Climate of Fear - Some Bush supporters say they fear for their property.

National Review Online ^ | 10/07/2004 | Stanley Kurtz

[Protagoras]

Just let one of those liberals just TRY to key my car...

So I guess you never park and leave your car.

[RISU]

What you have just said is not true.

I deposited a check in my bank. It was returned by the bank as "uncoillectible" causing an overdraft.

When I called the bank where the money had been they told me that my deposit from before had not yet been "collected".

I asked "How Long"

They said "8 days is the minimum.

Here is the example that proves you do not know. I make a deposit. 6 days later I write a check out of that account, and it bounces as "uncollected funds"

Sorry, but you don't "know".

[Menehune56]

Interesting article. The problem with car-keyers is that they are sneaky little sh**s and they do their deeds in crowded parking lots where it is hard to catch them in the act. I have a W04 sticker on the back window must confess that on a recent business trip, I felt some concern about parking at DFW - the democrats are a particularly virulent breed here in the Lone Star State.

I've heard that all the good Texas democrats became Republicans after Clinton was elected, so only the scum are left.

[suzyq5558]

I just ordered two of the W04 oval stickers a minute ago. and I was commenting to my DH that the Bush signs are popping up all down our road just the other day there wasnt a one now they are all over and I live in liberal Oregon. I did see a big Bush sign at the end of a driveway last week and the neighbors next to the driveway put up a kerry sign I thought it was funny kinda like dueling signs or something. but I havnt put a yard sign myself because my inlaws live with us and are rabid bush haters and DH and I dont want to listen to the BS from them .the sacrifices we must make for a peaceful family life are great:) but our trucks have plenty of stickers and were not bothered and my hubby works near the UofO at nights no less!

[Blue Collar Christian]

The liberals here in CA like those ribbons also. They say "I suppport our troops, bring 'em home." And "God bless America" means the same as Kerry's "A Stronger America" to them. Have you ever seen the Dems use the flag as much as they are in this campaign, besides burning it as they have in the past?

[HawaiianGecko]

This really reminds me of places like Kingston Jamaica where politics can frequently result in a gunfight. When these hedonistic liberals speak of tolerance, they mean that you should be tolerant, it doesn't include themselves.

[TNCMAXQ]

I too fear an erosion of free speech rights. It's happening already, thanks largely to "PC." But with this dangerous crowd in the White House, who knows what other rights we will lose. Surely they will try another Hillary-like health care scheme on us.

[Jarhead1957]

You have nothing to fear but fear itself. Move to Texas, get a concealed handgun license, build a blind where you can see your Bush/Cheney sticker, and season on a$$holes has opened.

Open bag limit

To you non hunters this means all you want to bag.

[HawaiianGecko]

PC speech was the first direct limitation of the Bill of Rights, and they did that without a court battle or firing a single shot. Just by picking away at it an inch at a time.

[Savage Beast]

This is true.

My daughter removed the Bush sticker from her car in Burlington because of fear of violence from Kerry supporters.

While visiting her, my wife expressed fears that her car could be "keyed" and wondered if she should remove the Bush sticker.

Most cars in Vermont do not have political stickers on them. Those that do have Kerry stickers. The vast majority have no stickers. I think this is because the owners are either neutral or Bush supporters who are afraid to put Bush stickers on their cars.

A man pointed to the Bush sticker on my wife's car and said to me, "I like that sticker." I asked him if people were reluctant to put Bush stickers on their cars from fear of violence and/or ostracism. He said, "I think so. I think that might be the reason."

[Jhensy]

Very much a climate of fear. You park a car with a prominent Bush/Cheney sticker on it here in Manhattan, your car WILL be vandalized, most probably within the first 24 hours.

Guaranteed.

In fact, somebody (a news org.?) should put this to the test.

[liberty or death]

Isn't this how the Nazi's and the Commies created chaos so they could swoop in and offer their brand of peace?

Come to my yard and touch anything and you'll know I still live in and believe in the USA.

