Ok, so why is there a double standard? With justice and liberty for all, my FOOT!

Feds Rule “White Pride” is “Offensive” and “Immoral”

If you are looking for more evidence that the United States government is biased against white people, you can add their decision in my trademark case. In February, 2004, I applied for a trademark on the words “White Pride Country Wide.” I did it as an exercise against political correctness. I intentionally did not choose “white power,” “white supremacy” or “the white race” because of the negative connotations of those terms. Trademarks can be denied to offensive phrases.

When I later searched United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) records, I found that “Black Power,” “Black Supremacy,” and “La Raza” (Spanish for “The Race”) had all been approved by the USPTO and been found not to be offensive. The USPTO had also approved and registered “The Black Panther Party” and “Burn, Baby, Burn,” the party’s slogan. The Black Panthers had assassinated white police officers but neither term was found to be offensive or immoral. To me, “white pride” was a non-offensive, positive term, or at least I thought so.

On December 23, 2004, I received my Christmas present from the USPTO. In an Office Action prepared by Barbara Rutland, it denied my trademark, ruling that the “white pride” part of my request was “offensive,” “immoral,” and “scandalous.” Here are her very words:

“Section 2(a) Refusal

“Registration is refused because the proposed mark consists of or comprises immoral or scandalous matter. Trademark Act Section 2(a) U.S.C. 1052(a); TMEP 1203.01. According to the attached evidence from a Lexis/Nexis database and a search of the Internet using the search engine www.google.com, the “WHITE PRIDE” element of the proposed mark is considered offensive and therefore scandalous.”

My Appeal

On January 1, 2005, I decided to appeal the USPTO decision, but not before doing some research. I found that that the following “pride” terms have all been registered as trademarks by the U.S Government:

“African Pride,” “African Man Pride,” “Asian Pride,” “Bahama Pride,” “Black Pride,” “Brazilian Pride,” “China-Pride,” “Chippewa Pride,” “Choctaw Pride,” “Colombian Pride,” “Cuban Pride,” “Dakota Pride,” “Dominican Pride,” “El Salvador Pride,” “Ecuador Pride,” “Gay Pride Apparel,” “Guyanese Pride,” “Havana Pride,” “Honduran Pride,” “Indian Pride,” “Jamaica’s Pride,” “Jewish Pride,” “Kwanzaa Pride,” “Long Beach Lesbian and Gay Pride,” “Mayan Pride,” “Mexican Pride,” “Native Pride!,” “Nicaraguan Pride,” “Orgullo Hispano” (Hispanic Pride), “Orgoglio” (Hispanic—’Great Pride’ (supremacy?)), “Qisqueya Pride” (Dominican Republic Pride), “Rainbow Pride Coach,” “Red Pride,” “San Diego Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride,” “Spanish Pride,” and “West Indian Pride.”

The factual evidence for my appeal was overwhelming, or at least I thought so. It seemed as though the federal government wanted everybody to have pride, except white people. It seemed to be a clear case of discrimination.

USPTO denies appeal

In February 2005, the USPTO issued their “FINAL OFFICE ACTION.” It was again prepared by Barbara Rutland. The USPTO upheld its original denial, explaining:

“… prior decisions and actions of other trademark examining attorneys in registering different marks are without evidentiary value (emphasis added) and are not binding upon the Office.”

In plain English, the USPTO was saying that their own records cannot be used against it. Imagine a taxpayer being audited by the IRS. Could he sit back and say, “Go ahead, audit me, but you can’t use my records against me”?

I lost my $1,300 non-refundable trademark application fee.

ACLU denies assistance and adds insult

My next step was to seek outside help from the Minnesota branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). I sent a brief letter to the ACLU-MN summarizing my case and asking if they were interested. They initially said they were willing to review the case, so I sent them pages of documentation. I thought I might have a chance since the ACLU prides itself on defending the rights of the little guy. I am white, male, heterosexual, married, employed, native born, English speaking, Christian-valued, have no criminal record, and am a retired law enforcement officer. I could be the perfect “token” case outside their mainstream clientele, or at least I thought so.

