Are defacing yard signs a "hate crime"?

[tcfrogs]

Thoughts?

[CottonBear]

1. yes

The right-wingers hate freedom of speech.

[bukk]

2. No

Just ill-advised and counter-productive.

"Hey, my Bush/Cheney sign is ruined. Guess I'll have to vote for Kerry."

. . .

Nahhhh.

[phaseolus]

3. naah. not criminal enough.

On the other hand if one of us was physically assaulted to the point of needing an Emergency Room visit by some wingnut screaming about liberals, I think that would be a hate crime...

[aquart]

4. Yes.

[hughee99]

5. It's a crime... vandalism

but I wouldn't call it a hate crime. I'm not a big fan of "hate crimes" in general.

[xray s]

6. depends

If you write the word "LIAR" on a Bush Cheney sign, no. If you write the words "flip flop" on a Kerry Edwards sign, no. If you write the word "NIGGER" on an Obama sign, yes.

In any case, I think defacing signs is a stupid thing to do. Better to spend you time making creative signs, like the freeway blogger, or canvassing.

[MarkTwain]

7. A Hate Crime is a Damn Serious Matter....

...stealing or defacing a piece of cardboard is not.

Any effort to even compare the two trivalizes the impact of these heinous acts of hate: murders, lynchings, and crippling assaults.

[theorist]

8. "All crimes are hate crimes." Does anyone remember that great * quote.

Idiot Son of an Asshole.

I actually agree it's just vandalism by a bunch of thugs who think they're thuggery will make a difference.

[deadmessengers]

9. No

When Democrats are hung from trees by mobs, tied up and dragged behind pickup trucks, or beaten up just for holding hands with their beloved in public, then maybe it should be.

On the other hand, I've never really understood so-called "hate crimes". I just can't see how someone is harmed more when they're being beaten to death if someone yells a racial or ethnic slur while they're doing it. In either case, the perpetrator should receive roughly the same sentence - permanent (or close to it) incarceration.

[durablend]

12. Getting ugly here...

Report on the news of some guy's SUV having been spraypainted with swastikas and obscenties. What they didn't mention (but was in plain sight in the photo they showed) was the big "W" sprayed onto the back side window.

[MichiganVote]

10. Its a pain the arse crime, that's all.

[beyurslf]

11. It is vandalism but not a hate crime.