Throughout a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday, gun manufacturers had been accused of the use of imagery associated with white supremacist movements in their promoting campaigns.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) highlighted a few of this merchandising, focusing primarily on a Valknot tattoo that displays up in an commercial for Daniel Defense. The picture, which includes a shooter within the prone place retaining a rifle with the tattoo on his arm, was once one among more than one circumstances the committee stated of their report as evidence of gun producers the usage of tricky advertising to sell firearms.
Ocasio-Cortez displayed the Daniel Defense advertisement that includes the tattoo, which consists of three connecting triangles, and requested Daniel Security CEO Marty Daniel if he was aware of it prior to explaining its that means. The CEO spoke back via asking if it used to be even from his company to which Ocasio-Cortez validated that it was once.
The tattoo itself is a Valknot, it used to be explained, which is a Norse symbol that the Anti-Defamation League suggested has been appropriated by some white supremacists as a “racist symbol.”
In line with the ADL:
The Valknot or “knot of the slain” is an old Norse image that incessantly represented the afterlife in carvings and designs. It is often regarded as a logo of the Norse god Odin. Some white supremacists, in particular racist Odinists, have appropriated the Valknot to use as a racist image. Frequently they use it as an indication that they are willing to give their existence to Odin, normally in struggle.
Ocasio-Cortez additionally confirmed a picture from the January 6 Capitol revolt, exhibiting the Valknot tattoo being displayed on a rioter’s bare chest.
After supplying this evidence, Ocasio-Cortez requested Daniel if he was conscious that his merchandising department was once the usage of “iconography linked to white supremacist actions.” Daniel responded he does not assume they use racist imagery earlier than being bring to an end as the congresswoman reclaimed her time.
Different gun producers confronted an identical questioning on the hearing concerned with gun violence and mass shootings, causing Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) to at one level demand an apology from Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and ask whether she could be subpoenaing the manufacturers of forks and spoons to lend a hand stop weight problems.
Watch above via C-SPAN.
The put up WATCH: AOC Questions Gun Manufacturer on Use of ‘Iconography Associated With White Supremacists’ in Promotion Campaigns first appeared on Mediaite.