In March 2005, the ACLU not only turned my case down but took the opportunity to slam white people and Christians. Renee Hamilton, legal assistant for the ACLU-MN, wrote:

“Thus, when the PTO examined Moritz’s mark, their rejection of his mark was reasonable given that such a slogan has just but one meaning i.e. superiority of what he term (sic) ‘the white race’ over all other races and their brand of Christianity over the other religions.”

The ACLU was fully aware of all the other “pride” trademarks I had listed in my documents. If a “pride” trademark had been turned down for any group of people, other than whites, the ACLU would be in court screaming “Discrimination by the United States Government!”

Center for Individual Rights (CIR) provides assistance

My next step was to seek help from the Center for Individual Rights. They are the conservative response to the ACLU. They are political opposites but much smaller than the ACLU. I corresponded with the CIR through mail, email, and telephone conversations. In June 2005, the CIR politely and professionally declined my request for help, but because of monetary, not ideological considerations.

The CIR did help by putting my case on the Federalist website, a conservative site where attorneys can take pro bono cases. As of August 2005, I had not received any responses.

You can help

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right of the people to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” If you disagree with the decision of the USPTO in my case, please petition the government.

1. Send an email to the Commissioner of Trademarks

[email protected]

2. Send a letter to

Lynne Beresford, Commissioner of Trademarks

United States Patent and Trademark Office

P. O. 1451

Alexandria, VA 22313—1451

3. Send copies of the is article to other people by email or mail

The Author

Justin J. Moritz is my real name. I am a retired law enforcement officer and have served as a city police officer, a county deputy, a state special agent, and a training director. I hold Associate, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees from three Minnesota colleges.

(Posted on August 3, 2005)

Interesting....

"We live in an age of apologies. Apologies, False or true, are expected from the descendants of Empire builders, slave owners and persecutors of heretics, and from men who, in our eyes, just got it all wrong. So, with the age of 85 coming up shortly, I want to make an apology. It appears I must apologise for being male, white, and European." -- Alec Guniess

That's definitely a double standard.

I'm assuming your intent is to put the slogan on T-shirts, etc.

If so, you could try marketing your merchandise sans official trademark and see if the market will supply funds that you could use to pursue your case.

Just a thought...

Is it bullshit? YES

Am I surprised? NO

Is "Asian Pride" taken?

If not, register it, and use it as Caucasian Pride. Deny use of it to any Asian group.

Watch the look of shock on my face.........

IBTL

Even though nothing wrong has been said, people will be coming out of the woodwork
here before long saying the originator of this thread and all that respond to it are 88's.

Double standard in the first degree .White people cannot be victims only racist bigots.

America needs an enema.

Crock of shit but not surprising.  

I'm so sorry for being white and coming from a lower middle class family and working my ass off to get through grad school and getting a decent job.  I'm so sorry!  Fucking racist bastards.

I'm not apologizing. I've got nothing to be ashamed of. I've seen others do and say things I want no part of, but that's not me.

Complain all you want but with the exception of Black Power, none of those other names listed have any negative connotations. Say "White Power/pride" and you've instantaneously identified with the KKK...

Sad to say because any nationality can have racists, but it's true.

Boo-hoo-fucking-hoo.  I'm a victim cuz I can't protect my WP!

Good to see the "White Pride" crowd pissing money away on patent fees and appeals (instead of spending it on the racist flyers they like to hang up everywhere - funny how they never hang around the neighborhoods they put them up in for too long).

Quoted: Is "Asian Pride" taken? If not, register it, and use it as Caucasian Pride. Deny use of it to any Asian group.

There you go

What a crock o' shit. E-mail sent to the dumb-shits.

This double standard bullshit will certainly continue, if not get even worse as long as we allow it to.

The government and minority groups are actually the ones that are saying "White people are superior" by suggesting that we be victims of discrimination and racism because we can handle it and over come it, but minorities can't.

