So I've been hate-crimed

[LeftCoast]

This morning at 10am some asshole shot out the back window of my partner's Jeep. The jeep was in our driveway and my partner saw the jerk who did it. Unfortunately he was not able to get the plate number.

So why do I think this is a hate crime? Well, out of all the other cars/houses in the neighborhood they could've chosen, this prick chooses the one house on the block with a pride flag waving out front.

I'm pretty pissed off right now. It's crap like this that has totally changed my opinion on gun control.

BTW, I live in the city of San Francisco. I find it especially ironic, since this is where all the homophobes tell us to go live.

We called the cops. Probably not a lot they can do about it since we didn't get the plate number. I've also reported it as a hate-crime (though I let them know there is a remote possibility it was 'just' vandalism).

We'll be parking the jeep in the garage for now. Other than that. No changes. The flag sure as hell isn't coming down. If anything I'm going to get a bigger one.

Glad I have DU, so I can vent!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. You keep that flag flying!

That's terrible that someone did that to your Jeep. You may wish to post a video camera in a hidden spot to see if you catch the vehicle going by again. I've seen some shows where people did that after folks trashed their vehicles, got the culprits on tape, and took them to court and won-both criminal and civil.

[LeftCoast]

4. Already thought about that!

Trying to save money, ya know? Besides, my partner works from home and his office looks out at the street. That's how he saw the jerk in the first place.

I don't think the guy realized anyone saw him.

BTW, the window's going to cost us $500. :(

[donco6]

2. Don't let it get you too upset.

I've had my car egged, house egged, trash dumped on the yard (no one else's), etc. Stupid stuff like that. I always remind myself of how MOST people are very kind and accepting of Dwaine and me. We live in a great neighborhood - it's people who come in from outside and see our flag, stickers on the car, etc.

Sorry about your car.

[jiacinto]

3. Did you see the color of the car?

Did you see the model/make?

Was there a bullet left in the car that could be sent to ballistics for examination?

Did you see what the drivers looked like?

[LeftCoast]

7. We got make/model of car

and rough description of the guy. No bullet though, so I assume it was a pellet or BB gun.

[jiacinto]

12. Okay

Then what I would do is document the date, time, and the location of the incident.

I would take pictures of the damaged car and the glass. I would keep one set of that info for yourself and turn the copies into the police to keep for their records.

That way, in case this jerk does this again, at least you have evidence that you can use in the future.

[meegbear]

5. Oh man ...

sorry to hear that.

Hope you get 'em. Peace bro'.

[Stephanie]

6. If I were your neighbor and I found out about this incident,

I would make sure everyone on the block was flying a pride flag.

[LeftCoast]

10. We've got several gay neighbors

who don't fly flags. One of whom is actually a judge. We'll be talking to them. We've already talked to the nice (straight) lady who lives two doors down. This is a nice quiet middle-class SF neighborhood.

[catzies]

13. Remember the story of Denmark's King in WWII?

"According to popular myth, during the attempted persecution of the Jews living in Denmark, Christian X, although not Jewish, wore a yellow star of the kind that Jews were required to wear for identification by the nazi government. Thousand of Danes followed suit in a demonstration that culminated when 50,000 Danes wearing Jewish stars marched in the streets in protest."

So, EVERYBODY on your street should fly the pride flag!

[LeftCoast]

15. I always loved that story!

It would be nice if more pride flags were flown. Still, since it makes you a target (apparently) I'll leave it up to them to decide.

I just wish I could find a more 'in-your-face' flag. Maybe they'll let me borrow the one flown in the Castro. Ever seen it? It's massive. Must be 20 x 30 (feet!).

[quinnox]

8. That is ironic

I've heard numbers as high as 50% gays for San Francisco.

Guess you got unlucky. I wouldn't play the lotto today.

[tuck]

9. waiting for someone to say....

"you obviously provoked them by infringing on his straight right to never think about homosexuality!"

[bicentennial_baby]

11. Oh man

I'm really sorry to hear that LeftCoast....Keep that flag flyin! :hi:

[arcane1]

14. yikes! How can that person stand to live here with all the libruls!

There is another DUer here who has many anti-Bush signs in her yard, and surprisingly there is not that much negative feedback (not as much as I would expect, anyway)

got called a "hippie" though :-)

[dofus]

16. What a shame!

And keep flying the flag!

We have various anti-bush, anti-war signs in our yard, and twice now some unknown person has put up homemade counter signs in our yard. Things like, "Hug a tree" and "Eat a Croissant" (with French flag) and simply "Hippy". I love the misspelling. We've been highly amused, leave them up for a couple of days, and then move them into our garage. What'w interesting is they use the same kind of wire form for professional yard signs, and simply tape their own hand-printed ones on. There are at least two different hand-writings.

