Posted on 04/01/2007 2:48:49 AM PDT by leadpenny
Black church in Stafford County vandalized and spray-painted with racial slurs
By CATHY DYSON
A cable installer had come to Union Bell Baptist Church yesterday morning to hook up wireless computer service, when he and a church deacon noticed the vandalism.
Someone had spray-painted the F- and N-words on doors and parking signs at the black church in southern Stafford County.
"We've come so far in terms of technology, and then you look at stuff like this and you realize our culture hasn't progressed that much," said Darak Hollis, a field representative for Cox Communications. "It's sad, especially in a place like this."
As Hollis worked, the pastor and deacons cleaned up the mess at the 85-year-old brick church.
The phrase "F--- N----- ALOT" was painted in black letters on a back door and on a side entrance that leads to the pastor's study.
The N-word also was sprayed on two parking signs and a septic-system cover.
Four windows were broken and their blinds smashed. A telephone box was ripped apart.
Nothing was taken from inside the church, as far as members could tell. They estimated the repairs would cost about $500.
"But the money part is not what's bothering us. It's the spiritual part," said Deacon Joseph Robinson, who first noticed the damage.
"What would make somebody do this, especially to the church?" wondered the pastor, the Rev. Clarence Mays, as he shook his head in dismay. "Especially to the church."
Mays and his wife, Regina, were at the church on Hollywood Farm Road in the White Oak area for about half an hour last night.
They came by before midnight to pray for unity among members. The church is looking to buy 10 acres nearby and expand its ministry, and some members are concerned about the additional debt, the pastor said.
He and his wife left about 12:15 a.m. Robinson got there before 9 a.m. to meet the cable installer.
Stafford sheriff's Deputy M.K. Stotts, who investigated the scene, said there were several reports of vandalized cars overnight.
"But nothing this extreme," he said.
The vandalism is a felony because it's on church property, Stotts said.
Similar hate crimes have been reported this month from Connecticut to California, according to press accounts.
"Fortunately, there have not been a lot in this area," said the Rev. Lawrence Davies, a minister in Fredericksburg and the city's first black mayor. "I don't remember the last time something like this happened."
Union Bell members tried to keep their spirits up as they got ready for Palm Sunday. Had the cable work not been scheduled yesterday, they wouldn't have noticed the damage until this morning.
"And that would have been a rude awakening," said Deacon Derrick Johnson.
The pastor was glad the damage wasn't worse. As he thought about his midnight prayer service, he recalled that he and his wife anointed the church with oil.
"That's why they didn't come in," the pastor said about the vandals. "The spirit of God was so strong, they couldn't go inside."
To that, Deacon Johnson added: "Pastor, next time you gotta do the outside, too."
Cathy Dyson: 540/374-5425 Email: cdyson@freelancestar.com
Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call the Stafford County Sheriff's Office at 658-4450 or Crime Solvers at 659-2020.
"and you realize our culture hasn't progressed that much,"
each person sees what he/she WANTS to see. The reality is that there is very little of this sort of thing, that there is much less racism, but that the actions of a few are taken as "proof" that everybody is racist.
That sucks, especially at this time of the year. I hope they find out who did that. I know in the past it turned out they weren't hate crimes after all, but done by blacks. I hope it's not a member of the congreagation, or any Christian.
(IOW: black perp v. white perp)
An excellent observation easily explained: "Follow the money."
It crossed my mind too. I just hope they catch whoever did this.
I'm pretty sure the congregation wouldn't do this to their own church, which leads me to believe that this is the work of democrats.
BTW ... these black churches are painted white or are red brick, yet they are called black, apparently because of the people that congregate there ... why then are those folks not called black also?
No need to get excited, too many times these racial defacings turn out to be the work of an insider. Maybe someone doesn't want to pay their fair share of the new digs?
Not disagreeing that it could be the case that this was done either by an American of African descent or by a congregation member, but it's......odd......that there's so much consensus on who is (and who isn't) to blame.
In any case, eventually some more news could come out about this, and answer who was or were responsible.
As I said before, I just hope they catch whoever did this.
You're right, it's probably not fair to make assumptions just yet.
However, a little off topic, I do have a problem with the "hate crime laws." What if . . . What if the perps are a group of juvenile delinquents that includes whites and blacks? Would all of them be charged with a hate crime?
Sheriff Moose: "Yeah, it's two white guys with a white van with white socks and white shoes and white pants using white guns with white bullets! But I can't go into details right now."
(/parody)
Incrementalism ... can't start too early nor be too often.
Stories like this signal the beginning of fund-raising season; just like the first Robin or cherry blossom.
The story or the criminal act?
Fundraising for what?
It bothers me that so many people are eager to blame black people for this. Could a black person vandalize a black church? Yes, but it is more likely that some stupid skinhead got tired of sniffing paint and decided to use the rest of the paint to deface a church. No one here knows the people involved but there is talk about how there must be a conspiracy and that the vandalism is an inside job. As if white criminals have never vandalized a church? The minute something happens, blame the victims?
I'm not saying that their aren't jerkhead white people also...
Because as we all know, that never happens.
Seriously, these things are almost never quote unquote "inside jobs" in the sense that there is some big conspiracy. It's usually one lone loser seeking sympathy and attention.
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