Today seems to be my day for shields

[ by Charles Cameron — slack-jawed at graphics ]

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Today seems to be my day for shields and protection — and as usual, my interest is to compare and contrast, as they say in English 101..

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The shield top-left, with its quote from Harry Callahan in Sudden Impact, favors protection by Magnum:

YouTube video

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On its right, a shield bearing the crusader’s cross and motto associated with the Emperor Constantine and (much later) the Knights Templar, “By this sign thou shalt conquer” — from a group which believes:

The American government has chosen to embrace either out of evil or out of ignorance, a system of global governance that seeks to destroy us all, resulting in the death of the United States of America, to be reborn as a 7th century tyrannical regime that abuses women, children, Jews and those who refuse to be like them.

— hence, an American crusade against Sharia law. As JM Berger points out, however, their spelling of “defence” is peculiarly British.

And below —

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Below is a lawn sign offering protection in terms of another type of weaponry to that offered by Smith & Wesson. It could, I imagine, sit side by side with the S&W sign, or represent the opposite pole of the spectrum, depending on one’s point of view:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

That third shield is accompanied on the website with two mottos:

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and for evermore. — Psalm 125. 2

The LORD watches over you — the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm — he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and for evermore. — Psalm 121. 5-8

The tone’s a bit different from Dirty Harry too, wouldn’t you think?