USAF_Vet
Member
Excellent examples. How about military unit patches, both Heritage approved and the secondary, unauthorized morale patches that are unit specific?If someone hasn't noticed - skulls are definitely "in" as a decorative aesthetic.
T-shirts? Thousands of variations worn daily.
Stickers? We just got more in for applying to vehicles. Common on a lot of cars and trucks.
People are reaching down into the offensive precisely because of the stratification of social life - I got money, you don't - so it creates boundaries. I'm "skull," all about death and menace, you ain't.
Bikers have been doing this for over 65 years. Add in all the other groups who sought to distinguish themselves from the mainstream.
Did you Dad or Grandpa sport fuzzy dice on the mirrors in the '50s? Many did NOT - they had a shrunken head with stitched over eyes and mouth. A simple fantasy rubber piece made offshore and sold in a lot of gas stations back then. It came from an aboriginal practice of eating other humans and then preserving the remains as a token example of their power.
Yep, the '50's weren't all bobby socks and poodle skirts. Popular notion on PBS, the reality was a lot darker on some days. No real difference than now.
I wouldn't be worried about a skull on an AR - in comparison to the nudie grips for 1911's, it's relatively tame. These items are sometimes meant to offend, as much as possible, to distinguish the people who possess them and set them apart from the herd. Like the crowd of Darth Mauls who show up at conventions.
In today's society nice doesn't get you anything but disrespect - the common currency is now anger and menace. You either got some or you are prey. THIS is why Open Carry is so attractive.
Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's . . .
Skulls, reapers, death imagery in general has been used in military service for a long, long time, as well as weapons of war. Swords, knives, rifles, muskets and even lightning bolts are common in combat unit insignias. A lot of guys (and gals) buying ARs these days are recently separated veterans of OEF/OIF and other recent conflicts. While the skull AR lower isn't milspec, it portrays a certain image they can identify with. Especially the younger crowd who instead of Boy Scouts, grew up with the X-Box.