Have yet to see a 'Hate Crime' prosecuted where the victim was white. Example, the white male murdered in his car by shotgun wielding black male who wanted to kill some 'white people'.

Double standard, you bet. Change in the future, nope. Now the politicos want felons and illegals to get to vote to hold on to power.

Just a shame that America justice is not blind or equal.

Quoted: "We live in an age of apologies. Apologies, False or true, are expected from the descendants of Empire builders, slave owners and persecutors of heretics, and from men who, in our eyes, just got it all wrong. So, with the age of 85 coming up shortly, I want to make an apology. It appears I must apologise for being male, white, and European." -- Alec Guniess

Great quote, he is a very wise man. I'll have to remember that one.

Email sent...I've still got smoke coming out my ears.

Grrrr.....

I'll post it again later.

Fellas. Before you get your panties in a wad, how 'bout
we ask Lugerman to post a copy of his submission and the
refusal document(s).
Remember this is ARFCOM where the truth is a sometimes thing.

The federal government can rot in hell!

Our borders are being overrun, Iraq is
going to end up costing 1 trillion dollars
by the time we finally leave and we're
drowning in debt from all the money
it wastes.

Rant off!

Quoted: Before you get your panties in a wad, how 'bout we ask Lugerman to post a copy of his submission and the refusal document(s). Remember this is ARFCOM where the truth is a sometimes thing.

I doubt lugerman is the original author of this little rant.  In fact a quick google shows this very same post showing up on all sorts of aryan pride and white battlefront type web sites.

Funny how when you scratch the surface a little here - who pops their little heads out to support these knobs.

OK, guys here's what we can do....

We can all concert to Islam and then we can declare a JIHAD on these idiots and if they do ANYTHING we will call the ACLU and claim oppression.

Reading is Fun-Damental!  

So in what context was the slogan to be used in, you don't really say. It's sad to say but when I hear somone saying white pride I immediatly think KKK or the like, as I think most people do. Kinda like the word oh wait I can't even use it as an example or I'll get yelled at. But kinda like the N word. everyone associates it as a term only used by some blacks when talking to each other or by rasist whites, not many people are aware of the original definition of the word. Or use of the word as an acronym for something posative, of course that could be because it was a rapper that started using it in that way but still. Most people will associate it with the negative, as is the case with the term white pride. So knowing the context in which the term is being used would help me make up my mind as to if I would want to send off a letter or email to the USPTO on your behalf.

Quoted: Quoted: Have yet to see a 'Hate Crime' prosecuted where the victim was white. Example, the white male murdered in his car by shotgun wielding black male who wanted to kill some 'white people'. Double standard, you bet. Change in the future, nope. Now the politicos want felons and illegals to get to vote to hold on to power. Just a shame that America justice is not blind or equal. Huh? Happens all the time man... Not weekly, fortunately but yeah. Don't you remember those two white kids that chained and dragged a black kid down a gravel road 'til he died? If that's not a hate crime I don't know what is...  Animals don't deserve to die that way let alone humans...

He said...Have yet to see a 'Hate Crime' prosecuted where the victim was white.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Have yet to see a 'Hate Crime' prosecuted where the victim was white. Example, the white male murdered in his car by shotgun wielding black male who wanted to kill some 'white people'. Double standard, you bet. Change in the future, nope. Now the politicos want felons and illegals to get to vote to hold on to power. Just a shame that America justice is not blind or equal. Huh? Happens all the time man... Not weekly, fortunately but yeah. Don't you remember those two white kids that chained and dragged a black kid down a gravel road 'til he died? If that's not a hate crime I don't know what is...  Animals don't deserve to die that way let alone humans... He said...Have yet to see a 'Hate Crime' prosecuted where the victim was white.

Some people forget to read posts all the way first. I do that some time. But hey there are cases that do get prosecuted where the victim of the hate crime is white. YOu just don't hear aobut it as often....

