Posted on 12/10/2009 1:48:41 PM PST by earlJam
Personalized license plate owner: It's an ode to Harleys, not racism
By Chad D. Lerch | Muskegon Chronicle
December 10, 2009, 3:11PM
MUSKEGON COUNTY -- Richard Macaulay is a Harley-Davidson lover through and through.
The Muskegon man said he takes pride in his Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide motorcycle, which he keeps in immaculate condition.
Macaulay said he was shocked to receive a letter from the Michigan Secretary of State's office recently stating that his personalized license plate of seven years had been revoked.
The Secretary of State's office informed the retired factory worker that a complaint from a Muskegon Heights woman had surfaced, claiming the personalized tag was racially insensitive.
The plate reads: DYNGR.
Tiffany Gilmore filed the complaint last month. Gilmore, who is black, believed the plate encouraged racism toward blacks.
Macaulay says the plate, which was renewed every year without objection is an ode to his love of the Harley Davidson brand of motorcycles.
He says it's an abbreviation that blends his two favorite Harleys: The Dyna Wide Glide and the Soft Tail Springer. Over the seven years he had the plate, Macaulay said he never received objections from anyone.
His brother-in-law thought it was an abbreviation for "danger." But, he said, no one ever thought it was racially motivated.
Until last month.
After he received the complaint letter, Macaulay said it took him several minutes to figure out what the fuss was about.
"I don't think that way," he said. "It took me a while to figure it out."
"This lady assumed immediately that I was a racist skinhead," Macaulay said. "There are so many other things going on, like the war. People have nothing better to do than spend their lives being pissed off."
Macaulay said he has applied for a new personalized license plate similar to the one that has been recalled. But it lacks the letter "N" so nobody gets confused.
"I would like to apologize to this lady for offending her, but that was not my intention," he said. "People who know me know that I'm not a racist. But she didn't really know what the plate meant."
The National Geospacial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) had better be careful too...
I’ll bet when he got that letter he felt like pouring a jigger and dancing a jig.
“R” stands for rope! This letter must be banned as well.
This is bigger than jigger!
One day my boss came to work in a different car than usual.
I noticed the licence tag read “DIPPY”. I asked him why that tag and he replied it was his wife’s car and the state would not allow “DIPS—T”.
Shaking my head again ...
It took me quite a while to understand how that plate could have been offensive. I guess I just don’t think that way. Or look for that sort of thing. Or are freakin’ obsessesed about it, just waiting to be offended by the slightest thing.
Social Worker friend of mine wanted the plate SW4HIRE
It was turned down because someone at the State Level
thought it meant Smith and Wesson for Hire.
Sounds like someone needs to get a life rather that turning over rocks trying to find racism? *eyeroll*
Here's where he made his mistake, apologizing for something he didn't do.
Also, where is the appeal process on personalized plates? Is there none in his state? One person can complain, without any proof at all, and get your plate pulled? No questions asked of the owner of the plate as to what it means, just pull the plate 'cause a person of color was offended by a nonsense word that she had no clue as to what it meant.
America is in sore need of being taken back from the fickin' freedom destroying liberals.
That woman is a nagger.
Same here. I was on post #35 before I had that light bulb moment. Then I thought....WHO WOULD EVEN THINK THAT? Then another light bulb moment. Sheesh.....PEOPLE!!!!
I remember a Texas plate HMFIC2. Most Army veterans will quickly translate this (could have a racial slant) but why Number 2?
Have to agree with Richard here. Took me 5 minutes to figure out it was “bad”..
The owner of N1553R lives in Hilo, Hi. It took me a while though, to see what some suspicious people could complain about.
Second car
What's on her license plate, H8 YT ?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.