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Va. DMV recalls plate with Hitler connotations

RICHMOND

The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles on Tuesday recalled a license plate that appeared to have coded references glorifying Adolf Hitler.

The vanity plate, which read "14CV88," was the subject of complaints after photos were posted online.

The "88" is sometimes a coded reference to Heil Hitler, as each word begins with the eighth letter of the alphabet.

The "14" is thought to stand for the number of words in a white supremacist credo. The "CV" is an apparent reference to the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations was among the groups offended by the plate. The truck bearing the plates also featured graphics of the Confederate flag and the phrase "Everything I ever needed to know about Islam I learned on 9/11."

DMV spokeswoman Pam Goheen said the specialized plate, which featured the logo of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, was issued in March 2009. She declined to specify the county where the plate was registered. After reviewing the complaints, Goheen said a DMV committee determined that the letters and numbers could reasonably be construed as racially or ethnically disparaging.

Posted to: News Traffic - Transportation Virginia

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News?

This is what counts as news these days?

it sure is

Sure does, I want to know if a neo-Confederate, nazi sympathizer is following me in his pick up.

Waste of taxpayer dollars

Now we are decoding license plates. I'll bet we pay people to actually do this. I could easily, with a little imagination and creativity, ban most plates for one thing or another. If it is not clear, why waste time and money? Free speech- what ever happened to that? Bumper stickers are next. Of course to some, they want a civic league to tell them they can't put up a flag pole with an American Flag in their neighbors front yard. As far as I am concerned, your yard, your car, your bumper sticker or your paid for plate- do what you want. This is America- or is it?

The Council on

The Council on American-Islamic Relations apparently has way too much time on their hands.

REALLY???

I would not consider this news worthy. But it is the media's place to stir the racial pot.

I agree with Larry 100

I agree with Larry 100 percent on his comment, racism is an IGNORANT MANS DISEASE! People to search out racism are just as guilty as the person exploiting their stupidity!

are you kidding

maybe it was the persons initials,birth date,wedding date,or some thing else.why take the plate away.id have said more but the pilot wont let me...

The who??

"The Council on American-Islamic Relations was among the groups offended by the plate."
So now our tags are being monitored by Islamics, and if they are found offensive, we have to change them?
America, the land of the free and home of the brave. (As long as it doesn't offend Islam)
P.S., thanks for great bumper sticker idea, now I'll go online and try and find one.

License Plate

When you find that bumper sticker let me know...I want one...

?

There were people that said Ronald Wilson Reagan stood for 666.

There are people that say Barak Huesein Obama stands for 666.

I haven't a clue about that plate Maybe the DMV can figure 666 out of it too???

.

The guy was calling

The guy was calling attention to it. That's why people caught on.

Good point . . . . .

Truth is, I have worried for some time about those Virginia Peninsula people who are forced to live in Zip Code 23666.

Offensive plate

Wouldn't want to "OFFEND" anyone, would we? Im getting to HATE the word. All this PC BS is really getting old.

I've found that people who

I've found that people who talk tough are usually the most thin-skinned. You want everyone else to loosen up, but probably get royally steamed whenever someone hits your own sore spot.

How is this pc?

Do we want state sanctioned praise or recognition of someone like HItler?
Especially with some terrorists using 88 as a call, like the Columbine idiots, or white supremacists. Really, there is a requirement that it not be racist of derogatory toward religion, or obscene, or a call to violence. I class this as racist and a call to violence.

Evolution

The shooters at Columbine did it due to teachings on evolution. The one shooter had a t-shirt he made saying, I love Natural Selection.

"Teachings on evolution"?

And just where did you get that utterly ridiculous "fact"? Oh, that's right, you don't bother with things like "facts". The shooter's shirt read simply "Natural Selection", not "I love Natural Selection", and the idea that the Columbine shootings were brought about because of "teachings on evolution" is the most absurd thing I've ever heard. Why don't you do some actual research before you go spouting off nonsense?

88?

By that logic Dale Jr., NASCAR #88 is a neo-nazi?