Not long ago (less than 10 years) a store at my local mall (might have been one of the last remaining Kresge stores) had a "Salute to the American Black Family". While it riled me up because it was exclusionary and you can't have a "Salute to the American White Family", I let it slide. Why? Because it's no big deal.

Those of you trying to be activists on this issue need to watch where you're going with it... You might end up finding out whether or not you like the taste of grape jelly on man-sphincter.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Have yet to see a 'Hate Crime' prosecuted where the victim was white. Example, the white male murdered in his car by shotgun wielding black male who wanted to kill some 'white people'. Double standard, you bet. Change in the future, nope. Now the politicos want felons and illegals to get to vote to hold on to power. Just a shame that America justice is not blind or equal. Huh? Happens all the time man... Not weekly, fortunately but yeah. Don't you remember those two white kids that chained and dragged a black kid down a gravel road 'til he died? If that's not a hate crime I don't know what is...  Animals don't deserve to die that way let alone humans... He said...Have yet to see a 'Hate Crime' prosecuted where the victim was white.

Whoops... looks like I'll be editing that one... thanks for the pointer-outer...

Quoted: The apparent issue is not the real issue.  I see some people in this thread trying to paint it as anybody who objects is either a racist or has a victim complex. It is that a trademark can be denied on the basic of a subjective standard of "offense", but prior trademarks that were coined in a similar vein do not constitute precedent. IOW - "We can give you no other reason than it makes us feel bad and you have to just go pound sand." This is a government agency we're talking about.

Bingo...this is just PC ness run amok, nothing more.  There are all kinds of things I have to put up with on a daily basis that "offend" me.  Tough shit for me, right?  Heaven forbid, though, that any other ethnic group represented in this great melting pot called the US is effronted by something...there'll be a friggin' court order against it lickity split.  

It's absurd that we're even having this discussion...if they allow black/brown/yellow/pink  pride", they *have* to allow white pride...how much simpler can it be?  

They have tp patent theirs, we always had ours.

Quoted: Don't you remember those two white kids that chained and dragged a black kid down a gravel road 'til he died? If that's not a hate crime I don't know what is...  Animals don't deserve to die that way let alone humans...

What if I said those were not kids, but they were ex-cons.

And the black guy wasn't dragged because he was black......but as retribution for a rape that happened in the slammer.

That story doesn't play as well in the national media.


I will add this disclaimer.....I DO NOT KNOW THIS TO BE A FACT. A guy from Jasper who was friends with the jackasses that did the dragging told me this.
Make of it what you will.

does this apply to tattoos?

Quoted: Quoted: Don't you remember those two white kids that chained and dragged a black kid down a gravel road 'til he died? If that's not a hate crime I don't know what is...  Animals don't deserve to die that way let alone humans... What if I said those were not kids, but they were ex-cons. And the black guy wasn't dragged because he was black......but as retribution for a rape that happened in the slammer. That story doesn't play as well in the national media. I will add this disclaimer.....I DO NOT KNOW THIS TO BE A FACT. A guy from Jasper who was friends with the jackasses that did the dragging told me this. Make of it what you will.

I would say... Nobody deserves to die like that... Nobody.

Quoted: OK, guys here's what we can do.... We can all concert to Islam and then we can declare a JIHAD on these idiots and if they do ANYTHING we will call the ACLU and claim oppression.

Durka Durka!!!

I put a jihad on the infidels!!!!!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Don't you remember those two white kids that chained and dragged a black kid down a gravel road 'til he died? If that's not a hate crime I don't know what is...  Animals don't deserve to die that way let alone humans... What if I said those were not kids, but they were ex-cons. And the black guy wasn't dragged because he was black......but as retribution for a rape that happened in the slammer. That story doesn't play as well in the national media. I will add this disclaimer.....I DO NOT KNOW THIS TO BE A FACT. A guy from Jasper who was friends with the jackasses that did the dragging told me this. Make of it what you will. I would say... Nobody deserves to die like that... Nobody.

