Breathe
By Linda Atach
Institutional Loyalty as a Principle, National Security as an Objective
Motto of the Secretariat of National Defense
According to the Real Academia Española de la Lengua, "a symbol is a material element or object that, by convention or association, is considered representative of an entity, an idea, a certain condition, etc.".
With the respect that such authority deserves, I dare to say that the symbol goes far beyond the result of an agreement and an entity made to represent corporations, religions and countries. In my understanding, symbols are born from the fusion of sight with the ideas, values and ideals shared by a group to generate images and actions that awaken cohesion and identity. Perhaps that is why symbols are so powerful and controversial and why we find it so hard to give up the ones we have ingrained in our consciousness.