[RepublicanArmy]

You know I've seen these tactics used before in history.... In fact I took the post & changed some of the names to reflect one particular time in history as if it were today. Oddly enough it's a scary yet real mirror image. If this offends anyone my apologies in advance.....

Blogger Robert Musil suggests that a climate of fear has descended upon Blacks in at least some parts of the country. Based in Los Angeles, Musil says most Blacks he's spoken with are afraid to put MLK stickers on their cars, or signs on their lawns, for fear of physical retaliation from angry KKK members. The problem is not symmetrical, says Musil. Stickers and signs for MLK are widespread in Black neighborhoods. Yet even in their own communities, Blacks are holding back. Intrigued by Musil's claim, I put up a post on NRO's blog, The Corner, asking for reader comment. I was quickly flooded with nearly 300 e-mails, almost all of them backing Musil. Here is the story they told.

There is a climate of fear. Again and again, Corner readers say they've been scared off of posting bumper stickers by visions of having their cars keyed or their windows smashed. A typical comment: "Putting a MLK sticker on my car would be like adding a bulls-eye that says, 'Please vandalize my truck.'" A reader from Arlington, Va., who lives just a few blocks from national MLK headquarters, says he was not afraid to use bumper stickers in 1996 or 2000, but wouldn't do so this year. MLK lawn signs are feared, not only as an invitation to vandalism, but because they might permanently alienate neighbors. A man whose wife was handicapped and dependent on neighbors in case of emergency was wary of starting a neighborhood "war" with a sign. This was a common worry among MLK supporters, even in less dire circumstances.

Are the fears justified? They seem to be. On Tuesday there was a report that several shots had been fired into MLK headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn., shattering glass. And late Tuesday evening came a report that protesters had ransacked a MLK headquarters in Orlando, Florida. But these are only the most dramatic examples of a broader trend. Plenty of folks told me that their cars had been keyed, dented, or had windows smashed in for carrying a MLK bumper sticker. Nasty notes left on the windshield are common. And some drivers get cut off in traffic and flipped off by cars sporting KKK bumper stickers. One fellow said a couple of young guys pulled up next to his 64-year-old mother's car and signaled her to roll the window down. When she did, they screamed, "MLK is a F**king MORON!"

Apparently, MLK cars are routinely keyed in places like pro-KKK Seattle. And also Bethesda, Md., has reportedly seen a rash of spray-paintings of KKK yard signs (with KKK signs left in tact). One pro-MLK family in pro-KKK West L.A. had its yard sign stolen six times. Theft, spray paint, or just tearing to shreds are the weapons of choice against yard signs, but one MLK sign was actually set on fire. Even in pro-MLK Idaho, MLK cars get keyed. And in pro-MLK Houston, parking while visiting a friend in the pro-KKK midtown section can mean a keyed car. Apparently, these attacks are so common that you can now buy a T-Shirt with a picture of a slashed-out MLK logo and the legend, "A person of tolerance and diversity keyed my car."

The fear of violence leads many couples into serious debate. A stolen MLK yard sign in pro-KKK Cherry Hill, N.J., prompted one couple to think long and hard before replacing it. Would a rock through the window be next? "You can't hide where you live once you make a mark of yourself," said the husband. (But they did replace the sign.) One woman hints that although her husband called her "paranoid" for deciding against a bumper sticker, he may secretly be relieved at her choice.

Several readers noted that KKK bumper stickers seem to show up mostly on Mercedes, BMWs, and other "high-end Euro-steel," while MLK cars are more modest American models. But at least part of the reason for this could be that MLK supporters are afraid to put stickers on new or expensive cars. Some families with two cars restrict the MLK sticker to the beat-up old family van, keeping it off the better car.

MLK protection is an art. Lots of folks report putting signs inside home and car windows, facing out. Magnetized car signs can be removed for safety when parking, and Bush yard signs can be stored in the garage at night. One fellow makes sure to park with his bumper facing a wall. Some MLK supporters have responded to thefts by covering signs in chicken wire or putting them behind fences. But these tactics don't always work.

