We can't afford this! OMG!!!

[Nitrogenica]

We woke up to major damage to our van.

4 weeks ago someone vandalized our car.




This morning we woke upo to major damage to our van.






MAJOR DAMAGE!!

My wife and I are devastated. DO we take off our bumpers?

What sort of sick right wing mind continues to stalk us?

[RB TexLa]

1. Shit! What assholes

[Extend a Hand]

2. good grief!

That's awful!!! Are there any suspects?

[Nitrogenica]

8. I have a right wing neighbor and some very right wing

people down the block. I have no proof.

[Extend a Hand]

32. if you don't have full-coverage on you vehicle

and you do have home-owners insurance it could possibly be covered there. If you can't get insurance to cover, setup a paypal and I'd be happy to send a few bucks your way for a "fix the car" fund.

[Deja Q]

3. I've seen vandalism on many cars...

Dems, repubs, others...

Common denominator is the bumper sticker or anything suggesting a political viewpoint.

Even cars with "support the troops" plates.

It's disgusting, but what can people do?

Get security cameras for home and park close to them when you shop.

[Justyce]

4. Our vehicle was vandalized not long ago --

it turned out to be teenagers. They found chunks of concrete and stood back and threw them at our truck, trying to see who could aim and knock out the windows and damaging the body in the process. All of the vandalism we've had in the past few years has been kids or teenagers "playing"...

[Echo In Light]

5. There was widespread vandalism during the run up to the 04 "election"

Granted I didn't have Kerry stickers even though my wife and I both voted that way ... but apparently my Dissident and Orwell quotes' stickers were sufficient to warrant some hateful authoritarian goon to key my old Monte Carlo, and our neighbors who had Kerry signs in their yard. There were other cars egged around the neighborhood also, signs knocked down, stolen, etc

These types of tactics, reactions, actually, speak volumes about the mindset of authoritarians.

[El Pinko]

16. My car got keyed in 04 too.

I had a Dean sticker and one that called Bush a murderous POS or something along those lines.

But the car was 9 years old and I'm not vain, so I didn't sweat it.

But broken windows is really crossing the line.

[Echo In Light]

29. Kerry's web forum had it's own vandalism/harassment section

There were tons of people posting about problems like this ... and keep in mind that at that point many Bushites still felt somewhat drunk w/power, hence they felt justified, and their gloating and disdain manifested in political vandalism/intimidation. There are historical studies showing how the more belligerent an authoritarian leader becomes, his cadre likewise becomes more aggressively emboldened.

[Echo In Light]

30. One can cite many similar tactics in Florida 2000 also n/t

[blogslut]

6. What did the police say?

n/t

[Nitrogenica]

7. The police are on their way.

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. Were other vehicles in the area damaged, too?

I mean was it a vandalism spree or specifically done to yout vehicles?

It's terrible, no matter what the reason.

[Nitrogenica]

10. I haven't seen any others damaged.

My wife and I live a very quiet, simple life. We are so afraid right now. Whats next?

[CPschem]

11. Don't let them intimidate you.

That's their goal. These aren't dangerous people- that's why they throw rocks at your car in the middle of the night with no one around, instead of confronting you in-person.

[Autumn Colors]

12. The plate # is showing on the van - you may want to remove that (nm)

[Sugar Smack]

40. I think that's wise. Put a Photoshop sticker over it, or I'll do it.

[Stuckinthebush]

13. Set up a camera

I did that during the 2004 election as my Kerry signs were continually stolen from my yard. Once the camera was up, there was no more stealing. I hid the camera but was putting it up out in the open so my neighbors could see what I was doing. I surmise that it must have been one of my neighbors.

People do stupid shit...even people you think are your friends. Catch their butts on video and see who is laughing then.

[MedleyMisty]

14. Hmm - if those plates said a Southern state

You know the whole state would get blamed for it.

So where's the "All people in Minnesota are evil!" posts?

Sorry - to the OP I hope that things work out for the best and I'm sorry about the damage.

[northzax]

23. nah, probably some southerners

who moved to Minnesota. :evilgrin:

[El Pinko]

15. Jesus Christ, that's terrible.

I'm so sorry that happened to you. It's sad some people can't even accept others using their right to free expression.

I don't know what to tell you. Taking off the bumpers would be a major moral defeat, but keeping them on would mean you almost have to stake out the parking lot to catch them/prevent it from happening again.

I thought Minnesota was pretty progressive? What assholes.

[chelaque liberal]

17. Where in Minnesota do you live?

I grew up in St. Paul and most of my family is still there.

