I fail to see the disrespect. The Iron Cross is a variation of the tunic emblem of the Teutonic Knights which was a variation of the Maltese Cross (Knights of Malta) which may be a variation of the Celtic Cross which is one of the earliest variations of the cross on which Christ was crucified. Both the Maltese Cross and Teutonic Cross date to the Crusades when they were worn by religious orders that distinguished themselves for, among other things, brutal banditry conducted against fellow Christians as well as non-Christian "heratics" (of Good Samaratin descent!). If anything, I would say that Nazi Germany showed considerable disrespect for the continued use of the Iron Cross as an emblem of bravery, especially considering that the Nazis were notorious for brutally persecuting any Christian sect that it believed opposed fascism or the war. Jewish genocide and eradication of mentally ill German children can hardly be seen as an act compatible with Christian morality or bravery. Now, if that emblem had not been displayed in the magazine, perhaps you would not have learned of its ignoble and, in some respects hypocritical, history. I think that public illustration of various military decorations inspires healthy curiosity and learning. Hiding them away really does nothing to inform the public.

I think the Iron Cross has been popularized by reality shows like "Monster Garage", "Orange County Choppers", the biker build-offs (especially with Jesse James' using it as his logo)on Discover channel, etc. To uninformed folks that represents biker culture or something, not what the symbols originated from. Ontario backgrounded that real well. I don't think it's worn out of so much disrespect as it is for perceived cool factor. Most people these days are not digging for the deeper story on anything.
Maybe Allstate is assuming ignorance on the part of readers? I'll bet that logo was put on that vest with someone's OK. That's a high-$$$$ ad there. I guarantee someone in a focus group or someone of importance in the ad dept. said, "go with that- that makes him look tougher"....

correction Ontario Honker & sgaredneck

This advertisement is in almost all of my motorcycle magazines (I don't ride a cruiser so this ad does nothing for me anyway). Why it is in F&S is beyond me.

Somebody somewhere in corporate world thinks we(mostly male demographic reading outdoor/adventure magazines) are a suitable demographic, that we'd think some dude wearing a cut & some tough looking stuff on it would make us want the toughest, baddest-assed insurance out there - for our wives' minivans........

I doubt they're looking at just motorcycle owners. That's a pretty small slice of the insurance pie. I'd call it a poorly aimed shot at trying to woo 'tough' guys to their insurance. Allstate: Our insurance can beat up your insurance.