>rhisiart at earthlink.net wrote:
> >
> > At 06:05 AM 11/27/2001, you wrote:
> >
> >
> > with all due respects to your beloved, why allow the far right to
> > coopt such a great flag? time the "good guys" took it back.
> >
>
>The meaning of a symbol is determined by the person construing it --
>which has no _necessary_ connection with the intended meaning of the
>originator. And whatever "social construction" may mean, it certainly
>operates in the realm of symbol interpretation: which tends to be in
>some ways a very democratic realm. So the majority rules here, and I
>think you will find that a minority (except by _some_ use of violence)
>can seldom if ever wrest the meaning of a symbol from the majority.
>Blacks did it with "black" and "negro" in the '60s: I doubt it would
>have been achieved without the inner-city riots of that decade. And the
>change in the force of "gay" did begin with a riot.
>
>The Snake Flag is a he-man symbol until a change is backed by extensive
>social force.
>
>Those making these facile claims about taking back the meaning of
>various symbols really ought to read Through the Looking Glass.
>
>Carrol
very reasonable, very abstract and quite pointless.
R