Shawn Calpito who is from California and is in his early 40’s was suspended from his job for having a vanity plate that read ‘NOT SEE’ below a swastika! The California Department of Motor Vehicles cancelled the plates and requested they be surrendered after a viewer sent a photograph of Calpito’s car to ABC News, sparking a firestorm.
Shawn Calpito, who owns a BMW and drives students to class in California, has been labeled racist for the registration he sports on his own private vehicle. The New York Daily News reported, the driver,
has been slammed for his vanity license plates — that read “NOT SEE” and appeared below a swastika.
While the plates may not appear offensive at first glance, when read aloud — and alongside the fascist symbol — the intended message appears to be “Nazi.”
ABC News published a snap of the plates that was sent in by an angry viewer.
“It’s racism in the same way that the Southern flag is a symbol of racism to African-American descendants. It’s hate speech,” said Mike Buchman of Solid Ground.
“This stuff’s out there, and if you want a better world, you have to point it out,” said the communications director of the non-profit agency that targets institutional racism.
On October 31st the California Department of Motor Vehicles sent the vehicle owner, who was indeed Calpito, a notice cancelling the plates and requesting they be “surrendered,” a spokesman in the Sacramento office told ABC News.
Calpito, from Kearny Mesa, has not commented on the incident, but ABC reports that, by Wednesday, both the front and back plates had been removed. Mr. Calpito actually had the chance to keep them, according to California DMV requirements, ‘special interest license plates’ applicants can fill out a form explaining the meaning of their requested plate choice; however without an accurate explanation of a driver’s intended meaning and the context, the DMV is unable to make a fully informed judgment on the personalized plate’s propriety.
Concern parents whose children are druven to school by Calpito every day, said
I mean, I would prefer the bus driver who doesn’t espouse those ideas,”
What do you think he meant by it?
Find him on LinkedIn here.
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