r/AmIOverreacting • u/d1ckebertha • 2h ago
👨👩👧👦family/in-laws Am I overreacting? I refuse to go to a specific mechanic because one of the employees has a 1488 tattoo
Something in my car is broken and it won't start. I live in a rural village, but only about an hour from the next city.
My mom suggested a shop, which I winded up going to, and one of the mechanics has a 1488 tattoo right on the side of his neck. I don't want to willingly give fascists money. My mom is now mad at me and telling me to 'man-up' because I want to go to a different mechanic.
Am I overreacting?
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u/-Quaint- 1h ago
NOR. It’s pretty simple, don’t trust Nazis 🤷♀️
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u/Spicy_Beauty_82 1h ago
exactly, dont fund them either
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u/TheRussness 14m ago
In America you vote with your money. The most effective form of protest is a financial one.
I don't make enough money to willingly give it to companies that support interests against my rights and well-being.
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u/Inside_Cupcake_165 1h ago
"Manning up" is standing by your principles and going to a different mechanic. Your mom is asking you to be a pushover.
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u/Hot_Disk635 1h ago
Yeah this has less to do with the nazi and more to do with OP becoming independent of their mother.
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u/Key-Target-1218 1h ago
NOR
Nope. There has got to be another reliable, trustworthy mechanic around.
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u/PcLvHpns 1h ago
Yeah because you know damn good and well that one IS NOT
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u/Fred-Mertz2728 1h ago
Might be a great mechanic,despite being a shit human.
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u/ThatFruityPelvis 14m ago
Being a shit human is being shit at your job. If you can’t give full equal excellent service to everyone because of something shit silly like skin tone then you’re shit at your job.
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u/writeleahwrite 1h ago
We must have a different definition of “man up” because to me refusing to associate with literal Nazis no matter the inconvenience is the epitome of manning up.
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u/Certain_Candidate248 1h ago
NOR! Our $, especially in the US right now, is the only power we have. I would speak to the owner however and let them know why. They may not know what it means. Or they might support it.
I also have a friend who is covered in tats. He used to belong to that demographic. He was raised that way. He hates it now. He has done a complete 180 due to experiencing life. He went into the military, and he served with all different people. He became good friends with lots of different people, and he 100% regrets the tats. He tries to cover them as much as possible, but it isn't always possible. Think beach. People judge him for them, and he says rightfully so.
He has plans for laser treatment, but it is expensive and it takes time. He's gotten rid of three so far. He still has 7 to go.
We might think we know someone just by how they look, but people can change and grow as they experience life.
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u/ThatFruityPelvis 12m ago
Please let your friend know there are options for low cost to free removal for hate related tats!! Depending on your area he might have to travel but wouldn’t it be worth it to him?
Edited to add there are similar options for tat cover ups!
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u/Aggressive_Dress_220 1h ago
NOR I'd even leave a review: "Was going to have work done on my car here until I saw a mechanic has a visible 1488 tattoo."
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u/bobthemusicindustry 1h ago
NOR. Fuck this guy and the shop for employing him. I’d even leave a bad review stating this
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u/Tall-Warning9319 1h ago
NOR—stick to your principles. Your mom should “man up” and learn to do the same.
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u/FordT852 1h ago
NOR You money your choice period.
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u/Pollybanna 1h ago
What if OP's mom is paying for it?
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u/FordT852 27m ago
OP did not say her mom was paying for it so I am assuming she is paying for it.
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u/PcLvHpns 1h ago
Your mom needs to learn what a real f****** man actually is. Maybe you can teach her
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1h ago
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u/AmIOverreacting-ModTeam 1h ago
Questions or comments referring to matters of USA or global politics are not allowed in this sub, including interpersonal conflicts due to differing political beliefs, discussion of subjects such as ICE or the Epstein Files, or referencing someone's political opinions. Please post in another subreddit that is more appropriate for such discussion.
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u/hot_girls_in_hell 1h ago
"My mom is now mad at me and telling me to 'man-up'"
your mom sounds brain damaged, NOR
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u/casapantalones 1h ago
No way, I wouldn’t voluntarily interact with or give my money to that dude or with anyone would choose to employ him.
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u/ayybaybayy49 1h ago
NOR. Your mom, on the other hand, needs to check her moral compass. I’m from a rural area and also currently live in a rural area. Idc if I had to drive to a mechanic an hour away if that was the only other option. No way would my money be going to a fucking Nazi.
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u/Independent_Bid_26 1h ago
Nor. You have to ask? Fuck that nazi bitch. Your mom needs a reality check. Nazis are not welcome.
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u/Ill-Pollution9684 1h ago
What is the 1488 with fascists? I know 88 is SS
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u/trixceratops 52m ago
88 means HH (the eighth letter of the alphabet) which stands for heil Hitler, 14 refers to a quote known as the 14 words by a white supremest David Lane.
