It may take a moment to explain how I feel about this. In the world of expression, I feel everybody has the right to wear whatever they like and express whatever they like, so although I don't find this t-shirt particularly witty, funny, or appropriate, (considering the over 100,000 people (more than either Nagasaki or Hiroshima) that were killed in the fire bombing of Dresden, a beautiful city of civilians that had no use as a military target), if somebody wants to rock that shirt, go ahead, I think it just makes them look like a moron. But what really gets me, is that there is a very serious double standard taking place here. There is absolutely no way that shirt would be in the window if it said, "Hiroshima, get bombed" There is a very serious difference. And what is that difference? Why is the slaughter of 100,000 Germans a funny t-shirt, but we all know damn well, they'd never dream of such a shirt involving a group other than "the white man".
So there's more to all of this, because really, I don't want to see a t-shirt, advocating the death of anyone, because even I, of notoriously bad taste and crude humor, see the problem with that. And I don't want to see the Dresden shirt pulled from the window, because I believe in freedom of expression, in fact, I'm glad it's there for discussion purposes, but it just makes me think.
And it reminds me of a shirt I saw at a local diner, Fred 62. They really enjoy pithy sayings on the back of their shirts, and all sorts of bandwagon Obama stuff too. Bleh. Anyway, the back of one of their shirts said, "We serve crackers." This is meant to be funny, but it's definitely a racial slur, In fact, in Florida, the word cracker when used as a racial epithet is a violation under the Florida Hate Crimes Act. (Hendrickson, 52). Now don't get me wrong, just like the Dresden T-Shirt, it's not the shirt itself that bothers me, but the absence of the other varieties. In the age of "the n-word", are we serious?, it's just peachy to put "Cracker" on a t-shirt?
Maybe, in a way, I'm glad this kinda thing is done, because really, I'm not bent by either t-shirt, and maybe it's a way to begin to take ourselves a little less seriously, or perhaps focus on the real hatred and killing on this planet, and not get all hot and bothered by t-shirts.
Interesting Post Script:
My curiousity got the best of me, and I just couldn't contain it. I went into the store and spoke to the guy behind the counter. we casually talked about a few of the shirts and other things in the store, and then I mentioned to him that I had seen the Dresden shirt in the window, and was curious about it. I mentioned to him that I totally believe in free speech and that I feel it's important for us to challenge other people's beliefs and our own, and that if we don't we can just fall into a lull of false comfort. Etc. Etc. Etc. But that, and I didn't mean to overplay the issue, but did he think they'd consider putting a Nagasaki, get bombed T-Shirt, and since they probably wouldn't, why was it therefore ok to have the Dresden, Get Bombed T-shirt. He thought that was a good point, but gave me info I didn't have, they had a silk screen in the back of the shop, and the owner made most of these shirts himself. Dresden, was a reference to the Dresden restaurant and bar next store, see here. In fact, the bombs coming out of the plane, were little Martini Olives. So, while it may have been culturally insensitive to the people killed in the bombing, it was meant to be a play on the Bar next store.
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