Noose Hung on Door of Equality CA Office. Police Shrug: 'Sometimes U Have2 Live with Being a Victim

[Ian David]

Noose Hung on Door of Equality California Office. Police Shrug: 'Sometimes You Have to Live with Being a Victim'

Mel Diste, a volunteer at Equality California's Santa Ana branch reports that she arrived at work last night to find a noose hanging on the door of the office.

Wait till you hear what the police officers she called had to say:

When the police arrived, two officers spoke to Daniel and myself outside. The male officer dominated the conversation. There was nothing they could do, of course, there was no suspect and no crime had been committed. The officer said "what it is, is a string on a door." My vision got blurry, I was embarrased and felt stupid for making the call. I took a deep breath and said "Do you see any correlation between the fact that this is a gay office and there was a noose left on our door in the wake of all of these teen suicides?" The officer said, "Sometimes you just have to live with being a victim," and proceeded to mention that his car had been broken into before. As if that's the same. As if having your stereo stolen is anything like the message "You should kill yourself." As if random theft is anything like an act meant to convey hate and stir up fear in the heart of a minority group.

I want to thank Karla for having a long discussion with the sargeant about the situation. No, it was not legally a hate crime, because there was no crime (just hate). And the officer likely did not intend to come off the way he did.

But I'm still in shock. I pray that no officer ever tells a bullied teen that, "sometimes you just have to live with being a victim." The officer made me feel foolish for being shocked and afraid. I feel stupid and unjustified. Our volunteers felt hurt, angered and confused.

More:
http://www.towleroad.com/2010/10/noose-hung-on-door-of-equality-california-office-police-shrug-sometimes-you-have-to-live-with-being-.html


See also:

Let's List the violent attacks by the Right Wingers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9389907

[xchrom]

1. That would not have been their reaction if it been

An NAACP office or a synagogue.

[TheBigotBasher]

2. Sadly in this day and age of Tea Party Republicans

running openly bigoted campaigns I am not sure that is true.

[Ken Burch]

4. And damn sure not if it had been a megachurch.

n/t.

[beyurslf]

3. It sounds like he needed some education about how to convey what is a crime and what is not, at leas

in the legal respect. It doesn't mean he was trying to be a homophobe. Some cops are just asses to everyone.