Warrant Issued For Marvin Winans?
Tebow Hit With 'Lolo' Chant By Teammates
But Arkansas has pulled a series of plates after a complaint by a nice white woman who suggested the letter combination "NGR" looked like too much like a racial slur.
Alice Kunce says the plate she was issued struck her as offensive. She refused to hang it on her bumper.
The Arkansas DMV yanked the plate series after the complaint that NGR looked like the N-word. ...
Apparently, 17 versions of the plate are already on the street and a whole lot more will be trashed. Most states look at a list of license plates set to be printed to weed out offensive letter combinations that create terms like KKK, FUK, GAY.
Recently, WTF made a stir. 10,000 people in North Carolina were given the option to swap out their plates if they had the "WTF" letter combination. Cool license plate, unless you're a nun.
You gotta respect Arkansas' move to pull the plate, after all, it's not like it took a lot of effort to play it safe and sensitive. On top of that, Arkansas kind of lives with a historically bad rap in terms of race relations ( i.e. Little Rock Nine).
Some bloggers are blasting Kunce for being too sensitive. But maybe it was a good catch or just an example of some deep-rooted white guilt.
Before you judge, ask yourself, would you want those letters on your license plate?
It's kind of like those ink-blot tests psychiatrists use. Different people see different things. Some black folks CNN stopped were puzzled by the move, saying the license tag are letters devoid of any meaning.
Comments: (49)
Add a comment
By: Moordragon on 7/31/2008 11:52PM
Why are we so sensitive that we see things that are not there? Someone has been playing license plate games on long trips too long. They should purchase portable dvds or in-car entertainment to break the boredom of travelling by car.
To Tricia; I have heard the same thing regarding the use of the N-word. It is a rather ridiculous excuse for using such vile,profane word, especially in a public culturally mixed place. If I can use that word in a crowd or blare it loudly out of my car speakers anyone else has the right to its use regardless of color. There are no race specific- use words. I don't use it or condone its use around me. Not from black people or anyone else. But again, if we use it publically anyone else has that right.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: V.D. X on 8/01/2008 5:33AM
I believe that the removal of the plates to be a good thing. The offensive term has no place in the vocabulary at all. Those who are not offended have forgotten the civil rights struggle and the great numbers of people who made the ultimate sacrifice just to be classified human. The opportunity to have the social gains wrought of that struggle, have given the generations social empowerment and worth that has bred complacency because that which is received at no cost, has little value to those who apparently benefit the most from the struggle for payment. It is little wonder the KK do not feel the need to act in this time, our youth are doing far more harm to their own race with sensless violent acts, moral debauchry and degrading behavior than they could have ever imagined. Martin and those who struggled for equality would not just be spinning in their graves they would be revolving at a blurring speed. WAKE-UP BLACK AMERICA!!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Blacklace101 on 8/01/2008 7:49AM
WE NEED TO STOP THIS NGR COULD POSSIBLY STAND FOR A LOT OF WORDS.. SOME OF YOU REALLY NEED TO FIND SOMETHING IN LIFE TO DO BECAUSE THIS NON-SENSE IS UNBELIEVABLE AND IT'S NEEDS TO STOP... PWT, SAN, I MEAN PLEASE.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Blacklace101 on 8/01/2008 7:54AM
UNFORTUNATELY TODAY'S YOUNG BLACK AMERICAN ARE FOOLISH AND FULL OF IGNORANCE AND IT'S VERY TRUE ABOUT THE MIDDLE CLASS AND POORER' BLACK AMERICAN, I NEVER USED THE WORD NOR DID MY PEERS, JUST LIKE THE WORD B*TCH WE NEVER CALLED EACH OTHER THOSE TYPE OF WORDS BECAUSE THEY WERE OFFENSIVE. I REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY BECAME SO ACCEPTABLE. THE BLACK COMMUNITY HAS A LOT OF SICKNESS WHICH IS NO DIFFERENT FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES BUT OURS IS ALWAYS SHOW CASED.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: emanuel on 8/01/2008 11:39AM
The use if the N-word no matter who uses it is a negative and derogatory statement. It degrades the whole entire race. No one should use it no matter what background you come from.....
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: newzjunkie47 on 8/01/2008 11:57AM
i'm glad she changed the plates.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: jackie on 8/01/2008 12:47PM
Not ALL black people use the N word and it does NOT show love! How can you reverse a negative word that has caused so much pain? All these silly people are doing is degrading the black people who had to live through it by being a constant negative reminder! Let it go and STOP using the N word! While you're trying to get back at the white folks, you're really hurting the older generation of black people. STOP IT NOW!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: RA on 12/05/2008 5:05PM
NGR just happens to be the IOC Code (International Olympic Committee) for Nigeria and is NOT considered racist. Only an ingnorant, uneducated person could possibly see this license plate as being offensive. The US has become overly "pc" with everything these days.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: KC on 11/18/2008 10:13PM
It's a white lady who noticed. White guilt? So the word is acceptable if you're not guilty? Who was it again who had a funeral for the word? I'll give you a hint, they weren't white.
If it had been a black person who noticed, I have to wonder would the tone have changed to white people are to dumb to notice?
Racism works both ways. Recognizing that fact will be the next step in dealing with it.
Reply to this Comment | Report This