Bit the Columbine kids were

Bit the Columbine kids were using "420", which the media twisted into being based on Hitlers birthday. However, all of know what 420 really is...right? If not, do yourself a lil' web search or pick up Tuesday's paper.

hitler is offensive. white

hitler is offensive. white supremist groups are offensive. they preach hate. use your brain.

Hitler wasn't offensive. He

Hitler wasn't offensive. He was evil. "Offensive" applies to people who live by pride. They believe their feelings are correct, righteous, and natural.

haha good joke

Oh wait, were you serious?

It's Not Fair!

It must be bias. No way could it be because you violated the posting rules. Next you'll be advocating silencing your opposition as a way to make it "fair".

The "88" is sometimes The

The "88" is sometimes

The "14" is thought to

The "CV" is an apparent

Sometimes. Thought to. Apparently. This is what we base decisions off of now? I didn't realize that Dale Jr. supported Hitler. Or that my 14 year old was a white supremacist. Or that being a relative of a Veteran, regardless of war, was wrong. Thanks for enlightening me.

and

The KKK uses the cross in it's ceremonies. Perhaps we should ban the public display of the cross too, lest anyone be offended.

Whimps

This country is becoming a country full of wimps and wusses. Uh oh, I bet I "offended" someone with that. Give me a break!! This is totally ridiculous!

What

Give us a break. This has gone too far.

I sense another lawsuit

I see a lawsuit in the state's future. Why can one person have so much power to "be offended" and have the state revoke another's right to free speech.

Ban Beatles Records, too!

Ban old Beatles records, too! When you play them backwards, they say, "Obama is bad!"!!!

My take

Maybe 14CV88 really means: I for see victory 88=Dale Earnhardt Jr. You can read into anything!

Johnny White Supremist thought he was being clever

Apparently 88 & 14 are commonly used by WSs and Hitlerites. Odd - but not surprising - that the Tea Party peeps on the threads here are very quick to defend this guy.

As a Neo-Nazi symbol

Eighty-eight is used as code among Neo-Nazis to identify each other.[2] H is the 8th letter of the alphabet, so 88 is taken to stand for HH which in turn means Heil Hitler.[3] For example, the number is used in the song "88 rock'n'roll band" by the neo-Nazi group Landser. The late convicted Order terrorist David Lane wrote "Fourteen Words" and 88 Precepts, and the numbers are often found in combination (1488, 14/88, etc.).

The Fourteen Words is a phrase used predominantly by white nationalists in the United States. It most commonly refers to the 14-word slogan: "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children"

TR

So you just couldn't wait to post a slam against the Tera Party, when this has absolutely noting to do with it.

Hate much?

Oops

That should be Tea not Tera.

I'll be watching for you to

I'll be watching for you to call out people who bring up Obama every time it rains . . . I imagine I'll be waiting till forever. I know, I know. You have multiple sets of rules of behavior, what is reasonable and what counts as facts depending on the apparent political affiliation of the person doing the posting.

Dont do this.............

There are farrr tooo many people now that seem to have the power to tell alot of other people what they can and cant do...................do we have another Hitler in our Future?.................

Uh...Before you buy that bumper sticker

To those who said that they were going to buy bumper stickers, you also might want to get a scraper when you pick up your bumper stickers. I have knowns at least 3 people who were pulled over and told they could either remove their "Offensive bumper stickers" or get ticketed and go to court. Although I have to admit, I haven't heard of anybody who went to court for this since all 3 that I talked to removed (to the best of their ability) their bumper stickers.

Wow

I find myself wondering what could be on a bumper sticker that would make a cop pull you over to scrape it off. What law is that? I mean, we still allow truck nutz don't we? This is getting silly.

Aww come on

I don't fully understand the offensive part of his liscense plate.Ok the 88 part i'm not a fan of Hilter but come on!!The article says the 14 words are the credo used by white supremacists groups thats not totally true.White nationalists live by this credo also and yes theres a difference! "We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children", If those words offend someone well thats too bad its a message of white pride not hate. WPWW

there are a lot of things that I find offensive but

I accept this is a country founded on the right to freedom of expression and I choose to focus on the things that matter to me. So why can't everyone else do the same?

