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The DMV Claims This Veteran’s License Plate Encourages Violence

Feb. 21, 2013 6:25pm Erica Ritz

(TheBlaze/AP) — After a lengthy legal battle, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is saying an Iraq war veteran’s personalized license plate encourages violence and is vulgar.

Sean Bujno’s plate reads: “ICUHAJI,” which can be read to state: “I See You, Haji.”

A “haji” is a Muslim who has made the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, though some U.S. soldiers use the term indiscriminately overseas. Bujno had the plates for about four years before someone complained, and some Arab-Americans are interpreting the phrase as threatening.

But Andrew Meyer, Bujno’s attorney, claimed: “That couldn’t be further from the truth…He really means it respectfully.”

A circuit court judge ruled last November that the DMV couldn’t deny the Chesapeake man’s license on the basis that it denigrated individuals of a particular nationality, but now the DMV has taken a new approach, saying it encourages violence.

And according to the Virginian-Pilot, the DMV indicated in a letter to Bujno that they’re willing to continue the legal battle over the plates.

Bujno’s attorney responded to the same paper that the DMV is acting unreasonably.

“It never should have taken this long,” he said. “They didn’t like the plate and decided to hold on to it until they found a reason to deny it.”

Here’s more on the story from when the DMV first claimed the plates were inappropriate in 2012, including a survey of what people in a parking lot thought the plates meant:

Jalopnik:

Uh huuuuuuh. I’d find that a lot easier to believe if not for the license plate that Bjuno requested in 2007: “HAJIKLR.” He was turned down for that one too. (His attorney claims it was actually Bjuno’s dad who requested that plate.)

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Comments (127)

RoDogg
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:25pm
It’s “supposed” to be a free country, racism and all. Political correctness goes against real individual freedom. Period.

If words hurt you …… please leave this country. I want my liberty back!

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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:24pm
.
Oh by all means lets not offend the Dirty Goat Humpers any more than we have to…..

And I mean no disrespect by calling them Dirty Goat Humpers, after all they don’t like to be called Islamic Extreamist……

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- 1fever15
  Posted on February 22, 2013 at 12:56am
  Jesus man, Muslims saved my life in Kuwait City even though I was in my Army ACU’s. They are not all bad.
  
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The Big Mick
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:23pm
Look, comrades*, you want to see what’s really going on rent an xbox and Call of Duty, Modern Warefare 2 and 3 and Black Ops 1 and 2.
You spend a lot of time smokin Rogue Americans, Cubans, and Especially RUSSIANS, but almost NO time smokin Hajis. They move you on from those “missions” as quickly as possible. Do any of you remember the stink a while back when they tried to start a “mission” as a Terrorist breaking out of Gitmo? Well in BO 2 you DO play a mission AS a terrorist killing American Soldiers. One mission and Several “cut scenes” are from the Boss Terrorist’s POV in attempt to have the gamer identify with and sympathize with him.
All this aimed at America’s Youth and quite under the radar. You either got to BE a gamer, or like me, interested in what your KIDS are doing on line, to pick up on it. Hundreds of Millions of bucks? Billions?
The Developers say it’s for the “international market” I say the HAJI’s have CONTROL over the Gaming Industry, Hollywood, TV (been a long time since Gibbs shot a HAJI), AND the DMV if not the entire Government of The Commonwealth.

*I use this not in any marxist sense but like Barry Fitzgerald as “Mickaleen Og Flynn” in “The Quiet Man”—”Well, it’s a nice, soft, night, so I think I’ll go and join me [IRA] comrades for a drink and talk a Little Treason.”

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- anndtman
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 8:51pm
  I really believed I was the only one.
  Thinking I was nuts kept me ….uh
  
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DarkJello
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:22pm
That 1st Amendment is just terribad for America too, I guess.

DMV apparently has at least 1 ignoramus with power.

