Is the Nazi memorabilia guy at the gun show really a Nazi?

[saxon]

No, at one point China was Socialist not Communist, current day China is Capitalist.

As far as the Nazi selling guy is concerned, it's one thing to collect Nazi memorabilia is another to make money on it. If he isn't a Nazi then he obviously doesn't mind catering to them since I assume that's the majority of his suppliers and customers.

Its people like that that give gun shows a bad name. Any time the media does a story on gun rights and gun shows they show guys like him.

ahhhh the Socialist not Communist argument
well america used to be a republic were your rights over ruled the majority
but now we have a democrocy were the need of the many over rules the rights of the indavidual so go figure

 

[akula]

ahhhh the Socialist not Communist argument

Not argument but a fact.

 

[coctailer]

As a German, the Nazi ideals, and their actions in WWII and today, are extremely offensive to me and my family.

As for the guy selling the Swazi-stuff at the gun show, I think he is doing it as a historical trinket. Some are not WWII items, but I think he is doing it as a war-relic type item.

I don't think he is trying to cater to the white-power types. (Even though those guys are probably buying his stuff also)

This is the German flag allowed in our home.

 

[The B]

then you know nothing about the civil war it was about the states rights as givin by the constituion OVER RULE the power givin to the fed government by that same document

i didn't say what it was or wasn't about. i don't care what it was or wasnt about- what happened was the worst tragedy this nations ever known. and like all wars, it was instigated, started, run, but not fought by the rich elite fraction of a percent of the population.

 

[mjbskwim]

about at the least 75% of the product they have is chinese last i looked they are still ccommunist

I would bet that about 95% or better of hat you (or anybody) own(s) is or has parts made in china.
Just the way we let it go.
Not Wally's fault,he just put up the store.
We shop there

 

[raftman]

Who buys modern made nazi nick nacks. Look at the reenactment community. There are memorabilia collectors, who cannot afford the real deal, so knocks off works...

That's the thing, much of what he sells isn't so much a knock-off of genuine Nazi stuff, which certainly would/could save re-enactors a ton of money and trouble. I've been around reenactors, and most of the time, they're quite painstaking in their quest for historical accuracy. If they perform a battle that takes place in 1941, you better not have so much as a mag pouch in a style that didn't get enter usage until 1943... what use reenactors would have for fake Nazi zippo lighters, Nazi baseball caps, or pro-Nazi literature published well after the war... I have no idea.

 

[Velzey]

"That guy" is not a Nazi, he is a collector, maybe you should step up and talk to him. He has been going to Portland area shows for the past 30+ years. Any WWII German items he can identify!

When your heavy into collecting stuff it's easy to get carried away and you end up being labled a whacko......in this case, well maybe you should just stop at his table and talk to him.

 

[mjbskwim]

And as for the Nazi BS. There where some sellers a WAC shows that sold stuff,but were some what believers.
One told my son you can't judge Hitler until you have read mein kampf

Kinda wanted to slap him.Nazis were murderers,plain and simple.To support them or their beliefs makes you OK with murdering anyone you don't see as fit.

 

[coctailer]

As per the rules.....

We do need to keep this from a political debate guys.

To keep this thread, we need to stay on the gun-show/Nazi "Should this be acceptable at our gun show" discussion.

Just a reminder.

 

[22many]

I don't see what the problem is. Last I checked, this is still America. If you don't like what he is selling then don't stop at his booth!

 

[The B]

I don't see what the problem is. Last I checked, this is still America. If you don't like what he is selling then don't stop at his booth!

and this is how 99.999% of us handle it (except me, who's apparently never seen the thing). but i also think we shouldnt forget that there was a time, not too long ago, when the guy would have been drug out and tarred and feathered.

 

[Grunwald]

it's a representation of their heritage. or whatever BS they want to tell you it represents. to me, it represents the saddest time in our nation's history.. where the process my ancestor's ancestors fought and died for fell apart and failed everyone, resulting in American blood spilled on American soil, and brother killing brother, over an imaginary line in the dirt. over half a million American dead.

personally, i think the south should have been allowed to leave without bloodshed. but that's not how it went down, and responsibility lies with both parties for not preventing it. you can chose to believe people who claim it just represents the "old way," of southern grace and hospitality... to me, its nothing other than a symbol of a desire to resume that awful conflict- a rally call to spill more American blood over that stupid imaginary line in the dirt. it was a symbol of bloody rebellion before and during the war- how can it be anything different now? that would be no different than me flying a black red and white swastika and claiming it represented democracy.

bubblegum the "stars and bars."

So you're projecting your own meaning onto a symbol. How exactly is that fair? Actually it is attitudes like yours that keeps the rebel flag alive. People down south were still sore about that part of the history, and do not want outsiders telling them what that flag means.
Growing up in the Northeast I've heard all the stories of how you better be really careful when driving though the deep South on your way to Florida. Those New England license plates were an invitation to get hassled by the police or conned at the local gas station (back in the day of full service).

