All the symbols depicted in the hate symbols database must be evaluated in the context in which they appear. Few symbols represent just one idea or are used exclusively by one group. For example, 100% is often used as an amount or an expression and it is also used by some white supremacists as shorthand for "100% white." Similarly, other symbols in this database may be significant to people who are not extreme or racist. The descriptions here point out significant multiple meanings but may not be able to relay every possible meaning of a particular symbol.
Group Status: Active
The Solid Wood Soldiers are a Texas-based white supremacist prison gang, originally known as the Stupid Woods. Gang members often refer to the group as the "Wolfpack."
Their primary tattoo consists of the initials SWS, with the two S's represented by lightning bolts. Above the initials appears the image of a bear claw, with the number 4 in the middle and sometimes the letters HCRL. The number 4 (which can appear in Latin or Roman numerals) is a reference to the four letters, which stand for "Honor," "Courage," "Respect," and "Loyalty."
The Solid Wood Soldiers sometimes use the numeric symbol 14/10. The 14 is a reference to the so-called "14 Words" slogan ("We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children"), while the 10 is a reference to the gang's creed: "Unity is the only solution to the white man's revolution." They may also use a two-handed handsign in which the hands are interlocked to form a "W" (presumably for "Wolfpack").
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