At least no one is vandalizing or destroying anything.

[Character Assassin]

17. A couple of questions

What neighborhood in SF do you live on?
Did anyone hear a gun shot?
What is the traffic like on your street?
Have you found any part of a projectile in the vehicle?
Do you know of any other similar incidents in your area?

From previous experience, I don't think this has the hallmarks (or qualification for) a hate crime.

[LeftCoast]

22. My partner saw the incident take place

We live on a very quiet street. Since we didn't find a bullet I'm assuming it was a BB gun. I took a drive around the neighborhood and didn't see ANY other windows shot out. As I said earlier, it MIGHT not have been a hate crime, but when you're the only house on the street with a pride-flag AND you're also the only house on the street with a window shot out...it's probably safe to assume we were targeted because of the flag. I would much prefer it was just random.

[Character Assassin]

26. I'm not familiar with your local statutes...

But if someone were really interested in perpetrating a hate crime, as it were, against you, I would have thought they'd have fired into your house. Short of that, it may be pretty tough for a DA to justify. They did fire into the vehicle and not the residence, right?

I know SF pretty well (born there), so that's why I asked about the neighborhood. As you know, living in the Richmond is drastically different from, say, SoMA, and though it's most likely this was someone not from the area, knowing the demographics can only help.

Check around, if possible, the streets immediately in your vicinity and see if the same thing occured there, and if so, which conditions. It should give a pretty good idea as to whether this was vandalism or not.

[tom_paine]

18. Arm yourself, sir. When the EVIL goes down, Gays will be among the 1st

to be rounded up, beaten, killed, have a croiss burning in your yard, shot or whatever it will be this time around that Totalitarian Monsters Take Over a Once-Great Republic and Threaten the World.

I'm not advocating violence nor striking first. But, given what is happening in the Empire, and given that your subgroup is first and foremost for whatever the Bushevik Final Solution is

(one cannot predict the details of the future with any accuracy, but human being humans, the larger historical trends are often quite clear to anyone with a long-term historic perspective)

I would certainly advocate the prudent purchase of a firearm or six and PLENTY of ammo.

The future is always uncertain, and there is a possibility (some might say it's probable) that my assumption about the Dark Cloud of Bushevik Totalitarianism is drawing over our heads.

Just think of it as insurance. And remember, if someone shoots out your car window it is NOT appropriate to return fire. A gun should only be the last resort that everyone prays will never come to use...

(perhaps a Gun Safety Course or two)

[LeftCoast]

23. I hope it never comes to that

But these days, who the hell knows where this country is headed. I'm just reminded again of Hitler's rise to power in Germany. The only difference is that this was almost certainly not organized.

I grew up around guns. If it becomes necessary, I will have NO PROBLEM using one to defend myself.

[jonnyblitz]

19. I saw lots of homophobic crap when I lived in SF despite the otherwise

tolerant atmosphere. Usually there is a strong backlash element in cool places to live I have noticed.. :hi:

[bluestateguy]

20. Check out this website

www.pinkpistols.org

Nothing scares a Freeper more than a Leftist with a gun. They think we're all pacifists who won't fight.

[LeftCoast]

25. Have heard of these folks

Thanks for the reminder and link!

[blm]

21. Sorry to say, LeftCoast...

that I think things are about to get worse as the political atmosphere becomes more toxic in 2004. The demagoguery will be so thick in the air it will poison just about everything decent left in this country.

[LeftCoast]

24. And a constitutional ammendment banning gay marriage

won't help. :(

What has happend to our country?

[BushHasGotToGo]

27. Buy a gun

You need to protect yourself.

Really, I'm not kidding.

[slackmaster]

30. Not likely to help

OTOH it's not likely to hurt either.

If you do, be sure to get properly trained on safe handling.

[SyracuseDemocrat]

28. It's a sad day in America

When shit like this happens. A sad day.

[SyracuseDemocrat]

29. By the way, LeftCoast,

I heard you mention in this post that you're rethinking your gun control stance. Are you pro-gun control or anti-gun control? Have you heard of the Pink Pistols? I think that it's very important for gays and minorities to learn how to defend themselves with guns if necessary. It's a dangerous world out there, full of intolerant people, and as you saw today shit can happen right in your front yard.

[LeftCoast]

31. I've been fairly anti-gun/pro-gun controll for a long time

Actually, Dean started me thinking about revising my stance. This incident has not helped.

On the other hand...I don't feel like I'm in danger so if nothing else happens we'll probably remain a gun-free house. Besides, if I'd had the gun when the SOB did the drive-by...well, it's a good thing I didn't.