Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The 1970s Peace Sign?

It was everywhere in the mid 70s. Purportedly designed by Brit Gerald Holtom, in 1958, for the nuclear disarmament movement, some argue that it has older and darker symbology



But does it have any real meaning? I've heard it associated with satanism, nazism, and all sorts of evil.
It is sometimes called the cross of Nero.

In our community, which is also the hometown of Ronald W. Reagan, it has seen an amazing resurgence in use. It is popping up on business roofs, barn sides, gates, porches, pastures, and windows everywhere, in various LED colors.

My wife thinks they are cool, and I agree, with the caveat that I am suspicious of new age symbolism.

The resurgence seems to be a local thing, and she found out on a doctors visit this morning that a Local RN is making and selling the LED peace signs. Said nurse was selling them at the local farmer's market, but was being heckled and harassed until she stopped.

Is this an innocent symbol of cold war ant-nuke idealism? Or is it something darker?

Opinions appreciated. Preaching? Not so much. please take it elsewhere...

Track of the American Chicken.

Awesome...

This has always been good enough for me.

I don't need any other symbol and I don't need this one in rainbow colors, blue lines, black lines or whatever your individual identity politics might be.

It's an inverted cross.
The swastika is a broken cross.

Not preachin' - - - - - - yet.

I have always preferred the version below. It's interesting that it's making a local resurgence. I'm sure it has to be a hate symbol of some sort like the Gadsden Flag. Who knows anymore.

Peace is great...assuming the other side does the same thing. Often walking away from a gun fight only gets you shot in the back.

I'm old school a BUFF and Haight-Ashbury circa 1968 would have solved some problems. Damn hippies.

Have not thought about the old peace sign for years. Did not understand how "love" became "luv" either

There's nothing more peaceful than a graveyard full of your enemies!

"Kill 'em all- - - - - -let God sort 'em out!"

I've heard it called a "peace sign" in the US but I had one on my 1966 Gibson EB2 bass guitar and in those days it was called a "Ban the Bomb" sticker so maybe there is a transitional aspect to it like most things where the original intent is railroaded and re instituted, I don't know!

I don't have a clue as to the resurgence of the symbol, but it was looked at with some disgust by my veteran peers in the '70's. I don't think any of us could be said to be 'pro-war'...but on the other hand, those who openly flouted the symbol seemed to be the hippy types, college kids going on their parents dime, not really anybody we respected or took seriously. It was rightly also associated with the cannabis crowd. As far as the anti nuke sentiment went....that feeling was universal and required no symbol. I've never in my life met anybody who was pro-nuke...but most people with an IQ over 25 watts, understood the need for nukes to maintain that balance of peace that 'mutually assured destruction' guaranteed. If the peacenik disarmament bunch had got their way back then, I wonder what language we would be speaking now? Russian? Chinese?
In any event I'm curious what the symbol means now...nukes are obsolete except for Islamic psychopaths, EMP's are the weapon of the future.

It means nothing. When the last 1960's hippie dies I hope they forever bury that "peace" symbol with them.

kwg

I’ve never heard of anything about the Peace Symbol, other than its obvious association with the hippie movement back in the 70s. That’s why I don’t really care for it.
Wikipedia has nothing about it as far as darkness or evil. They give its origin in the late 50s and the no nuke groups.
It’s still a fairly free country, and if it pleases you, have at it.
When did the Gadsden Flag become a hate symbol? Lord knows I really hate making liberals and snowflakes uncomfortable!
7mm

I think the peace sign picks up it's darkness and evil from the people who used it - Marxist scum!

7mm, the commie left likes to push using the usual media channels that the Gadsden is a symbol of white supremacy and hate. It pisses me off.

I agree

We should all demand that it be abolished and prohibited because it makes some people uncomfortable.

It'd serve the Left right.

+1

I try hard to forget all that bull$hit in that era. Nothing good became of it.