The police officer had served in the Scout Snipers … The Marines Corps issued a statement condemning the use of the symbol and promised to investigate the incident. “At one point, the tattoo on my arm was so important to me, that in my young mind, I would have done anything to keep it,” Small said in a statement. In February 2012, U.S. media reported that Marine scout snipers had been using the double Sig rune (ϟϟ, "SS") in its "Armanen" form to symbolize their function since at least the 1980s. (Not sure if as a joke, being insensitive, or just negligence) No one uses it anymore. The group’s spokesman, Michael Weinstein, also called for Police Chief Scott Bieber to be fired for wrongful exercise of his authority and wrongdoing in his response to the outcry surrounding the tattoo. The controversy broke on June 4, when images of Small’s tattoo emerged on social media. The double lightning bolt SS tattoo was informally adopted by some members of the elite group. The Walla Walla City Council declined to comment but has scheduled a series of town hall meetings to address law enforcement issues in the city in response to the controversy. Viral photos show Nat Small, a police officer in Walla Walla and former US Marine scout sniper, with a tattoo featuring the double lightning bolt symbol associated with the Nazi SS corps (Schutzstaffel). Founded in 2009, Hyperallergic is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. Yes, it has double lightning bolts sorta like the “SS” symbol, but it was determined years ago that the unit symbol he used had no relation and was never meant to glorify the SS. Members of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which threatened a lawsuit several weeks ago when alerted to the tattoo, said they may still file a federal suit if Small doesn’t disclose how he plans to alter the tattoo and when. “I regret that I have been an unwitting cause of division in the community that I seek to serve. I’m not saying that we should necessarily believe anything they say, but it seems obvious that the article should at least clearly present their claim. Small added that he reached the decision on his own and that he wasn’t pressured to remove the tattoo by the Walla Walla Police Department (WWPD) or the Washington city. Racists and bigots always become indignant when called out for their racism and bigotry. This guy is apparently claiming that he is/was the latter--and plausibly, because the symbol was widely used in the USMC at the time he got the tattoo (to represent Scout Sniper). “The WWPD’s response has been reactionary and defensive, eroding the trust of our community,” a statement by the synagogue reads. Unreal. “We regret the fact Officer Small’s tattoo has contributed to divisions within the community, and we hope his decision to change it will help to unite — rather than untie — us,” he said in the release. The attacks became so prevalent, that the Walla Walla Police Department ultimately deleted its facebook page. Speaking with the local newspaper the Union-Bulletin, Small said that he understands the concerns but called the accusations against him “unfounded.”. Support Hyperallergic’s independent arts journalism. ©2020 Walla Walla Union-Bulletin (Walla Walla, Wash.). There’s only one person that walked the face of the earth that was perfect.”. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. July 09, 2020. Update 7/9/2020 3:15pm EDT: Nat Small announced he will alter the tattoo to remove the double lighting bolt symbol. Spelling Skout Sniper with a “k”, like in KKK? Small has been a police officer since November 2018, but was a Scout Sniper in the U.S. Marine Corps beforehand, when he was sent abroad to fight for the U.S. Small said in the letter Wednesday that in his younger years he “might have done anything to keep” the ink and “would have let pride interfere with” his success. A follow-up statement from the city of Walla Walla welcomed Small’s decision and praised the officer’s “sensitivity to the concerns raised by members of our community.”