I have never been raped but I can say for sure I don't know WHAT I would do to the guy who did it.......but it would be bad.

Looks like you may have a case. How far can you push it?

Quoted: Looks like you may have a case. How far can you push it?

Oh, it's not me. I just found it to be outrageous because of the double standard. I found it on a web site I read from time to time. The site is http://www.amren.com

Sometimes they have some interesting articles to read. Sometimes not.

Doesn't suprise me in the LEAST

Remember kids only whites are capable of hate crimes or being racist, all others are merely expressing themselves and fighting back against the "man" keepin' em down

Like the shows recently on TV about victims of the Klan, beause we know no  non-white hate group EVER hurt anyone at all, even a little

This government doesnt seem to like whites much, especially white seperatists. I LOVE double standards

I happen to agree with the USPTO on this one.  The term "white pride" is perjorative, unlike the other examples cited which are intended as rallying points for previously discriminated against groups.  If the term "white pride" had not been adopted by certain separatist and supremacist movements this would be a non-issue, but as it stands this case is a loser in court.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Have yet to see a 'Hate Crime' prosecuted where the victim was white. Example, the white male murdered in his car by shotgun wielding black male who wanted to kill some 'white people'. Double standard, you bet. Change in the future, nope. Now the politicos want felons and illegals to get to vote to hold on to power. Just a shame that America justice is not blind or equal. Huh? Happens all the time man... Not weekly, fortunately but yeah. Don't you remember those two white kids that chained and dragged a black kid down a gravel road 'til he died? If that's not a hate crime I don't know what is...  Animals don't deserve to die that way let alone humans... He said...Have yet to see a 'Hate Crime' prosecuted where the victim was white. Some people forget to read posts all the way first. I do that some time. But hey there are cases that do get prosecuted where the victim of the hate crime is white. YOu just don't hear aobut it as often....

Really? Can you name one?

Quoted: Really? Can you name one?

Here you go, from last week's news:

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163821,00.html Man Charged With Hate Crime In Mall Murder Wednesday, July 27, 2005 WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The fatal stabbing of a 56-year-old woman at a mall will be prosecuted as a hate crime because the suspect said he wanted to kill a white person, authorities said Tuesday. Phillip Grant, 43, who is black, was indicted Tuesday on charges of murder, murder as a hate crime, and possession of a weapon. The June 29 slaying of Concetta Russo-Carriero (search) took place in the parking garage of the Galleria Mall in White Plains. If convicted of murder as a hate crime, the minimum sentence would be 20 years to life instead of 15 years to life, prosecutors said. A call to Grant's lawyer was not immediately returned. In a 45-minute tape played at a court hearing earlier this month, Grant told police that he was fighting a race war and killed the woman because she was white. "All I knew was she had blond hair and blue eyes and she had to die," he said. "(She) was not an innocent victim — because she was white." Grant, who was homeless, is a convicted rapist who had served his maximum sentence.

And just to prove that the Earth is rotating backwards this week:

Sharpton sees Galleria garage slaying as racist By RICHARD LIEBSON THE JOURNAL NEWS (Original publication: July 9, 2005) WHITE PLAINS — Saying he was "outraged and sickened by the blatant racist murder of Concetta Russo-Carriero," the Rev. Al Sharpton said he has urged Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro to prosecute the case as a hate crime. "We must confront racism and bias whether it be in Howard Beach or White Plains," Sharpton said in a statement received yesterday by The Journal News. "Whether the assailants are white, black or Latino, none of us is safe unless all of us are safe." Russo-Carriero, 56, was killed June 29 in the municipal garage next to the Galleria mall. Within minutes of the slaying, police arrested Phillip Grant, 43, a registered Level 3 sex offender who spent 23 years in state prison on rape and assault convictions. Grant, who is black, said in a videotaped statement played during his felony hearing that he was fighting a race war and killed the legal secretary and mother of two grown sons "because she was white." Sharpton, a leader of the black community in New York City who often rails against white-on-black prejudice, said the statement "exposes a sick and racist mentality that cannot be tolerated in our society." His Howard Beach reference was to a recent beating of a black man in that Queens community. The suspects are white males. Pirro said yesterday that Sharpton called her on Wednesday. "He said he believed, as I do, in the vigorous prosecution of any hate crime, regardless of the ethnicity of the victim or the defendant," she said. "He wanted the people of Westchester County to know that the African-American community is outraged at this murder." Sharpton also asked Pirro to extend his condolences to the victim's family, which she said she did. "They were very gratified at his show of support," she said. Pirro said Sharpton's call did not surprise her. "I've known Al for many years, and I consider him a partner in our effort to combat hate," she said. She said Grant's statement to police "certainly can be used to charge him with second-degree murder as a hate crime, and that's the way it will be presented to a grand jury." "We will give them a host of laws and charges they can consider, and it's their decision on what to charge him with," Pirro said. She did not say when a grand jury would hear the case. Meanwhile, authorities were still investigating Grant's claims that he killed two or three people in the 1970s and, after his release from prison in 2003, attempted a carjacking in New Rochelle and killed a woman who did not move out of his way on a sidewalk. New Rochelle police Capt. Kevin Keely said detectives had been working with White Plains investigators since Grant made his statement, but had been unable to verify that the crimes actually occurred. "We've been researching his remarks and haven't come up with anything," Keely said. "So I don't know whether he's mistaken or just idly talking." White Plains police said they were contacting other law enforcement agencies to see if Grant's claims can be verified.

I thought only the french have "white pride". They sure like to wave their color in pride...

Quoted: I happen to agree with the USPTO on this one.  The term "white pride" is perjorative, unlike the other examples cited which are intended as rallying points for previously discriminated against groups.  If the term "white pride" had not been adopted by certain separatist and supremacist movements this would be a non-issue, but as it stands this case is a loser in court.

And "Black Supremacy" isn't pejorative?  That also implies the inferiority of another race, yet the USPTO granted a trademark for it.

Being Catholic, I am no friend of the KKK or other white supremacists who also seem to hate minorities, Jews and Catholics, but I have to say that the USPTO is being arbitrary and hypocritical in it's decision.  It has, in the past, approved trademarks that are offensive and put down other ethnicities.  Yet they state that they can't be held to their own standards, and their own records can't be used as proof that they've done it before so they must be consistent.  

That I see as a problem.

Quoted: Quoted: Looks like you may have a case. How far can you push it? Oh, it's not me. I just found it to be outrageous because of the double standard. I found it on a web site I read from time to time. The site is http://www.amren.com Sometimes they have some interesting articles to read. Sometimes not.

Quoted: Ok, so why is there a double standard? With justice and liberty for all, my FOOT! Feds Rule “White Pride” is “Offensive” and “Immoral” If you are looking for more evidence that the United States government is biased against white people, you can add their decision in my trademark case. In February, 2004, I applied for a trademark on the words “White Pride Country Wide.” I did it as an exercise against political correctness. I intentionally did not choose “white power,” “white supremacy” or “the white race” because of the negative connotations of those terms. Trademarks can be denied to offensive phrases.

Go play with gas and matches will ya.

Quoted: I happen to agree with the USPTO on this one.  The term "white pride" is perjorative, unlike the other examples cited which are intended as rallying points for previously discriminated against groups.  If the term "white pride" had not been adopted by certain separatist and supremacist movements this would be a non-issue, but as it stands this case is a loser in court.

And "Black Power" isn't?  Certain *violent revolutionary* groups adopted that, don't forget.  If you think the Black Panthers are a knitting circle, think again.

But, try to outlaw that one, and we all know what would happen.  

You know, the sad thing is, I'm for *equal* treatment of everyone...but we are SO far removed from that now in this country, it's just pathetic.  

Go ahead and buy into this latest example of PC bullshit, it's a free country.  For a *little* while longer, anyhow.