To add context, this refers to a lesson from WW2 by Abraham Wald.
American bombers would come back damaged, so Wald calculated the average damage (bullet holes down on the planes) on the returning planes to help offer clues as to where to focus the armor on the planes (since armor can only be provided in limited quantities due to weight). The thing he realized was that, the damage should be completely random and evenly distributed on the planes. They weren’t. The planes returning had less damage on their engines, and mid body(image on the flag for reference) for instance. His insight was, don’t apply armor where the returning planes are mainly damaged, as the planes can obviously survive that damage, instead apply the armor where the surviving planes were less damaged, like the engines.
This is called the survivorship bias, basing information on only those who are here and healthy doesn’t mean the current system works: we’re ignoring the result from those that the system completely failed, because the others didn’t survive.
To extrapolate on the lesson inherent in the meme, there are wounds you can survive and those you can’t. Once you identify the ones you can’t survive, you add armor to protect yourself (and others) from future formerly-deadly wounds.
There are so many systemic things we can correct (and we will!), but what, as in the case of this plane, are the personal pieces of armor we can forge? What pieces of armor can we help others forge for themselves?
An obvious one is a support network of friends and hopefully family. I’m a cis dude who was touched by the image and would like to be a better ally.
I guess we can keep records? That would be the very first step.
To be fair, we have a few records analyzed, and well, suicide is prevalent… it is difficult.
Remember to install the armour plates not where the bullet holes are but where they are not.
Do you happen to have an higher resolution version of this?
Sadly, no, and I don’t recall where I saved it from either.
You fucker made me cry. And almost fucking motivate me too.
I’ll tell you what I tell my irl trans friends: You gotta live. If not out of joy, then out of spite for the mouthbreathers that want to see you dead.
It’s mostly a joke because ofc I want to see them live happy and carefree lives above all else, but if the anger keeps them going then so be it. It’s already keeping so many conservative ghouls from fucking off.
There have been times in my life when the only thing that kept me alive was my desire to hold these fascists to account, and the certainty that my death was better spent on an act of final spite than a meek whimper.
A+ meme
Pin / shirt worthy
Those would get compliments from colorblind veterans too.
And normal-visioned veterans who actually care about their community!
Wow this hits. I should make this into a sticker and put it on my laptop
This hits hard! Remember folks to be selective of who you let in your life. You deserve safety and happiness.
If I can make a suggestion, how would it look if the dot colors were the opposite of the color of the flag covered by the plane design, and was strictly followed? So if the flag is pink in that area where the dot is, the dot is then blue.
Right now the dots are just colored in groups, but I’m wondering if they would look cooler if the better matched the flag design.
Regardless, great idea for a flag!I don’t recall where I saved this from, but it’s definitely worth another once-over by some visual designers before it goes to printing.
Fuck that’s a good design
