, 2008)




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## Lucky13 (Sep 10, 2008)

I have no opinion in the matter.....


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## Thorlifter (Sep 10, 2008)

lesofprimus said:


> Since not many people in their right mind would actually come up to me and say something like that, this turd obviously has thrust his unwarranted opinion on others in the past...



I hear ya Les. After thinking about it a while, I was amazed he approached me the way he did as I'm not a little, wimpy guy (6'-3" and 250 pounds). Usually when someone does something that shocks you, you can't think of anything good to say. But I'm glad I got out what I did.

Ah well. Thanks for the input guys.


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## Henk (Sep 10, 2008)

I would explain the whole story behind it all and try to explain to the person that it has nothing to do with the Nazis or the horrible things they did, but rather the love of the aircraft and the men that flew them.


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## B-17engineer (Sep 10, 2008)

That's a way to explain!


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