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matchtarget
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:21pm
The line it is drawn the curse it is cast… Do you know what Nathan Hale really said before he was hanged?
“I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country. Naw he said for Gods sake don’t sell them any rope…
Well we have given the government a heck of a lot of rope

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- The Big Mick
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:27pm
  For the times they are a changin.
  50 points on The Big Mick “Name that Classic Allusion” Scoring List for the Dylan allusion.
  
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skippy6
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:16pm
So!! He just sees a Muslim going to Meca What’s the big deal????

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- 1fever15
  Posted on February 22, 2013 at 12:48am
  Yeah and you call black people *****’s because it means they are black….give me a break.
  
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nesmond
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:16pm
Do we have free speech or not? He’s not yelling fire in a theater, and if it pees off some hajis, too bad. Nowadays, it’s fine to disparage white people, even on national television, but try that with any other race and that is hate speech. **** you, government.

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- Nlitend1
  Posted on February 22, 2013 at 3:03am
  I don’t know if you want an answer to your question or if you just wanted to make that point. Still the answer is interesting in a legal/constitutional sense. The main reason the government can abridge this speech is because a license plate is government property, so it is looked at the same way as if the government was sponsoring this message. If the car owner wanted to have an ICUhaji bumper sticker, even one that looked like a license plate, on their car it would be fine. They could actually say muslim killer and be free to say it on a bumper sticker.
  
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The Big Mick
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:09pm
FUBAR
I’m a Shenandoah Valley Boy myself.

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FISH_BONE
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:09pm
Would they have a problem with mine: FUH_Q_BO

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The Big Mick
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:07pm
And Feve. If I lived in a World where ALL the “n”s were either trying to kill me or enabling those trying to kill me “I C U Ngr” WOULD be appropriate.

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PoliticallyRightUs.Com
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:05pm
So you are one who feels we should be politically correct!?

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Eastinfection
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:04pm
best vanity plate i ever saw was in N.C.

it said ” INFIDEL”.

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The Big Mick
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:04pm
good for you! and you could be an order of magnitude MORE “racist” and you wouldn’t come within an order of magnitude of Racism that is FUNDAMENTAL to the Entire Dark Age Barbarian Patriarchal KLANbanging Culture.
To quote the 20th Century’s Greatest Philosopher “Haji is as Haji does”. All the women abusing, honor killing, acid throwing, cartoonist beheading, Baca Bazai boy raping, Sandyknickered RagaMuzzied JihadiNAZIS. You wouldn’t tolerate for a New York second what these Sanduskies do every day after prayer meeting if you met it in a Mormon Fundy or West Virginia Snake Handler.
‘Course THOSE guys are WHITE.
I want them all dead. I will not be satisifed until the Koran is read only in He ll.

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progressiveslayer
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:02pm
So you make the statement that it’s a racist term but admit to using it,does that mean you’re a racist?
As far as I’m concerned you can call anyone anything you want and this whole ‘N’ word BS is childish,treating adults like we’re kids and can’t say a word. You have the constitutional right to free speech,that includes using the ‘N’ word or any other word for that matter. Hate speech laws are BS and more importantly unconstitutional,ALL OF THEM.

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MAULEMALL
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:01pm
Johnny Quests friends name was Haji..

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- The Big Mick
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:08pm
  But he was Hindu, not JihadiNazi wasn’t he?
  
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- FISH_BONE
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:10pm
  As a kid in the 70′s you knew it was time to go do something else on Saturday morning when Johnny Quest came on.
  
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- CatB
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:13pm
  I’m pretty sure that is who he was thinking of .. a big Johnny Quest fan ;-) nothing to see here .. DMV … move along.
  
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- The Big Mick
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:25pm
  Not me fish. In the 60s it was my favorite show. I got the DVD box set.
  
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- FISH_BONE
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:30pm
  The 70s were the golden age of cartoons (Bugs Bunny, Scooby Doo) but Johnny Quest just didn’t do it for me. I think Haji is the same guy who plays Raj on Big Bang Theory.
  
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- nesmond
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 8:14pm
  He changed it to hussein. You didn’t get the memo?
  