2MCHCENSOR

There is too much sensorship in our country. Of course everyone has free speach but, we have to consider free speach is only free as long as it does not offend anyone. Yet, it is hard to determine what offends when there are so many individualists in our country. Does anyone remember "United We Stand, Divided We Fall". Our great country is falling because of frivolous law suits. Everyone is sueing everyone. I have seen two license plate that can be offensive. One said EETRBVR and another said GETRWET. Are these sexual in nature or is one all about hunting for food and clothing and the other talking about getting their vehicle wet.Just as with Nostrodomus, you hear it as you read it. What goes through your head at the time of reading it can make something funny, or offensive. Just as the military banned derogitive vehicle stickers by refusing access to an installation to scraping their DOD sticker. The avarge citizen is always sensored yet our governmental leaders are above criticism.

methinks

methinks you inadvertantly pointed out the truth. the problem is not too much sensorship in our country; it's too little censership.

(btw sensorship doesn't appear in my websters' unabridged; sensor refers to sensory nerves or a device receiving a stimulus. censer derives from the hebrew tabernacle and is now a vessel commonly in use in some churches.)

censorship

Me thinks America is now so "dumbed down" by poor public education that
the proper form of the language is heading toward extinction.

censorship

Good point but deserves censorship for terrible spelling. Turn your spell
checker on. A sign of the times.

What next, a waiting period?

So imagine if you can, before you say anything that might offend someone, the Commonwealth of Virginia will initiate a 5 day waiting period in order to run a background check on you. Oh wait, I'm sorry, that's the 2nd Amendment Right that this waiting period affects. the government would NEVER do that to your 1st Amendment Rights would they?

You know, that pesky Constitution just gets in the way all the time!

SOOOO

When did we loose or Freedom of Speech and expression? I love this country but it was founded on the basis of freedom from the tyranny of a government who enforced its beliefs on the people. Although I agree that Hitler was evil and that white supremacy has no right here (and I am white) I feel that no one person should rule supreme over any other. But it is the persons right to believe what he or she wants to and who are we to say they cant express themselves? Comments please?

Free speech is one thing

What you can put on a license plate is another. Nothing is stopping this person from painting whatever slogan he wants in 3 foot letters on his car. The state, in this case, is enforcing its sensible regulations on what it will allow on ITS license plates.

CHANGES

Well, we were promised changes. That is one promise that has been kept.

Time to put an end to the

Time to put an end to the personalized plates. Once again, something that started out with good intentions and with benefit to the majority has gone sour due the "offended" minority. When the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate came to the DMV it was time to quit this nonsense. There are too many other public forums to express one's political views than on your license plates. Buy a bumper sticker.

I just read that a radical fundamental Muslim group has threatened the creators of South Park with death for their depiction of the Prophet Mohammed in a bear suit.

Political correctness… It's gone to far.

plate v. sticker

So really... what's the difference between a crafty license plate and a bumper sticker? Are you suggesting the bumper sticker is less offensive? Foul language I can understand being banned.... But political speech? I don't think so.

Yes, it is different.

The state doesn't issue those stupid stickers.

License Plate

Guess the Muslims aren't going to like my license tag "legend" that reads: Remember the USS Cole. Wonder when Virginia DMV, who allowed me to pick that out of the various tags they themselves offered, will be sending me notification that I should turn said tag in because of the implied insult that tag has for the Muslim community? As for bumper stickers: I've seen any number of those I find offensive but I sure as you know what have never seen a police officer pulling anyone over for one of them. The same for some of the personalized license plates I have read.

Broad Brush?

I doubt any Muslims would think twice about your statement and many would probably sympathize. Every religion has its extremists.

