Opinion: We need to get rid of the Honor G

Last semester, I studied abroad in Thailand. For me, the biggest culture shock was that I could no longer cross the road — the city we were in was notoriously bad for pedestrians — but the one thing that hurt me the most was the prevalence of swastikas. 

Before going to Thailand, I was aware that I would likely see the Hindu swastika. The Hindu swastika looks almost exactly like the Nazi version, except it sits flat on one side and often has four dots. The Hindu swastika came first, and then the Nazis stole it. I was aware of this history before I studied abroad, and even if I hadn’t been, I did an internship where my supervisor would give an explanation to tourists daily. This explanation heavily featured drawing both versions on the whiteboard. What nobody could prepare me for, however, was the sinking feeling when he actually drew it.  

I am Jewish. My family is Jewish. I cannot begin to express the feelings of fear, grief and rage that burn in me every time I see a swastika. Swastikas are the most famous Nazi iconography, but they were not the only symbols the Nazi regime used. Like the swastika, the Iron Cross is used frequently by contemporary neo-Nazis and creates the same emotions in me. 

Unfortunately, the Iron Cross looks very similar to Grinnell’s Honor G. Plenty of people have told me that they think the two symbols look completely different, but they can also look very similar. 

Variations on the iron cross had been used by the German military since 1813, so I doubt that the Nazis were intentionally invoking the Honor G when they started using it. What I mean by this is that the Honor G was not originally an antisemitic symbol. Grinnell has been using this symbol since 1892, just three years after Hitler was born. So yes, this style of symbol existed before being co-opted by the Nazis. I have heard people argue that using the Honor G is an act of reclaiming it, but the symbol will always remind me of the Nazis. 

Swastikas are religiously important and are often depicted in places with long histories of using swastikas and very, very small Jewish populations. Grinnell has a large Jewish population and, quite frankly, not enough of a reason to keep the Honor G. 

I am not a student athlete at Grinnell, but I have participated in synchronized swimming. For one of our first big performances, most of the other participants wore the Grinnell College swim caps with the symbol on them. I tried to wear one, but the moment I put it on, it made me feel sick. I absolutely could not wear it for the show. I realize you may think this makes me overly sensitive, but please understand that for me, this symbol is not removable from the context of the Holocaust. 

Luckily, we already have a solution — the Laurel Leaf icon. Not only does the Laurel Leaf icon look better, it’s also not associated with horrific attempted genocide of my people and so many other peoples. 

In the comments of an S&B article about the Honor G published last year, one person who identified themselves as an alum from a Jewish background wrote that “the Honor G represents not only pride but a symbol of the Grinnell community.” I want this person to understand that this is not a symbol that stands for pride for me. For me this is a symbol that says I do not belong in the Grinnell community. I love being a Grinnellian, but our continued use of the Honor G disgusts me. 

I know I am not alone in this. As the vice president of Chaverim, and a student with deep academic interest in Jewish studies, I have had countless Jewish students, prospective students, faculty and staff tell me that the symbol appears to them as a hate symbol. We cannot live up to our values of diversity and social responsibility while continuing to use this symbol. 

Another commenter on the article quoted the Anti-Defamation League’s page on the iron cross that explains, “…the use of the Iron Cross in a non-racist context has greatly proliferated in the United States, to the point that an Iron Cross in isolation (i.e., without a superimposed swastika or without other accompanying hate symbols) cannot be determined to be a hate symbol.” 

But is that what we really want? Do you really want to defend the Honor G as a “symbol of pride” because it’s technically not a hate symbol, even if it looks like one? Do you really want to wear Grinnell merch with the understanding that you may have to reassure people that no, you’re not a Nazi? 

This isn’t even the first time this has been a specific issue. During World War II, the Honor G was removed due to its similarity with the iron cross and replaced with torches symbolizing liberty. In the 1940s we recognized that this symbol was shockingly similar to the imagery of our enemies, and we removed it. So, if you want to keep the Honor G, I will ask you, what has changed? Because the symbol hasn’t.