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What do the COEXIST bumper stickers mean?

    What do the COEXIST bumper stickers mean

    You surely have seen a ‘Coexist’ bumper sticker on some car once in your life. The letters in the sign will have been written in a designed manner, with every word having a different sign. But what do the coexist bumper sticker mean? 

    Coexist signs are meant to provide a message to people to live peacefully. Every letter has its own meaning, referring to coexisting peacefully. Originally, when the word was designed, only three letters had meaning and design, but after that, all words were come up with some meaning and design. 

    Let’s get to know more about the Coexist sign, its meaning, and its history. 

    What do the coexist bumper stickers mean?

    After a competition at the contemporary art gallery Museum of the Seam in Jerusalem in 2000, the Coexist logo was born. The fundamental coexist design by Piotr Mlodozeniec was simple and straightforward. It had three-letter with their symbols:

    • The letter “c” was replaced with a crescent moon to signify Islam.
    • The Star of David, a symbol of Judaism, was used in place of the letter “x.”
    • The letter “t” was replaced with a cross to symbolize Christianity.

    But later, all the letters of Coexist got some meaning. Currently, the letters of Coexist have these meanings: 

    • Pentacle or peace symbol is used in place of the letter “o.”
    • The letter “e” is replaced by symbols denoting the genders of men and women or a mathematical equation.
    • The pagan/Wiccan symbol is used in place of the letter “i.”
    • The letter “s” is replaced by the Chinese yin-yang symbol.

    What do the bumper stickers that say coexist mean?

    According to the message conveyed by these bumper stickers, no religion or movement should be considered superior to another. It is important that we all work for peaceful coexistence, regardless of our religious or philosophical backgrounds.

    They also used symbols to connect to every person, man and woman, and every major religion, as they all need to coexist. Its use of symbols to connect to each individual enables it to connect to the larger message of peace between these religions.

    Who is behind the coexist bumper stickers?

    Piotr Mlodozeniec is the original creator of Coexist’s bumper stickers. After a competition at the contemporary art gallery Museum of the Seam in Jerusalem in 2000, the Coexist logo was born. In honor of his famous father, Jan Mlodozeniec, Piotr Mlodozeniec created that logo that evokes his father’s work.

    Mlodozeniec decided to enter the competition because the theme was “Coexistence,” and the prize was significant.

    Although Mlodozeniec’s image didn’t win the contest, it was selected to go on tour with other works by other artists. Even U2’s Bono wore the emblem as a headband during the band’s 2005-2006 international tour as a kind of street art in Europe and beyond.

    Why the coexist sticker is bad?

    Some people think that Coexist stickers are bad. Their thinking is right in their own way. We cannot achieve coexistence with one another, and we never will. Seeing the sticker simply helps to remind us of how stupid it is, as it goes against our nature. 

    If the bumper sticker requests that we all share the same air and coexist as humans, congratulations, we’ve been doing that since the dawn of civilization.

    According to the implication of the phrase, “you should all live as though there were no distinctions between us, regardless of whether you’re a Christian, gay, Jewish, or Muslim.” But the thing is, you are not coexisting with someone with whom you disagree. So that’s why it is bad. 

    Is coexist liberal?

    According to some logical references, the Coexist sign is considered liberal. The reason behind this is the time when the sticker was designed. Developed in response to the Middle East conflict in 2000, it became popular in the United States following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 

    At a period when the United States was deploying soldiers abroad, anti-violence bumper stickers were taking over parking lots. In view of the fact that President Bush was in office at the time the United States declared war on “terror,” this bumper sticker has a decidedly anti-Republican tone.

    So, in general, most people assume that anyone driving a vehicle with a “Coexist” sticker on their rear window is liberal, pacifist, and idealistic.

    Bottom Line

    So now you know what do the coexist bumper stickers mean. Actually, it is up to you what message you have in your mind when you use the Coexist sign on your car’s bumper. There’s nothing wrong with using the sign. However, using it to show any political affiliation is not right. 

    We hope this article was helpful & informative. Please leave your valuable thoughts & suggestions in the comments below!

    Thank you for reading!