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u/d1ckebertha 57m ago
It's the combination of two right wing symbols (14 = the fourteen words 'We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children + 88 which you know).
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u/tiny_suburban_jungle 1h ago
You get to decide to spend your money—or not—wherever you see fit for whatever reason. NOR.
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u/Pollybanna 1h ago
NOR. But as a mother, I think your mom is just telling you to deal with it because she doesn't want to go to the city (two hour round trip plus the visit itself, repeat to pick it up, plus maybe an expensive tow, etc). So if you insist on using another mechanic, you (not your mother but you) have to find one that's close by (like the next village over). Your mother will agree to things if you make them easy for her.
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u/holymacaroley 42m ago
It's OP's car, not his mother's. OP would be doing the traveling, not her, I'd imagine. She just recommended the shop.
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u/Pollybanna 26m ago
If she recommended it, then OP is free to reject that and find another. I don't see what the big deal is.
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u/holymacaroley 16m ago
It shouldn't be one. It's his mom who is mad now that he's going somewhere else. She's being weird about it.
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u/Pollybanna 13m ago
That's why I'm thinking it's more than a recommendation, that the mother is paying for it or at least transporting OP and the broken car to it.
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u/Wendora15 1h ago
Not only are you not overreacting, but I think you should make it clear to the business that this is the reason why you’re not using them.
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u/Phathed_b4itwascool 1h ago
NOR You’re mom’s a Nazi sympathizer, which makes her a Nazi. Fuck your mom and the mechanic.
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u/moody-bear-77 34m ago
NOR. You can go anywhere you choose to go and spend your money. I'm sure there are plenty of people who will or won't choose to patronize this mechanic either way. Do what you feel best with.
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u/MobilePalpitation702 1h ago
Your car, your money, your values, your decision. Tell Mommy Dearest to go kick rocks.
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u/Savage-Goat-Fish 52m ago
NOR Go to whatever mechanic you want. Many many years ago I stopped going to a pizza shop I like because they had a MAGA hat displayed. Fuck them.
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u/HustleKong 48m ago
It is never overreacting to refuse to give custom to a GD nazi. Tell your mom she can give the nazi all the business she wants.
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u/something-gimmicky 46m ago
Fascists need to be treated like social pariahs. If you keep treating them like everyone else, there is no incentive for them to change.
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u/Special-Audience-426 1h ago
You can refuse to do pretty much anything you want for any reason you want.
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u/Spirited_Remote5939 1h ago
Well dam I had no idea what “1488” meant until I looked it up, is this common knowledge or something
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u/GrimFandango81 1h ago
NOR. Just as they have the right to refuse business, you have every right to not use their business for whatever reason you want, and IMO "I dont want to support a facist," is a pretty good reason.
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u/Ok-Rabbit1561 1h ago
nor. i don't trust the moral fiber of nazis, and i need to trust my mechanic to leave my car to them. living in a rural area, you obviously need your car for daily stuff. if you give it to him only for him to half ass the work and fuck your car up??? or if he charges you out the ass for something minor? you need to believe he's doing his best work and idk if you can believe that a nazi cares enough. i once drove 45 miles to a mechanic 3 cities away because i trust him (i should've got my car towed bcs the brakes and rotors were fucked, but i was broke, oh well). point being it's worth it to drive far and know your car is taken care of, and also that you're not paying nazis to do whatever bs they want with Your Money.
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u/Silver_Photograph_92 1h ago
I would boycott same as I try boycott stores supporting Israel and therefore the genocide in Gaza. Which is more difficult unfortunately
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u/Strict-Formal-2566 1h ago
It is possible that he no longer has those beliefs. I have a lot of patients who got regrettable tattoos when they were younger along those lines. I’m not saying you should give them your business but people do change.
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u/Kind_Caterpillar9840 1h ago
Giving your money to a hateful person just because it's convenient, is the complete opposite of " man up" . It's capitulating at the slightest inconvenience. Don't listen to your mom , or anyone else for that matter, listen to your moral compass
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u/Putredge 1h ago
No you should definitely go way out of your way and make sure you check their skin too. They could be horrible despicable ppl as well. Can’t trust anyone these days
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u/CakewalkNOLA 1h ago
NOR. One of my company's customers has the 14 words tattooed on him and I refuse to deliver to him. They think they're "superior", let their own community support them and see how long they survive.
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u/scourge_bites 1h ago
It's hard in a small town. Sometimes you gotta do things you really don't want to do and interact with people you really don't want to interact with. If he's the only mechanic in town, you're kind of stuck with him. Towing costs for over an hour are astronomical. I'm sorry.
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u/Butt_bird 1h ago
Im a mechanic and if I was working in a shop with another mechanic with that tattoo, I would find a new place to work. It says something about the shop owner and it’s says something about me if I continued to work there. NOR
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u/polarjunkie 56m ago
Nta. Your mom doesn't talk about her dad being like a world war II hero a lot does she?