License Plate

You pay extra to get your vanity plates and the State makes money. People are reading way too much into a license plate. We are supposed to have "Free Speech" in this country (1st Amendment), but apparently that is no longer the case. I now understand the slogan from 2008: "We need a Change"
this really meant going from Democracy to Socialism/Communism. Well,we got the change, and have to live with this PC BS another 2 years. I can't remember a minority controlling a majority but it is coming to pass. We need to take our country back,restore our Constitutional rights,and get rid of those who wasted our money and made the national debt worse.
I am not PC, and I don't intend to be. Last time I checked this was America,and we are still free. I am a Veteran,did my time like thousands of other people who wanted to give back something for being blessed to live in this great country. If you are offended by something in this country,go back to where you came from. No one made you come here. try being offended in China,and you end up dead. Be thankful that doesn't happen here.

One small step for a man

One giant leap for cwc63995. A state bureaucrat does his job to excise offensive material from a state issued license plate. Conclusion, we have become a communist state with no free speech and a minority controlling the majority. This would be laugh out loud funny if it were not for the sad fact that it was not an attempt at humor.

not quite

If the state didn't charge me for the license plate, then I would not have a problem with them telling me what to put on it. But since I pay for it, I should be able to put what I want.

Comment

You are indeed a gentleman sir, and I thank you for the above comment. I don't understand why he bought up the race issue. I never mentioned race, because it had nothing to do with the topic in question. I simply think the State over-stepped its bounds and opened as can of worms.I sincerely appreciate your comment, Thank You Sir!

plate?

Where have you been? 8 years ago USA had a budget surplus--now we have the largest debt in our history!
Who did that? hmmm
DMV is not personal free speech, duh.
Is everyone who disagrees with you actually from another country? My ancestors have been here a very long time. Yours too I guess. But either way it is immigrants (your family and mine) who made this country what it is.
Constitution has been winnowed down and chipped away at for 8 years as well. Just admit that you are racist with an ax to grind but at least be a little less obvious.

Hitler Lost

....the victor gets to write the history...Hitler is demonized because of the death camps...ok...that was horrible...he unified a country that was down in the dumps somewhat like Ronald Reagan did for America after the Viet Nam era and Jimmy Carter...am I sensitive to COEXISTENCE?...yes...are the radical muslims/christians/etc....no....guess what...this is America...COEXIST because it is in our constitution...this is America...the country that everyone wants to live in....or hates because they are not...

and sometimes I make up stuff in license plates because they don't make sense to me....Cinderala may be a leather-bound female sex master...is that my business? I have a life and it takes up all of my time....

Wonder

Does DMV ever ask the owner of the plate what they were trying to say? Maybe this person likes car #88 in NASCAR?

and...

he was the 14th sponsor of it! Sorry, that was dumb. Almost as dumb as the comment I responded to!

so tell us

What is the true meaning of the license plate? Since you seem to be so sure that the meaning has nothing to do with Earnhardt, tell us what the true meaning is.

Bizarre

So free speech stops at somebody being offended? This sets a dangerous precedent. Interesting, I could be offended about so many things. Perhaps I should hire a lawyer and start filing suits over everyday things I don't like. It could get messy.

I'm pretty sure the "14CV88" plate mentioned here meant what it's being described as, and so what? That plate would let me know I'm looking at a possible neo-nazi and I could give him a wide berth. If you start decoding plates like this you could probably turn innocuous into offensive rather easily. It would get out of hand.

A piano has 88 keys on it. I know pianists in many states (including my departed teacher from 20 years ago) who use 88 in some form on their vanity plates to reference the piano. Do people see their plates and think "Nazi"?

Ptown

I knew you would find a way to defend this stuff. What if I had a plate that says "Amerikkka"? You would call me every name under the sun. (Before the psychos go even more crazy, I don't and I wouldn't attempt to get such a plate).

OK

If you had a plate like that I would surely form a negative opinion about you, but it would still be free speech. But I don't know why you think I would call you everyname under the sun. That's something you do, you're projecting again. Honestly, it's like we're speaking two different languages. Mine is based on rational thought and yours is based on emotion. Do you see the problem here?

Actually Art

With a tag like Amerikkka I would think you were giving props out to the KKK. See? The message is in the eye of the reader.

