MMDer Bill Budenholzer wrote this note to me, and I agreed that he
should learn if other MMDers share his concerns.

  From: bluemax@esmrahd.com (Bill Budenholzer)
  To: editor@foxtail.com
  Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 10:11:32 -0500
  Subject: MMD Digest

  I was looking through the picture gallery section of the MMD
  web site and saw the "Edison Phonograph Ad in Cosmopolitan Magazine
  -- by Damon Atchison."  Mr. Atchison's comments disturbed me.
  I am sensitive to the atrocities carried on by the Nazis during
  WW2 but we need to be careful about the accusations we make.

  The young men are not wearing yarmulkes.  They are "school caps"
  that were popular during the period.  Looking carefully at the ad
  you will see that there is a small "bill" on the front of the cap
  and a small ball or pom at the top of the cap.  The pom is very
  clear on the cap of the young man seated at the left.  The bill
  appears as a dark crescent above his hair line.  A swastika on the
  table runner?  Maybe, but it is more likely the end of a geometric
  decoration that runs down the length of the runner.

  Judging by the clothing this ad was probably from the late 1910s
  or very early 1920s.  Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think
  the swastika became a political symbol until the late 1930s.

  I believe very strongly that we need to be careful how we address
  controversial subjects.  We need to be sensitive to how our state-
  ments might be received by others.  We need to consider how we
  would feel if we were in a position where the subject matter might
  be disturbing to us.  Maybe we've all gotten a bit thin-skinned or
  maybe we've just gotten tired of inconsiderate statements or maybe
  we've just gotten fed up with hatred.

  Bill Budenholzer

This is a social issue not related to mechanical music, therefore it
will not be discussed further in MMD.  Please write to Bill, and a copy
to me if you wish, if you want to comment.

Robbie Rhodes, MMD
editor@foxtail.com