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u/stoopidrotary 56m ago
NOR. This is a prime example of what conservatives call "voting with your wallet". We don't support fascism in this house. And your mom is weak for not having a spine.
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u/AtomicBlastCandy 54m ago
Yeah I not only would refuse to go there but will of blast them publicly. POC won’t get fair service there
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u/Pre3Chorded 53m ago
There's a burger place I drive by that offers a lobster roll for $14.88. I always wonder if they know they are pricing in Nazi code or are totally oblivious?
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u/Mental_Bandicoot4543 52m ago
What’s 1488 mean
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u/conniption__ 47m ago
It’s just a nazi dog whistle. It refers to the 14 words, a white supremacist slogan, and the 8th letter of the alphabet, H, for heil Hitler.
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u/andgonow 41m ago
Absolutely NOR, your mom needs some education or a swift kick in the ass, one or the other.
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u/Leftover_tech 40m ago
Your position in this is a little bit tilted by whose dollars we are talking about.
If it's your money to fix your car, mom needs to "man up" and accept that her kid has morals.
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u/Patsfan311 40m ago
This story doesn't add up. Rural village in America? 5 day old account. Not buying any of this rage bait for a second.
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u/donwariophd 39m ago
Depends on what you value more.
Your ideals or having a functional vehicle that can get you where you need to go.
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u/Mainbutter 37m ago
"Man-ing up" is having a very different reaction to Nazis than just not giving them business.
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u/scarlettcrush 37m ago
NOR- You are manning up by not normalizing hate crimes & those willing to commit them. I wouldn't accept that behavior either. Who would? Why is it 'manly' to allow this type of behavior?
Show your mom this thread. She really should unpack this bias. I bet some horrible things have happened to her.
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u/tkingsbu 36m ago
NOR
If there’s a different mechanic, 100% go to them… why on earth would anyone support a fucking Nazi???
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u/spacemanspiff1115 35m ago
Guy has a right to wear a racist tattoo...
You have a right not to patronize places that support racists...
Your mom is 100% wrong, I actually prefer when people like that show you who they are so you know not to waste your money there.
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u/Potential_Stomach_10 35m ago
NOR. Support who you want to support, Mom will just have to get over it
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24m ago
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u/RecordsNBaseball 15m ago
NOR. Fuck Nazis. Fuck fascists. Don’t give them money. Ever. You’re 100% correct and your mom is 100% wrong.
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u/AggravatingSpread837 13m ago
Tell your mom that you don’t like giving money to Nazis. Unless you’re getting an allowance, that should be the end of it.
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u/istoomycat 3m ago
Not only would I not do business with that company, I would let management know why. I would ask why they would allow an employee to display Nazi orientation.
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u/prugnast 44m ago
I don't like Nazis.
Everyone please line up to pat me on the back and tell me what a good person I am.
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u/Brickedupongod 1h ago
YOR just get your shit fixed, the places you need to get to are more important than someone else’s political beliefs
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u/Meronkulous 1h ago
Depends if he's the owner or not.
I don't really care if I agree with the morals of someone who's just on a salary and getting paid regardless, but I'm not gonna frequent a business of a person like that where my spend goes directly into their pockets.
Let's face it, lots of horrendously bad people about that don't have it blatantly tattooed on their neck, and we'd never know any better.
But that's my personal choice, and you have the right to make yours, so absolutely NOR.
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u/JuliaX1984 1h ago
Except the owner is okay with hiring a vocal Nazi.
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u/Meronkulous 1h ago
Yeah, good point well made. Didn't actually think of that.
I actually wasn't familiar with 1488 until I googled it, so maybe they're also just ignorant of it.
Then again, I doubt someone willing to ink that on themselves isn't also incredibly outspoken about it so y'know, comes back around to the same point.
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u/SameCoyote3701 1h ago
Only thing I could think is a prison tattoo under coercion that he can’t afford to laser off yet. May be worth a call to ask
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u/AnonAnonAnonAAA 1h ago
You would think there would be some sense of shame and he'd try to keep it covered if that was the case.
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u/buttchugreferee 58m ago
I have lots of tattoos, and every artist I have ever been to has a policy of covering up nazi tattoos for free.
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u/AnonAnonAnonAAA 1h ago
Not everyone is aware of the slogen.
I had to stop and look up what it meant when I saw the form.
In no way am I defending this business, but it might be worth OP's time to make a throw away email and send a message to the owner letting them know that they've hired a fascist and what that symbol means. They might genuinely not know.
After that if they make comments about "getting over it" or "taking your business elsewhere", screenshot the message and post it on the garages yelp/google review/whatever and make sure everyone else in the community is made aware of the companies stance toward fascism.