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- Wisdom7
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 9:41pm
  You beat me to it. I was going to say maybe he is a Jonny Quest fan. :-)
  
  I remember those days…where even kids used guns in cartoons and it was normal.
  
  Jonny: Look, Hadji!
  Hadji: Crocodiles!
  Jonny: They’re heading for the boat!
  Hadji: Over here, too, look!
  Jonny: Dad! Crocodiles, a whole bunch of ‘em. Big ones!
  Dr. Quest: I see, Jonny. Grab guns, everybody!
  (Blam blam blam)
  Skipper: Let em ‘ave it, keep shootin’!
  
  http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jonny_Quest
  
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sparky239
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:59pm
let him have his plate its his right under free speech…

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- Rowgue
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:15pm
  Just get rid of vanity plates. They are all stupid, and there is no legitimate reason for offering them.
  
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- FISH_BONE
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:37pm
  They generate $$$$ in extra costs.
  
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- Fubared
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 10:07pm
  DMV is a money making entity, and they do make mucho mula.
  
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TotallyNotATroll
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:58pm
In regards to the ‘ICUNIGR” being the same thing, it is not in any way. Being that Haji is in reference to a religious trip the person took you are arguing that being black is the same thing as having traveled to Las Vegas.

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VT01
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:57pm
Perhaps the VA DMV would care to explain this plate: VA tags, liscense plate SBV1ED

The individual in this white SUV passed me on 395, about 1 1/2 miles outside the Pentagon.

For those who do not know – The acronym stands for Suicide, Vehicle Born Imporvised Explosive Device.

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- thibx
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:15pm
  call the dmv and raise hell, i would.
  
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- Xanderson
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 9:30pm
  I defer to your expertise here, but shouldn’t that read SVB1ED? Just curious. Also, I have seen so many negative and inappropriate plates here in VA. What’s up with that? How ’bout a little positivity folks?!
  
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- VT01
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 11:07pm
  Xan – You’re correct. It was SVB1ED. As for the vanity plates, they’re out of control here in VA.
  
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- EM2T93
  Posted on February 22, 2013 at 1:04am
  VT01…
  VA is my home state. I agree…it is out of control!!! It’s been that way for years and years. Wonder what the big deal is. They’re all over everywhere.
  
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Too_Far_Gone
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:54pm
Just one question, does the Military like this pos at all ?

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Tri-ox
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:52pm
Uh, muslims are violent, sworn enemies of the United States – who cares if they’re offended?

ICU for what you are! ;)

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- thibx
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:17pm
  amen
  
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- 1fever15
  Posted on February 22, 2013 at 1:10am
  Yep even the ones peacefully living in the US and those serving in the US military sure are trying to kill us Americans. Can you be anymore small minded?
  
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progressiveslayer
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:41pm
The pro Muslim governmental agency is just harassing the vet,nothing new here.

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Small World
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:36pm
Oh my might offend a Muslim.

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TT1488
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:35pm
And now the government needs to harass our veterans. The citizens aren’t enough for the machines of zion.

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- Fubared
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:46pm
  How does Haji fit into zion?
  
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chips1
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:33pm
Sounds like a perfectly good bumper sticker.

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- Fubared
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:40pm
  License plate. Lots of personalized plates here in the Commonwealth. Lots have some TRE, DIVA, YO crap, but those are pc.
  
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vic138
Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:29pm
Obama bumper stickers almost drive me to violence. I see noting wrong with this though.

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- Fubared
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 6:32pm
  PC world.
  
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- FISH_BONE
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 7:18pm
  When I see someone with an Obama sticker, I always give them the one finger salute as I pass by.
  
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- BobtheMoron
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 10:15pm
  Obama stickers are an IQ test. If you have one, you’ve failed.
  
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- Xanderson
  Posted on February 21, 2013 at 11:22pm
  One question…why is EVERY Obama bumper sticker applied crookedly?? Man, that irks me! Although, maybe it’s an unconscious nod to the crookedness of this regime :(
  
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