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A Clash Of Symbols

"Swastika" inlay on a school floor in
Walled Lake prompts debate.

A.P.Y.

LONNY GOLDSMITH

tion with anyone other than that," said
Lois Lange, the district's spokesperson.
"The symbol has been there for 77
mold Reed trekked to the
years, and we think we need to take the
Walled Lake Community
time to listen to all points of view."
Education Center as a man
Lange said that some informal sign
on a mission. The Detroit
could be put up to explain what the sym-
attorney, on a tip from a friend in the
bol stands for. She also said that renova-
school administration, knew the rug to
tions are scheduled for the building and
pull up and what he was going to find
that could be "an avenue for change.
under it: a swastika.
"I've been in the
Or was it?
,9 district for 12 years
"If it looks like it, smells
x and this is the first c--/
like it and acts like, then by
• time the issue's been
God it is," Reed said.
• 2 raised," Lange said.
The decoration is, in fact,
She said some
,_.
a four-armed symbol that, in
teachers take their
the culture of the Native
classes to the door-
American Potawatomis who
way to teach the
lived in the area until 150
Native American ori-
years ago, stood for good
gins and significance
health and prosperity. The
of the symbol.
(--
arms point counter-clockwise,
Bennett, who
unlike those of the swastika, a
found out about the
Hindu symbol that the Nazis
symbol
from the
The floor dec oration at the
appropriated in 1935 to rep-
newspaper story, said
Walled Lake Community
resent Aryan supremacy.
he is convinced the
Education C enter.
Reed's discovery has
symbol must go. In
sparked a chain of events in
the text of his Friday
which he, the North Oakland County
sermon he noted that the symbol was
branch of the NAACP and Rabbi
not a Nazi swastika but said "emotion-
Joshua Bennett of Temple Israel have
ally, the symbol cannot be removed
called for taking the symbol out of th e
from its twin that was bastardized by
tiled floor where it was set in 1922.
the hatred of the Third Reich.
"Something is an interest to us where
"I understand that there is a level of
ethnic groups, not just blacks, could con
education that needs to occur to mem-
ceivably be offended," said H. Wallace
bers of the Jewish and non-Jewish com-
Parker, the Bloomfield Hills attorney
munities about what the symbol is,"' he
representing the NAACP "There are
said in a phone interview Tuesday.
enough symbols on the face of the Earth
Bennett had a similar experience
that if the Native Americans want to put
with tiles in a health club in
another (symbol) there, they can.
Cincinnati, which were removed
The building houses a variety of edu-
thanks to his and others' protests.
cational functions, including the com-
The Anti-Defamation League, unlike
munity high school and a preschool.
the NAACP, has not yet taken a position.
For years, the symbol has been covered
"It's a gray area because it's not a
with a doormat, but not because it was
swastika," said Don Cohen, regional
offensive to students, faculty or parents.
director of the ADL. Cohen said this
"The mat's there because it's right
debate has become heated because of a
next to a door and the floor would get
racially motivated fight between black
wet otherwise," said Robert Masson, the
and white students at Walled Lake
education center's director. Not much
Western High School.
surprises me, but it is disconcerting."
Reed doesn't care what direction
The story was reported in the Detroit
the symbol is facing.
Free Press last week, while much of the
"That symbol is nationally known
Walled Lake School District's adminis-
for racial separatism and it doesn't
tration was on vacation for winter break.
make a difference whether you turn it
"Neither Reed nor the NAACP
around," he said. "According to the
communicated with us until last Friday
administration, the reason that symbol
and we've had no official communica-
was covered is because its offensive." Fl

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