So vandalizing is now a hate crime!
It can be! A while back an African American family awoke to find swastikas painted on their garage door and their vehicle. Along with the damage from the paint, who ever did it caused damage to the car's windows and tires. Based on current law, it was classified as a hate crime.
Another neighbor, Lani Fremaux, 58, said she bought a T-shirt months ago with a picture of a Hummer and above it the word "Bummer." She wore the shirt proudly but said she is so upset with recent events on her street that she might retire it.
"They've got everything at their disposal in this city to make a statement in a legal way," Fremaux said of the bat-wielding men who struck out at the Hummer. "I consider this a hate crime."