Earlier this year, a group of Harvard students invited me to give a private talk. They told me about the constant sickening even gloating anti-white man atmosphere at Harvard. I asked if they had even the slightest affection for the oldest, most prestigious university in the country. Well, they weren't effeminate nerds. "No!" was the answer. "Burn it down." --Jared Taylor
Hundreds of residents filled the Broken Arrow, OK Planning Commission chamber, with crowds lining the walls and spilling into overflow rooms, as public comment and a vote took place on whether to approve or deny the development of an Islamic temple in the Tulsa suburb. pic.twitter.com/jUoO2DNgw6
Meaning of "Broken Arrow." In the context of Robertson's song, "Broken Arrow" is about restoration through love.
Symbol of Peace: In Native American culture, a broken arrow represents peace and the end of conflict. It signifies a desire for harmony and reconciliation.
Symbol of Hope: The "bottle of rain" is often interpreted as a metaphor for life and renewal. It suggests nurturing and the promise of better times.
"Broken Arrow" has other meanings depending on the context:
Military Meanings
Nuclear Weapon Accident (Most Common Modern Usage)
In U.S. military terminology, "Broken Arrow" refers to an accidental event involving nuclear weapons, warheads, or components that does not risk nuclear war. This includes incidents like accidental launching, firing, detonation (non-nuclear), theft, or loss of a weapon. The Department of Defense has officially documented at least 32 such "Broken Arrow" incidents since the 1950s, with some weapons never recovered (e.g., lost at sea). No incident has caused a nuclear explosion, thanks to safety mechanisms.
Dire Tactical Situation (Vietnam War Era)
During the Vietnam War, "Broken Arrow" was a radio code phrase signaling that a U.S. ground unit was in danger of being overrun by enemy forces. It directed all available combat aircraft in the area to provide immediate air support, even "danger close" strikes near friendly positions. It was famously used during the 1965 Battle of Ia Drang (depicted in the book and film We Were Soldiers). This usage appears limited to Vietnam and is not a standard modern term for the same situation.
Other Contexts
1996 Action Film
Broken Arrow is a John Woo-directed thriller starring John Travolta and Christian Slater, about the theft of nuclear warheads. The title borrows the nuclear accident term, though the plot involves intentional theft (which would technically be "Empty Quiver" in real terminology).
1950 Western Film
An earlier film titled Broken Arrow, starring James Stewart, portrays a more sympathetic view of Native Americans and peace efforts (a "broken arrow" symbolically means peace in some Native traditions).
City in Oklahoma
Broken Arrow is a suburb of Tulsa, named after a Muscogee (Creek) tribal town, referencing the historical practice of breaking arrows to signify peace or from gathering materials
Slang/Informal Uses
Occasionally appears in urban slang (e.g., calling for urgent help in non-military situations) or niche contexts, but these are not widespread.
The nuclear accident definition is the most recognized in current military and public discourse, while the Vietnam-era tactical meaning is historical and often confused with it due to media portrayals.
A recent article in Compact about discrimination against whites has made a splash. @arctotherium42 has an excellent thread from my 1991 book, Paved With Good Intentions, about vicious anti-white policies from the 1970s and 1980s. I had forgotten I had written such good stuff. https://t.co/4KyND7HZVQ
The SBA's loans, including those to minority companies, have essentially gone unaudited. Inevitably, money has gone astray. When the Los Angeles Times did an informal survey of minority firms that the SBA listed as "current" 8(a) beneficiaries, it found the 22% could not be reached or had gone out of business. --Jared Taylor
Justice Thurgood Marshall: “You guys have been practicing discrimination for years. Now it is our turn.” Jared Taylor.
I want to break the impression that Affirmative Action/DEI began in 2014 or is limited to school admissions and a handful of infamously left-wing fields. Here are some excerpts from chapter 4 of the 1992 book "Paved With Good Intentions." First, firefighting. --Arcotherium.
The FBI gives additional points on its hiring tests to nonwhites, and throws out the results if not enough nonwhites make it through anyways. State Department stopped considering foreign language skills because too few blacks spoke them and has a lower threshold for hiring them. --Arcotherium.