 

[Grunwald]

I would bet that about 95% or better of hat you (or anybody) own(s) is or has parts made in china.
Just the way we let it go.
Not Wally's fault,he just put up the store.
We shop there

Actually it is their fault. I remember the day when the old man ran the company and they pushed the "Made In America" ideal. Then I'm don't know what happened. The fact is that there are documented cases where Walmart pushes their suppliers to move production to China, because they can save a few cents on that $5 item. I find it absolutely hilarious that a lot of flag waving "patriots" do most of their shopping at that store and even give it such an affectionate name as Wally World, where in fact they should be called China Mart and avoided like the plague.

 

[raftman]

I don't see what the problem is. Last I checked, this is still America. If you don't like what he is selling then don't stop at his booth!

No one, thus far, has advocated anything contrary.

 

[The B]

So you're projecting your own meaning onto a symbol. How exactly is that fair? Actually it is attitudes like yours that keeps the rebel flag alive. People down south were still sore about that part of the history, and do not want outsiders telling them what that flag means.
Growing up in the Northeast I've heard all the stories of how you better be really careful when driving though the deep South on your way to Florida. Those New England license plates were an invitation to get hassled by the police or conned at the local gas station (back in the day of full service).

what other meaning is there in ANY symbol, than the meaning the viewer puts into it? it's my argument that that IS the meaning, widely accepted, and intended.

 

[4Freedom]

As a Jew, I think collecting nazi war helmets, lugers and some other memorabilia is great. Many nazi war helmets that we have possession of today are from dead nazi soldiers (killed in battle) and that is a great trophy IMO, especially for a Jewish person. Personally, I think it is good to keep the memorabilia around to help remind us of the great atrocities committed and to help keep the history intact. Considering how many people now deny the holocaust ever happened and try to forget the nazis ever existed, I think nazi memorabilia will serve a good purpose to remind us and help us research more about the meanings behind the symbols and the people who wore them. It is Adolf Hitler's own words that consolidate my feelings about this issue. Hitler, himself, said: "Who remembers the Armenians?" He was referring to that people will sooner or later forget about genocides committed which will make room for new regimes to commit genocides and atrocities without any accountability.

Maybe, I will ask the guy if he has any other trophies for me to purchase. I hope I don't hurt his feelings and all, calling them trophies..

To answer the final question, should this be acceptable at a gun show?? I think not.. Rather, it would be more acceptable at an antique show, history event or some other type of convention where selling historical war memorabilia/artifacts would make more sense.

Leaving my religion/heritage aside, as a proud supporter of 2A rights I do find a big problem with mixing nazi memorabilia with guns. The fact that a booth selling nazi memorabilia that displays nazi flags, etc is present at the gun shows will make some people think that gun owners are nazis and give a bad and unsavory image to people in the RKBA community. We already face enough problems with anti-2A politicians and people in this country and having any association with nazism will not help our cause. Just imagine if some pro-active, anti-2A liberals go visit a gun show to prove to the world how bad and unethical they are. These troublemakers will do whatever they can to cause trouble. I can just imagine them ranting and taking pictures showing the nazi stand and making erroneous claims about how gun owners promote nazism, etc. There is already a lot of hysteria and misinformation condemning gun owners in this country and this just adds fuel to the fire.

My 2 cents.

 

[hatchj]

I saw that booth this last saturday and at first it kinda threw me for a loop. There was some neat stuff then there were the things that weren't so much "collectible" or really even "memorabilia". But as long as other items other than guns are at these shows, it isn't really fair to say he shouldn't be able to sell his items either. There are many things there That I don't really see fit at a "gun show" but they are still interesting to look at.

*side note about the confederate flag debate* Not trying to rustle any feathers with this. I just want to get some input in on that.

I've been down south a number of times to visit family down in Georgia and history is very interesting to me. (especially military/war history)

The flag in itself really shouldn't mean anything negative to anyone else. It's a flag just as much as our national flag is to us now. The north had their own flag at the time that southerners could see negative in the same way you see that flag in a bad way.

I haven't met a person down in Georgia/Alabama that really does mean anything negative to us "yankees". We are all americans after all.

 

[RVTECH]

The Nazis were a historical aberration that is worth remembering

This History channel showed an excellent documentary on the history of the Nazi party Sunday. I learned stuff I never knew.

 

[RallySoob]

When I see the swastika I think about the Holocaust and what I've learned about the Nazi party. And it makes me feel disguist. I think the guy should be shunned & I'm sure he is...just like a guy selling gay-pride literature at a gun show would be. No place for nazi stuff except reinactments imo. And there is no place for nazi pro-literature at all. to each his own I guess

 

[TonsOfOregonBrass]

I am willing to bet he is not a Nazi. Just a guy who found a nitch market and as a businessman is making some money on it. In his case he is a master of one trade, not a jack of all trades.