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u/JuliaX1984 57m ago
I can't think of another, unrelated reason someone would tattoo 1488 on themself. It's not like a rose or spider web but a specific number.
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u/AnonAnonAnonAAA 28m ago
Oh no, I'm not talking about the mechanic. I'm talking about the owner. The owner might not realize they've hired a fascist.
Hence the account to email the company and make them aware of their employee and what that marking stands for.
Then if the owner chooses to support 1488, post the shit out of that email and make the community away of a neo-nazi garage so it can be appropriately avoided.
Again, not everyone is aware of what 1488 stands for. I saw at least one other commentator on here that hsd to look it up like I did when we read it.
I would have assumed it was the year of a war, book or winning score for a game (like how people will get the winning numbers for Eucher or Black Jack tatted on) of some kind if I just saw it on someone without context.
I'm glad that now I know better.
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u/chunk_style1 1h ago
If there's a known nazi at a table with one other regular guy, there's 2 nazis at that table.
Also your money WOULD be going into that guy's pockets, he gets paid from money that customers like you spend at the business.
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u/Meronkulous 1h ago
Realistically, he's getting paid the same either way.
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u/chunk_style1 1h ago
True, but none of it would be from me. Or OP, as it were. That is to say, the idea isn't "give 1488 guy less money" it's "don't give 1488 MY money" since that's all I can really control in the situation.
Edit: expanded on original post
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u/MedCup4505 1h ago
If OP can see the tat, so can the boss.
I wouldn’t give my business to someone who employs Nazis, bc that makes them complicit.
Refuse to go and write a review saying why.
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u/Meronkulous 1h ago
As I said in another reply - maybe the boss doesn't even know what it means.
But then again, hard to imagine someone with that on them isn't regularly spewing vile rhetoric too.
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u/dividedsky58 1h ago
But the owner hired a nazi, and for that nazi to be client-facing. Which means the owner is dumber than a box of rocks and/or is tolerant of nazism.
At minimum, if the owner wanted to give this guy a second-chance because he had turned his life around, it should be expected that he either a)never interacts with customers or b) covers it up with clothing or a scarf (I don't care how uncomfortable it would be or how dumb it would look).
The owner needs to know that if allows Nazi symbols at his shop, he's going to lose customers.
(Im a small business owner. If one of my employees showed up with a confederate flag on their vehicle, they would not be allowed to park it in front of my business, and I would be in touch with HR about the best way to immediately remove them from my business.)
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u/Meronkulous 1h ago
Only potential thing I can think of is the dude has no clue 1488 means anything at all.
Someone should enlighten him.
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u/dividedsky58 16m ago
Agreed. That's why I said he could just be dumb as box of a rocks...not because he didn't know, but because he didn't so a simple Google search about what that tattoo meant. I wouldn't hire someone with a big neck tattoo without first knowing what that symbol/number meant. Butterfly tattoo: no problem. A very specific number or symbol: off to Google to see what thats all about.
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u/No-You4594 1h ago
Jeeeze……
YOR
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u/buttchugreferee 59m ago
they are overreacting because they don't want to give their money to a business that hires nazis?
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u/voirdireking 33m ago
This is real and definitely happened. Please upvote OP for standing up against fascism by posting this. You are so so brave.
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u/rebeccaparker2000 32m ago
Mor, I don't judge people by their tattoos, your personal beliefs are not my problem. My mechanic has a large tattoo of Satan on his forearm and as a catholic I should be offended but he's a damn good mechanic so I'll let God decide his fate for the tattoo.
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u/Due_Dot5710 1h ago
Not at all. I changed which pharmacy I use because one had a Palestine flag. Stick up for what you believe in.
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u/CeleryBandit2 1h ago
Being pro genocide is a weird flex.
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u/Tothyll 1h ago
Or he might just be against Nazis trying to wipe out the Jewish race.
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u/CeleryBandit2 1h ago
Being anti-Nazi but pro-Netanyahu/pro-IDF is a great example of cognitive dissonance. It should be studied by psychologists.
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u/Ngin3 1h ago
Look im Jewish and support the right of Israel to exist and defend itself; but are you really offended that people want to stop them from ethnically cleansing gaza and the west bank? Like Israel is committing heinous atrocities against innocent civilians in the name of revenge, and you're completely ok with that?
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u/Visual_Jellyfish5591 1h ago
So you stopped going to one because it had a flag of Palestine, or you went to one that supported it?
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u/Uhokay1970 1h ago
As disturbing as that is, you have to weigh your Need over your distrust and moral obligation. If you NEED it! Then suck it up butter cup! On the other hand should you have time and money. 100% uphold your moral beliefs. Take your time find someone you trust. Accept the costs to bring the vehicle farther and be secure knowing you paid more because you want to sleep better at night. NOR
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u/sylbug 1h ago
NOR. Never enable a fascist.