Banning symbols

So, Germany has the rotating presidency of the EU now, and they want to extend a ban on the swastika across all Europe. Hindus are, of course, upset: the swastika has a long history (7 millennia, give or take a few centuries) of use before Hitler appropriated it. I'm not a Hindu, but I have a set of Kipling books - a complete The Works of Rudyard Kipling (Limited Edition), published by Charles Scribner in 1911. They have, each and every one of them, a swastika incorporated into the design embossed on the covers - an elephant, a flower (a lotus?), and a swastika. Would my books be illegal in the EU?

If something has to be banned - if - how about the black swastika in the white circle on the red field? You know, something unambiguously Nazi? But I'm not all that certain anything does need banning. I don't deny that the sight of Nazi regalia and symbols call up bad memories and evoke evil. But - they're kind of meant to. I'd just as soon have people like that clearly labelled so I know to avoid them. And people who think Nazis are funny - as opposed to people who make fun of Nazis - probably could stand a little history lesson.

But banning? You know they'll just find something else - ever seen a Russian National Bolshevik? Will we keep banning symbols forever? What next - banning crosses because the KKK uses them?

I'm not certain that banning a symbol is ever a good idea. I am sure that banning a symbol because of one of its uses is misguided.