German Teaches Dog Adolf to Give Hitler Salute
 

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"German Teaches Dog Adolf to Give Hitler Salute
By Tobias Schwarz

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German man who taught his dog Adolf to give a Hitler salute by raising his right paw has been charged with violating Germany's anti-Nazi laws for a series of incidents in recent years, a Berlin court said on Wednesday.

Police investigated the man after members of the public complained they had seen Roland Thein giving the stiff-arm "Hitler salute" and telling his dog: "Adolf sit, give me the salute!," a court spokeswoman said.

As he was questioned by police the man ordered his black mongrel to give them the Hitler salute as well, she said.

But a Berlin justice official said later on Wednesday prosecutors were dropping the specific charges against the man related to the dog and instead focusing on other incidents in which the man was seen by witnesses using outlawed language such as "Sieg Heil" and "Heil Hitler" in public.

The spokesman for Berlin's justice ministry said it wasn't clear whether it was a crime to order a dog to give a Hitler salute and that's why that was being dropped. He said, however, prosecutors had sufficient evidence from earlier incidents.

Germany has strict laws banning the use of Nazi symbols, but Thein, sporting a Hitler-style mustache and military tunic, said he didn't understand what the fuss was about.

Thein demonstrated Adolf's "Hitler salute" trick to a Reuters photographer in his back yard in southwestern Berlin after summoning the dog from a kennel with "Adolf" painted over the entrance.

"Adolf, give me the salute!" Thein barked as the dog raised his right paw. Thein also said he welcomed the media attention he and his dog were getting.

The trial is set for Thursday. Thein is accused of shouting the Nazi battlecry "Sieg Heil" in front of Berlin police and of wearing a "Hitler" T-shirt and shouting "Heil Hitler" at a market in the city in separate incidents in 2002."

...comments?

it seems funny that he taught his mongrel dog to give a nazi salute :p

None of these things would be illegal in the U.S. I understand why they have those laws in Germany, but it seems to me that enforcing freedom of speech would do more to combat totalitarian type thinking than banning certain symbols and activities. The swastika wasn't the problem. It's just a doodle.

I really have no idea, but I have a feeling that the ban on anything Nazi is/was forced on Germany by the allies (U.S. included). Not that it was a bad idea or anything, just sayin'...

No, the swastika wasn't the problem. I believe (and if I'm wrong am quite certain that someone will correct me), that the swastika originated from a Hindi symbol for peace or love or something of some such. Anyway, it's not the "swastika" itself that's the problem...it's what it has come to represent. The swastika was the chosen emblem of what was arguably the most evil regime ever to have walked the face of the earth. It therefore evokes some pretty harsh emotions from numerous social and political groups, not the least of which are the German people themselves. The Nazi's are a part of their recent history. A part that does not need to be flung in their collective faces.

Let me get off of my rant to just say that...no, the swastika isn't just a doodle. It's a symbol, and a very powerful symbol at that. Apart from maybe the Confederate battle flag...I don't know of any symbol that has become more hated and feared. At least in the modern world.

I know this isn't funny, but damn if this didn't make me giggle insanely. I can just picture this lunatic screaming "heil hitler" and this little pooch giving a salute. It's just so...absurd.

It's okay, I laughed about it too. There's nothing funny about the Holocaust or about teaching people to worship Hitler, but...it's a DOG, for chrissakes!

It does sound histerically funny i do agree lmfao :D

I wonder how many doggy treats it took to get the dog to do that.

I want a pic!

Re: German Teaches Dog Adolf to Give Hitler Salute
 

I would like a vid file of that, i find it rather funny :D

yeah- I think the guy is obviously a moron- heard on NPR that he was facing several YEARS in prison- ok- all of us who are sane agree- hitler bad- but free speech good- even from evil mouth breathing racist morons

We need to get this guy to do stupid pet tricks on Letterman...

I just don't get it. Maybe I'm dense, maybe it's my blonde hair or what. I have a feeling this guy wanted publicity. Scandal is the easiest way to get it. Doing something that grates on the collective peoples nerves/emotions is a sure way to get the publicity. I personally would probably slap him with a fine, and just watch the SOB. Making sure he doesn't start stockpiling arms or giving speeches and brainwashing his followers. The less fuss you make the less he's going to do it. - When I was in school I managed to get along with the main bully because I ignored his punches while in line. Gave me a sore shoulder for a couple days but after that I never got bugged again. Ignore the idiot he'll quit with the Nazi phrases for the most part.

Now as for the dog - I do think it'd be funny to see. I just can't picture a dog sticking a stiff leg out and up - I too wish we had a pic.

yeah because that worked the LAST time we ignored the nazis...

Anti-Nazi laws. How ironic.

Yeah I know - Not completely ignore, Watch quietly, don't make a big deal of it. Like with a student acting up for attention. You watch for REAL trouble but ignore the "harmless" shit.

The swastica looks like an asian good luck charm but the legs point in the other direction. There is a movie called "the master of the flying Guillotine" that has a guy with a huge one on his chest(the real one, not a swastica). But how dumb do you have to be to teach a dog to "Hiel Hitler." If anything, it makes their case even stupider.

Many societies/religions have a version of the swastika...even Jews.


http://pi.zen.ru/arhiv/2002/005/img/swastika.gif




I find this insanely funny myself, but he's a moron to do this in Germany of all places. He may be just a regular guy with a warped sense of humor...doesn't mean he should do jail time for it. he may not even be racist of Nazi at all...most likely he isn't.