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 Via a movement begun on DemocraticUnderground, many Americans have taken to wearing paper clips as a symbol of Solidarity during the BushCo corporate raid on our nation. The brief snip below is from the LearnPeace web site and provides perhaps the most succinct explanation of the source for the paper clip as a symbol of resistance. You can help spread this simple symbol -- which virtually anyone can easily get a hold of at little or no cost, and unlike magnetic ribbons, doesn't damage car finishes (if used properly!) -- by downloading and printing out this card, which bears a very brief explanation of the symbolism.
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On April 10, the day after the German invasion, the leader of Norway's Nazi party, Vidkun Quisling, declared himself to be prime minister. The announcement was received with such scorn and ridicule that within a few days Adolf Hitler sacked him, and introduced a German Nazi, Josef Terboven, as 'Reichskommissar'. The new commander immediately stripped the press of its freedom and banned listening to foreign broadcasts (particularly the BBC's).
At first the Norwegian army, with some British and French military backing, had given armed resistance to the invaders, but without result, and they surrendered on June 9. The King and government had escaped to Britain. It was time for other kinds of resistance...
People thought up inventive ways to show their solidarity - for a time they wore paper-clips in their lapels or linked as bracelets; small coins, with the King's head brightly polished, were stuck on pins and also worn. To acknowledge the exiled King's birthday - and as far as the German authorities were concerned Norway no longer had a king - people wore 'flowers of loyalty' or the symbol 'H7' (for King Haakon VII). Several hundreds were arrested for this inoffensive act.
WHAT DO WE TELL THE CHILDREN?
Additional research turned up some interesting history which many felt made the paper clip an even more poignent symbol than first envisioned. For instance, one DU poster discovered that "Operation Paper Clip" was the code-named operation of the WWII era U.S. Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency (JIOA), in which Germany's top scientists were "paper clipped," and relocated to the U. S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency in Huntsville, Alabama. where they taught a team of U.S. Army personnel and General Electric engineers how to test, assemble, and launch V-2 ballistic missiles.
"Wearing a paper clip would symbolize protest against US policies and businesses, particularly the Bush family, collaborating with the Nazis, Bin ladens, Iraq, Iran, Lybia, Panama, Contras etc," he offered.
The symbolism is powerful and gets noticed. Unlike the yellow ribbon magnets, which have proliferated and morphed to the point of being meaningless, the paper clip will draw inquiries. So what do we tell people when they ask why there is a paper clip attached to our lapels? Some suggested "nothing, let 'em go home and Google it!" Others wanted to lay it all on the line...it's a protest against fascism! But this is still "America," and cries of fascism, regardless of their accuracy, are usually met with rolling eyes and quick dismissals.
 So how to you tell someone something important if they're going to be turned off by the words before they get the message? Enter the "Solidarity Clip" card, shown above, and available for free for downloading and printing. Using non-threatening language, the business-card sized handout offers a very quick introduction to the symbolism. Clip a few paperclips on a few cards and put them in your pocket before your next trip out!
And please...this site is supported entirely by your donations. Please consider dropping a few coins in the ol' tip jar, at the PayPal link at the top of this page! - RMcG
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