The most effective strategy seems to be hanging the signs high on trees, or high on a house. But this can be countered by malicious graffiti on the door, which one family has to clean off daily. The best tactic may have been this note, taped to the back of a yard sign: "Thanks! Your theft of this sign will result in a replacement sign and an additional donation of $10 to MLK. Your contribution is appreciated."

So are those too afraid to use stickers and signs just a bunch of girly-men? A couple of tough guys said as much to their more timid compatriots: "What kind of wussy are you? I say Bring It On!" But most of the people who wrote in argued that it isn't cowardice to worry about damage to a car that can't be protected when parked. Several people said they'd started sporting MLK T-shirts and caps instead of bumper stickers, because KKK supporters won't try anything to their face. Readers who do decide to use stickers or signs despite the risks feel courageous. Some folks feel a sense of relief each and every time they return to an undamaged car.

Many MLK supporters avoid the whole problem by adopting a flag strategy. American flags, yellow ribbons, and signs saying "Support our troops" function in many places as proxies for MLK signs. One reader noted that none of the homes with Kkk signs on his street display American flags. Other readers say they intentionally use the flag as a proxy. Usually this is safe. But apparently in Seattle, even an American flag can provoke arguments and rude looks. One Seattle neighborhood seems to display U.N. flags and stickers more often than Old Glory. (I guess that meets the "global test.")

Is the violence really unequal? Corner readers sure think so, but it's tough to know for certain when your sample consists of MLK partisans. Still, Corner readers point to repeatedly defaced MLK signs in areas where KKK signs go untouched. Clearly, there is at least some violence against KKK signs. One reader said that in Columbus, Ohio, the virtual epicenter of this year's campaign, sign violence seems to be about equal. The most frightened Corner readers by far are those who live in or pass through university towns. Yet one reader from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee reports that at least some liberal professors there feel sheepish about displaying their support for the KKK. Still, the repeated message of Corner readers is that property damage is inflicted on MLK supporters at far higher levels than on the KKK supporters. The asymmetry is attributed partly to the general willingness of those on the KKK side to protest, but mostly to the depths of the hatred the KKK has for MLK.

[Savage Beast]

"One fellow makes sure to park with his bumper facing a wall."

I have done this--park my car so that the bumper sticker cannot be seen.

"American flags, yellow ribbons, and signs saying 'Support our troops' function in many places as proxies for Bush-Cheney signs."

I see many of these in New England.

Those who have inflamed the anti-Bush, anti-Republican, anti-American hatred into a frenzy--notably those in the "newsmedia", academia, celebrities, et al.--should not be surprised when their propaganda results in violence. This assumes that they care. In fact, it may be what they want.

[Malacoda]

You got one of those, too?

Which set of 'burbs? "Cause I'm out in Chester County, and we got our sign stolen AND a "Dear Neighbor" letter.

[pyx]

but mostly to the depths of the hatred the KKK has for MLK.

You mean the DNC's Robert "SHEETS" Byrd doesn't like negros ?

[Savage Beast]

Today they fear for their property. Tomorrow they may fear for their lives.

All this is yet one more reason why President Bush MUST be re-elected and why the upcoming Presidential Election is the most important in American history.

[MplsSteve]

I have a car that's only 4 months old.

It's a Saturn VUE.

I normally would a B-C'04 bumper sticker taped in the rear window...but not this year.

The Dems are ornery and are willing to take it out on just about anyone and everything.

I'm not a tough guy but I'm willing to defend myself and my property.

But I can't defend my car from being keyed if its done when I'm not around.

I'm working at the local B-C'04 office and showing my support there instead of on my car.

[Thaddeus]

I have to reluctantly agree with you. This is just the beginning phase of a new and I am afraid violent era in American history. I do not want it, however, what we believe is going to cost something in the near future.

[valkyrieanne]

the next American civil war is coming...probably sooner than we think.

In that case, I feel very sorry for the liberals.