I've seen plates that could

I've seen plates that could be construed one way or the other over the past years...not implying this one isn't valid, but what recourse it there for being denied?
Observed plate - DVL4ME. I asked the driver/operator, what does your plate mean?
They're my husbands initials for his first/middle/last name for(4) me.
Now If I were a Christian, what would I read that as?
But, since I asked, I got the real answer (maybe).
I'm fed up with the double meanings myself. While stationed in Illinois, when I went to the Illinois Secretary of State Office (DMV) to obtain a plate for my vehicle, the next one on top of the pile was ARU-486.
Hmmmm...RU-486...sounds familiar....
NNNOOOOO!!!! That's the day afer pill!!!
Like I was going to drive around Skokie, Illinois with that thing.

I was taught

That the First Amendment was made to protect unpopular speech, as popular speech needs no protection.

I've seen that license plate before

It is attached to a pickup truck that is covered in confederate flags, with a depiction of the burning World Trade Center Twin Towers painted on the gate, along with the words "ALL I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ISLAM, I LEARNED ON 9/11". Golly gee, why would anyone read white supremacy into something like that? Can't Big Government just let people hate in peace?

Americans

Of all races, religions, sexes, ages, and sexual preferences were murdered in the Twin Towers and in the airliners that were turned into cruise missles by thes islamic terrorists. They did not single out any group in particular; any American was a target. Wake up folks, these terrorists hate us all, and they have proven themselves to be equal opportunity murderers.

Same could be said for Tim

Same could be said for Tim McViegh or some of our own homegrown netcase militias. The statement attacking Islam is antisemitic and distasteful as well as no doubt offensive to many of that faith.

Plates and bumper stickers

Forget all that stuff! Hang a ball sack from your bumper. I don't see anyone complaining about those yet...

@drum57, Virginia tried to

@drum57, Virginia tried to outlaw "Truck Nuts" 2 years ago, so someone DID complain about them.

Point less

I don't doubt it but I see those "things" danling off trucks and other vehicles all the time...

actually

On January 15, 2008, Delegate Spruill of Virginia proposed Bill HB1452, which would prohibit truck owners from displaying or otherwise equipping their vehicles with devices resembling human genitalia.

Since it was an SCV plate

It would be pertaining to the 14th Calvary 88th regiment and the persons ancestor was apart of. But I guess that would still OFFEND some folks who don't give a crap about history unless it benefits them. JMHO

So did Obama finally remove

So did Obama finally remove the first amendment? Or is this just VA placating to a bunch of whiny little pansies that are offended by everything? I don't care what your license plate says, or what anyone else's license plate says.

The constitution doesn't guarantee free speech unless it offends someone, it just guarantees free speech.

three issues

1. The board that decides which plates are offensive and which are not was formed long before Barack Obama became President.

2. The President has nothing to do with the Virginia DMV.

3. The First Amendment means the government cannot persecute you for speech. It does not guarantee a platform, especially a state-provided one.

???

It is vicious and ignorant people like you that will get this venue restricted or gone (it's in the works).
Hiding behind anonymity while spouting hate (and incorrect hate at that) is pusillanimous.

???

It is vicious and ignorant people like you that will get this venue restricted or gone (it's in the works).
Hiding behind anonymity while spouting hate (and incorrect hate at that) is pusillanimous.

What????

That comment is absolutely ridiculous. This issue has nothing to do with Obama and yet for some reason you have found some way to drag him in this mess. He didn't find that plate and write to the DMV about it being offensive so why even try to put the fault on him??

Like the other comment said YOU are the reason why people cannot have an open forum to exercise their freedom of speech because there is always that one person (you)that makes some ridiculous, unfounded, & absurd remark. I think the issue at hand is whether or not that license plate was offensive...Not Obama!

ok

Some of these comments are just sick and sad. People will always do what they want to do regardless....no one has learned that yet...

HAHAHAHAHAHA.......