. ), deactivated its Facebook and Twitter accounts, After Citywide Debate About a Nazi Symbol, Police Officer Agrees to Alter Tattoo, Week in Review: Racism at Museums Is Scrutinized; Richmond’s Confederate Monuments to Be Removed, How the Internet Reflected on and Coped With the Capitol Attack, Discovery of an Industrial Brewery in Ancient Egypt Rewrites the History of Beer, A Very Rich Take on the Largest Art Fraud in US History, Behind the Scenes of MoMA PS1 Exhibition, Artists Confronted Leadership Over Chairman’s Implication in Iraq War, An Easy Guide to Watching This Year’s Oscar Nominees, Reports of Stolen Art on NFT Marketplace Raise Issues for Crypto Collectors, The NYUAD Art Gallery Presents an Exhibition Curated for Your Smartphone, Delita Martin Demonstrates What Becoming the Spiritual Other Looks Like, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. “The 2 S’s beneath the remainder of the tattoo is a recognition of each officer Small’s and Cpl. It attracts particular types of people. I regret that I have been an unwitting cause of division in the community that I seek to serve. The double lightning bolt SS tattoo was informally adopted by some members of the elite group. Emily Thornton, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin Small, 31, is a former Marine scout sniper who served in Afghanistan in the early part of the last decade. He claimed to have experienced combat during the Vietnam War. Marine scout sniper. “Neighbors have turned against each other and people are refusing to do business with those whose opinions differ. A Police Officer’s Tattoo Has Ignited Debate Over Nazi Symbol The double lightning bolt SS tattoo was informally adopted by some members of the elite group. The double sig runes (SS) in its “Armanen” form has been used to symbolize the function of Scout Snipers since the end of the Vietnam War, and its use is both well documented and verifiable. Has a tattoo on his left arm that appeared in photos in 2009: Scout Sniper (punisher scull with German style SS on the forehead). The hourlong protest is a prelude leading right up to Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. Council meeting as a message over the double lightning bolt “SS” tattoo on officer Nat Small, a former Marine whose “Scout Sniper” memorial tattoo uses the same symbolism for Nazi white supremacy. The hourlong protest is a prelude leading right up to Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. Council meeting as a message over the double lightning bolt “SS” tattoo on officer Nat Small, a former Marine whose “Scout Sniper” memorial tattoo uses the same symbolism for Nazi white supremacy. Hakim Bishara is a staff writer for Hyperallergic. Greetings, This is in reference to the recent article on Fox news re: USMC Scout-Snipers and the SS flag. Small combined the symbol with a picture of brass knuckles and the name of Claudio Patino IV, according to an article in Stars and Stripes. More by Hakim Bishara. “Officer Small says that the tattoo means something else to him personally, but no one gets that creative license with a symbol of hate responsible for the death of six million Jews and millions more. I cannot comment on this officer's beliefs or characterize his actions as a police officer. He added he would discuss the matter more in today’s 6:30 p.m. virtual town hall set by City Council. In 2010, members of a US Marines sniper team in Afghanistan posed for a photo in front of a flag featuring the SS symbol. Relevant passage: “Small, 31, is a former Marine scout sniper who served in … The tattoo features the double lightning bolt symbol associated with the Nazi SS corps (Schutzstaffel), a murderous paramilitary group that pledged an oath of loyalty to Adolf Hitler and was instrumental in the execution of the Holocaust. ... a fellow Marine scout sniper,” said a post from the … Steam Ship, Social Security etc etc etc. 10. Ultimately, Weinstein said, his organization and clients in Walla Walla want Bieber fired for both misfeasance and malfeasance for his actions. He is also a co-director at Soloway Gallery, an artist-run space in Brooklyn. “There is simply no excuse available for Officer Nat Small to continue to sport this shockingly evil Nazi SS symbology on his left forearm,” Michael Weinstein, the founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said in a statement. The “SS” Schutzstaffel has a history of Nazi anti-Semitism and white supremacy. In an initial statement on Facebook, the Walla Walla Police Department (WWPD) defended Small and provided an alternative explanation to his tattoo. The WWPD has not responded to Hyperallergic’s repeated requests for comment. Please tell me its just more fake news…. The Walla Walla metro area leans conservative; however, a group of concerned local residents continues to push for measures against Small ahead of the planned town hall meetings. ("Waffen SS") * United States Marine Corps Scout Snipers Marine Corps Scout Snipers posing in front of their flag in Afghanistan's Sangin province (2010-09 photo) "On the white supremacist, neo-Nazi roots of SS sig runes in … Scouring the internet for scout sniper logo, tattoo, and t-shirt designs, we found a handful of designs that included the telltale bolt-like SS also favored by Nazis.
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