Good morning everyone.
I am the person that you all are actively attacking. I'm sure not one person on this thread has actually met me before or they might speak on my behalf.
I understand your confusion as you have very little to go off but the few photos you have seen here.
I am not a nazi. Never have been.
In fact I am quarter Russian Jew on my father's side.
I have 5 children. 2 are half Mexican and 2 are also mixed races.
I have 2 grandchildren also mixed race.
My "White Pride" tattoo. Yes. I have one. In my youth I ran with a multicultural street gang (mostly Hispanic) in West LA in the 80s and early 90s. A lot of my home boys had "Brown Pride" tattoos so I opted for a tattoo that reflected my skin color (no regrets I am who I am)
I do ride motorcycles hence the "Biker" imagery that has been addressed. SS bolts etc.
The Roman Eagle/ German Eagle I've used on one of our shirt designs is just an image I dig. Motorcycles, jail, lowriders, prison, and gang culture has been a part of my entire life. I understand it's not liked by many and respect that opinion. But it is part of the Southern California Culture I was raised in. Good or bad it is what it is.
I'm not politically correct and my taste is probably offensive to a lot of people. I have always produced graphics that some find offensive and will continue to do so.
The reason some of the posts came down. Some were reported as hate by IGers. The others I deleted because there were some death threats and threats of burning down my store on them. Just figured I didn't need to go back and forth with a keyboard Warrior. Fear was not a motive. Not dealing with drama or bullshit was the deciding factor.
We do sell longboards and cruisers as part of our hard goods selection. As long as its powered by your feet has 4 wheels and no handle and can be called a Skateboard. We back it.
Me Skateboarding. I grew up skating in LA from about 8yo to my early teens. I dropped the board and joined a gang. I left that life behind me many years ago. Not Skateboarding was a regret for me later in life.
When I had the opportunity to open a skate shop I went for it. I wanted to give the locals a safe place to keep out of trouble and do something I had a passion for growing up.
Why I haven't skated in many years. First I got fat. It was hard for me to pick it back up. Then I had a few major motorcycle accidents and loss a portion of the mobility in my left leg. But I still try occasionally to push around when I can.
The attack on my wife is uncalled for. While you all are worried about being politically correct about nazism you forgot that some people find those kind of sexual remarks about someone's wife or mother equally offensive.
My shop. 14 years same location with a Solid reputation in the community. We sponsor. We host skate contests. We donate to charity. We actually care about the kids who come here. I wish it was about money. But anyone who's ran a small shop knows it's about passion.
All this about money laundering is pretty laughable. If it was true I would probably have some money.
Not trying to change any opinions. Just figured you need some solid information before jumping to all your own conclusions.
Okay, wow, a lot to dive into here. First off, your "White Pride" tattoo explanation does nothing for me and frankly does not make any sense. Either you're too stupid to realize the meaning/implications of what White Pride means, or you just don't care and pass it off as "oh my friends got the color of their skin tattoo'd on them, I think that's okay for me to do". Secondly, "good or bad it is what it is" is a pretty pathetic explanation for your continuous use of nazi imagery in your merchandise. Just because it's an image you "dig" does not mean you should use it. That seems very obvious to me, but maybe you can't see past your own (very small, insulated, southern California) bubble. This imagery is extremely offensive to, I'd say, most people. And you justify it by telling yourself you're pushing some kind of envelope by not appearing politically correct. There is a line there that you have, frankly, leaped over. If you are so hell-bent on using offensive imagery, I promise you that those who find this offensive (again, and can't stress this enough, MOST) will call you out for it. Whether it be on Instagram, Facebook, or this forum, we will continuously call you out for your blatant disregard for the suffering of millions of people just so you can appear non-PC, or whatever it is you're trying to achieve. Please, grow up. Grow out of your weird racist SO-CAL bubble and join us in the real, awoken world. Or keep doing it and get your shop boycotted. Also, fuck your shop. It's terrible.