This reminds me of a friend of mine......back in the early 90's he had a license plate that read..... DGY STYL.....after having it for 4 years, he received a letter from DMV saying his license plate was offensive and that he needed to turn those plates in and get new ones...Maybe he was a dog groomer....NOT...HAHAHAHAHHA

plate belongs to the commonwealth

As such, the Commonwealth can decided what you put on them. This isn't a free speech issue because it's a government-issued item, and any message on it could be interpreted as Virginia's approval of it. If you want to display a message of hate put it on a bumper sticker (which this guy did in addition to his plate). While there are any number of possible meanings for the plate referenced in this article, taken in context with the stickers and the fact that the message was on a Confederate plate it's pretty clear it means exactly what CAIR said it does. Had this person been smarter he would have had his coded message stand alone on a plain plate and it probably would have gone unnoticed. Because his truck was festooned with controversial (and in one case outright ignorant) messages, he drew attention to himself. Then again, white supremacists are not generally the smartest among us.

How About

A USS Cole tag with : 17MURDRD or is the truth offensive too?

not to me

I'm not offended by any of them, and frankly I think CAIR is officially offended way too easily and often. I'm just saying that with a state-owned plate freedom of speech isn't as absolute as it is with private property.

Yes

That is a thorny issue. The tag does not actually belong to the user. It is the property of the Commonwealth and is supposed to be returned when no longer used, though admittedly few of us do. The tag is an official product of the Commonwealth. I can see where it may appear that the state is acting in complicity when it prints a tag that some(one) might find offensive. Still, there is no constitutional right against being offended. Offense, like beauty, is in the eye of beholder.

How much is this going to

How much is this going to cost the taxpayer when the ACLU picks up the case and the DMV has to defend it?

Santa's giving first amendment atta-boys to ...

... the ACLU? I thought they were on par with ACORN! All 14/88 license plate defenders here should make a contribution to the ACLU ;)

The numbers on this guy's plate represent one heck of coincidence. Using TheGoogle, "Hitler 88" you get 3.7 million hits. "Hitler 88 14" gives 2.6 million hits. But hey, it is Confederate History Month.

So many things to celebrate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andersonville_National_Historic_Site

Odds?

Any bets that this guy is a teabagger?

ACLU

The ACLU won't take up for this guy. He offended Muslims not Christians.

Also the completely

Also the completely inconsequential (to you) fact that this has nothing to do with civil liberties

But...

NOGOD is an acceptable plate.

Yes

It is just as acceptable as IKNOGOD.

Photo of the license plate/truck in question

http://i43.tinypic.com/117tj4w.jpg

I'm so sure that choosing the numbers 14 and 88 were a total coincidence. *rolling eyes*

I understand why the truck

I understand why the truck was parked in a handicapped spot

Wow

Didn't see that one coming....

And would you be

offended if I had a license plate that says LVGNGKN? Or how about HNBLCN? I like both Gengis Khan and ole Hannible.
Tough guys. How about FREMSN (no, not Freemason....free Manson). Who's offended?

thicker skin

What is sad is that people can't express themselves without the weaker members of society getting offended. What, how is the mere fact someone supports a former German dictator mass murderer offensive? You and most of society don't support him but his opinion should be his own. This political correctness is out of hand. And its only certain things, jews, blacks. no one cares if you use your license plate to support Hirohito, Ghengis Khan, Alexander the Great, Vladimir Putin, Castro, etc. The state is just plain wrong on this one. Freedom of expression can't be just for certain viewpoints.

Survival of the loudest

It's worrying about someone's 1st amendment rights and not yourself that has caused our country to fall from "the best" nation. All of the younger and "louder" generation that says America is number 1 have no idea what they're talking about. I did my 20+ years in the military and I know for a fact that the things I signed up to protect have not been protected. We haven't had too many attacks on our constitution by foreign entities but our domestic attacks have been numerous. Worry about yourselves people, you have too many problems to be worrying about everyone else. If this guy liked Adolf Hitler, so what! What happened to his 1st amendment rights? Because we have become "Survival of the Loudest or "The squeaky bearing gets the oil", we have dumb'ed down America. Just remember when you point that finger, there are four pointing back at you.

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