Quote Originally Posted by cajunscot View Post
Horses for courses and all that, sir. You are free to disagree, but why mock those who do?
I think "mock" is a misinterpretation of my purpose, sir. I am concerned that there are people who will feel that arms are in some way lesser because they have not been granted them by some armorial authority. Indeed, for a time, there was a "heraldry board" here in America which made money off the practice of selling "grants of arms" in the United States. That there was no requirement for such a grant in order to bear arms, nor authority for the board to grand them, was entirely ignored by these unscrupulous people.

The fact is that Heraldry was designed so that people in armor could be distinguished from one another, and identified. America is a nation of Yeomen, and our military goes to great lengths to homogenize its soldiers, so heraldry no longer holds that place in our society. I ask, therefore... does it really matter to Americans if their right to be identified by such a logo is recognized in South Africa?

If you are concerned that some other might bear the same arms as yourself, trademark the device! That action does have legal status within American law.

Of course, if you live in a country which does codify heraldry within the law, by all means, seek a grant of arms from the appropriate authority. But doing so in a country other than that of your residence gets you little except the right to bear those arms in the country which issues the grant.