-----Original Message----- From: K&KMcKee [mailto:McKees1@mediaone.net] Sent: Friday, December 03, 1999 7:49 PM To: Brian Brokaw Subject: about "koga's secret transformation act" hi! what do you think of the recent controversy over the "Koga's secret transformation act"card? do you have one? last night,I was in a comic shop and I saw one for 1.00, knowing that it would be worth something one day I bought it. I have known for years about the difference between the life and death swastika's. and I was not personally offended by it since I knew what that specific symbol meant. what do you think of the card personally? --------------------------------------------- Well, I do have that card and when I initially saw it I immediately thought of Nazis. This is what most people in the US would do I imagine. However, I didn't stop there. I got on the internet and RESEARCHED it. I SPENT THE TIME TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MANJI AND WHAT IT MEANS. I NOW UNDERSTAND THAT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NAZI'S WHATSOEVER AND MY INITIAL REACTION WAS WRONG. Luckily I didn't make a fool of myself spouting off about the "hate symbol" on a Japanese card. I really dislike people who approach this topic by demanding changes to another people's culture... Global trade, e-commerce, internet communications... all of these things have shrunk the world we live in. People ABSOLUTELY MUST learn to be more mindful of the belief systems of other cultures if we intend to coexist in peace. What if the Nazis had taken the letter "P" as their party symbol? Would we have changed our alphabet after the fact? What if Hitler had used the symbol of the Cross as his hate-banner? (I have read that he considered himself a Christian) Would we force the censorship of this holy symbol? I'm a live and let live kind of guy. Not that most people should care what I think... but since you asked ;-) Brian Brokaw