Va. DMV: 'EATTHE' plate offensive
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles decided that the letters "EATTHE" on one of the state's "Kids First" license plates could be offensive and revoked it, WTOP reports.
(Courtesy gotgenes via Flickr)
The owner of the vanity plates says in a report on the social news web site Reddit that the DMV asked him to return the plates.
The owner said the DMV had received multiple complaints about the plate.
By
Washington Post editors
| January 5, 2011; 8:49 AM ET
Categories:
Virginia
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Posted by: STEVE4710 | January 5, 2011 9:52 AM | Report abuse
Seriously???? Va never ceases to amaze me!
Posted by: shadeau | January 5, 2011 9:55 AM | Report abuse
Maybe I'm losing it in my older days, but I don't see what's offensive about this. Can anyone enlighten me?
Posted by: justmike | January 5, 2011 10:13 AM | Report abuse
The Virginia DMV needs to STOP being the arbiter of taste.
Posted by: jnrentz@aol.com | January 5, 2011 10:19 AM | Report abuse
justmike -
"Eat the kids first"
Posted by: B-rod | January 5, 2011 10:23 AM | Report abuse
Perhaps the person(s) who complained in this case should complain about Swift's 1729 essay, "A Modest Proposal."
Yes, let us get that offensive literary work removed from the library's, and schools of Virginia.
Posted by: jnrentz@aol.com | January 5, 2011 10:23 AM | Report abuse
There is VA tag with a picture of a deer on it (wildlife conservation or something like that)
which reads "DINNER" (good one, btw!)
Is DMV gonna pull that because it may be offensive to vegans?
Will DMV ban plates with the Redksins logo, because it may be offensive to indians?
Stop the madness.
Posted by: RichinVA | January 5, 2011 10:28 AM | Report abuse
B-rod-
You know, I just thought of that after I posted, but that just seems dopey, not offensive. Oh, well...
As for Swift's essay, I guess that plate would be offensive if it was on a car(t) in 18th century Ireland.
Posted by: justmike | January 5, 2011 10:32 AM | Report abuse
Virginia has whack priorities.
Posted by: blackforestcherry | January 5, 2011 11:13 AM | Report abuse
Truly whack priorities....Why is it not a "Freedom of Speech" violation, that Va banned his plates?
____________________________________
Either way, there should be far more important things the Commonwealth could involve themselves with....
Posted by: awfulexcuse1 | January 5, 2011 11:31 AM | Report abuse
I guess no one at the DMV has read Jonathan Swift's work. More from the Virginia Daddy State.
Posted by: jckdoors | January 5, 2011 11:49 AM | Report abuse
If you actually look at the link, it's because some people thought it meant oral sex on kids.
Yeah, I didn't see that either. Only pervs would see that, yet they're offended by it. Whatever.
In any event, this is not a free speech issue at all. The state owns the plates, not you. Want to say "eat the kids first?" Print a bumper sticker.
Posted by: Dadrick | January 5, 2011 12:02 PM | Report abuse
I wouldn't be surprised one bit if Cuccinelli had something to do with this. What a nutcase.
Posted by: Mobycat | January 5, 2011 12:10 PM | Report abuse
quick, someone go apply for "8THE" on this plate.
Posted by: UMDTerpsGirl | January 5, 2011 12:48 PM | Report abuse
Terpsgirl- LOL!! good one!!
Posted by: 10bestfan | January 5, 2011 12:59 PM | Report abuse
Maybe I'm in the minority (at least from the comments so far), but I think the plate was extremely offensive and that VDMV was right to pull it. Even though something may be funny, it does not necessarily belong in public view. Whether the joke was about pedophilia or cannibalism (or both), in my view it crosses the line of decent taste.
And the deer "dinner" is indeed different. Eating deer, although it may be seen as wrong by vegans, is societally accepted and legal. Eating humans is neither.
Posted by: nan_lynn | January 5, 2011 1:04 PM | Report abuse
Why not just change it to "BEATTHE"?
Posted by: Irato | January 5, 2011 1:28 PM | Report abuse
In poor taste, yes, but gosh-darn hilarious.
Posted by: krickey7 | January 5, 2011 1:49 PM | Report abuse
Next thing you know, they'll remove the N-word from Huckleberry Finn...
Posted by: ahowl7mx | January 5, 2011 1:50 PM | Report abuse
Will DMV ban plates with the Redksins logo, because it may be offensive to indians?
Well it is already offensive to football fans
Posted by: LMarie1 | January 5, 2011 2:10 PM | Report abuse
20 years ago I had license plates that said '3M TA3' on my car for 8 years.
DMV never figured that one out.
Posted by: mika_england | January 5, 2011 2:46 PM | Report abuse
"quick, someone go apply for "8THE" on this plate."
Or maybe 'BLTTHE'?
Could be taken two ways...
Posted by: mika_england | January 5, 2011 2:48 PM | Report abuse
20 years ago I had license plates that said '3M TA3' on my car for 8 years.
DMV never figured that one out.
Posted by: mika_england | January 5, 2011 2:46 PM | Report abuse
______________________
I like that one mika! LOL..
Posted by: awfulexcuse1 | January 5, 2011 3:28 PM | Report abuse
Good grief! GAFL ... both those "offended" and the VA DMV.
Posted by: gostate | January 5, 2011 5:08 PM | Report abuse
Good grief! GAFL ... both those "offended" and the VA DMV.
Posted by: gostate | January 5, 2011 5:09 PM | Report abuse
This all must be coming from PETA...
There are several cultures in the world that find goats to be delicious, just as many find cattle to be delicious.
Naturally, the tenderest and tastiest are the calves and kids, and it is perfectly understandable to want to eat the best.
With all the uproar, you would almost believe they were talking about children instead
Posted by: alanwillingham | January 6, 2011 2:10 PM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed.
that is rediculous. people have no sense of humor and are always looking to get other people in trouble. this is why we shouldnt have let immigrants in in the first place. life used to be so simple before americas heart started bleeding