Civil Defense symbol retired
For those of us born in the era of the nuclear threat, the Civil Defense logo consisting of the letters C and D forming a red circle in a white triangle on a blue disk, was a constant reminder that at any time we could be wiped off the face of the Earth with an attack from Russia. According to a NY Times article, the logo has now been replaced with a more edgy Homeland Security logo.
To some, especially our younger readers, this is an esoteric and seemingly meaningless historic event. To those of us born before or at least living in the 1950's, it is a much bigger deal.
I remember back in the 1980's seeing a powerful video aimed at orienting mangers with the reality of the mindsets of the different age groups of the workforce by describing how their lives were affected by the historic events that occurred during their lifetimes. The video was called "what you are is what you were when." Oddly, I can't find reference to it in a Google search. Similarly, community college teachers are often given a "reality check" in the form of orientation in which the "reality" of the incoming class is provided in a one page briefing that says (among other things) that the incoming class has never seen a vinyl record, did not experience JFK's or RFK's assassination, never saw a rotary telephone and a host of similar factoids aimed at alerting teachers about how to relate to students in a meaningful way.
The closest I could come to this briefing is a blog that allows the viewer to see what realities affected each generation according to their year of birth.
As for me, I distinctly remember the 10am air raid drills that were repeated on the last Friday of each month in which students had to duck under their desks to practice avoiding the nuclear blast. Walking down the street back then, it was not unusual to see the Civil Defense logo as a reminder of where to go (usually a basement space) in case of a nuclear attack.
I'm not sure replacing the CD symbol with the Homeland Security symbol will have its intended effect, especially considering the lack of recognition or context by a youthful society. Still, it is worth noting the passing of this era.
I am reminded of a quote by Paul Harvey that "(i)n times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these." We still live in a dangerous world and we should all be mindful of how, when and where to take cover if we need to.
We just won't have a CD logo any longer to give us a clue.
Chris Crawford
www.justiceserved.com
Comments
"air raid drills that were repeated on the last Friday of each month in which students had to duck under their desks to practice avoiding the nuclear blast.".
I remember those, althought I don't recall them being on any particular day. Probably a local policy.
Posted by: Fred Mangels | December 4, 2006 03:06 PM
They certainly didn't have a set schedule to test fire drills, but I distinctly remember the air raid siren going off at 10am on the last Friday of the month. Or was it the first Friday? Heck, I'm losing too many grey cells.
Thanks for writing, Fred !!
Posted by: Chris Crawford | December 4, 2006 03:58 PM