[Nitrogenica]

22. I live in Minneapolis, near Robbinsdale.

[MissB]

18. The police will be able to tell you whether there was a rash of

vandalism in the neighborhood last night. Until they've come out and spoken with you, don't panic.

I'm sorry this has happened to you. It sucks.

[ThatsMyBarack]

19. Wrong on so many levels.

Good luck catching the morans that did this shit to your vehicles.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

20. Karma will get the a-hole who did it.

In some way or another.

What a pathetic loser.

[ileus]

24. Karma doesn't get the window fixed....what a bunch of bush-heads.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

21. Oh shit...

I feel so sorry for you. I'm Minnesotan and I'm just wondering what happened to "Minnesota Nice".

I think you should put cameras out and point them at the car.

[Tesha]

Norm Coleman and Jesse Ventura happened to "Minnesota nice". (NT)

[FunkyLeprechaun]

49. Norm was deplorable

His comments were ugh.. after Wellstone died (I had ONLY just cast my absentee ballot for him.. so I couldn't vote for Mondale as I was having pre-cancerous cells burned off with a laser at the Mayo Clinic).

Jesse wasn't too bad... compared to Pawlenty... The bridge will always be Pawlenty's fault.

[L0oniX]

25. This exactly why I won't put bumper stickers on my vehicle. There's too many assholes in America.

[ileus]

26. Same here....I won't even put a 48 sticker on my car either.

[Nitrogenica]

28. LOLOLS

Go Jimmie!

[Xithras]

34. Yep, living in red California I know better.

It's slowly changing in the Central Valley, but I've known too many liberals who've woken up to broken windows, keyed paint jobs, and dents with big pretty footprints in the middle. Two years ago a good friend of mine placed an 18" STOP THE OCCUPATION sticker on the back of her minivan. She walked out to find the word "COWARD" carved down the drivers side in three foot tall letters a few weeks later.

I like my paint too much to bother.

[fascisthunter]

45. That's What They Want You To DO

Don't let political harassment change your behavior.

I got into an altercation due to having a bumper sticker on my old car, and I almost took it off, until I realized that that was probably what that person wanted me to do.

[Marr]

27. You need to set up a security camera.

It won't cost all that much, and it'll be worth it when you take the prick to court.

[Sabriel]

31. I'm so sorry!

And that right there is the reason my partner doesn't want us to get "WMD LIE" license plates.

Too many a-holes like that around here who would think nothing of doing it.

[B Calm]

33. That would prompt me to load my gun and wait for the bastard! I

would also add more stickers to my car, just to piss the bastard off enough to strike again.

[Kajsa]

35. Oh no, not AGAIN!

Like others have suggested, set up a camera
where the vehicles are parked.

I'm so sorry you're going through this!

I hope they catch the bastards!

:grr:

[malaise]

36. Keep you bumper stickers

install a camera and nail them.

[this_side_up]

37. What is the best outdoor camera that

gives good pictures in the dark?

What distance can it see?

[Hawkowl]

38. Take the bumper stickers off

But continue your support. You can wear buttons, volunteer for the campaign or even donate extra money. Money that you'll save on repairing vandalism.

If you can't afford to fight a full on frontal assault, go guerrilla. In other words, take off your uniform (the bumper stickers) but keep fighting.

[backscatter712]

39. Wish cowards like this would do this in front of me.

If it was my car, and I caught the shitbag that did it, at the MINIMUM, I'd kick the holy hell out of him and put his sorry ass in the hospital, where he's spend the next few months taking his dinners through a fucking straw.

I don't care if I go to jail afterwards.

[Carni]

41. Sorry to hear this but pull that license # photo

I am sorry you had this happen but you might want to get that photo of your license # off of there or some right winged nut might cause you further grief!
(you can never be too careful)

[Irishonly]

42. It's terrible

I just don't understand people who would do this to anyone's car or anything else.

[smoogatz]

43. Someone in your neighborhood is a serious wingnut.

My advice: look for the one beat-up Dodge Durango with Bush/Cheney and W 04 stickers still on it in your 'hood and take a baseball bat to it. Even if it's the wrong guy, it'll make you feel better.

[fascisthunter]

44. place a video camera in your car

[GreenPartyVoter]

46. Agreed

[Catherine Vincent]

47. That is awful!

I hope you all catch the vandal that did this.

[JDPriestly]

48. We had a similar problem, but we think it was a gang member

who avenged us for towing a car parked in front of our driveway. My husband spoke to the man who owned the car in a very kind, civil way and the violence stopped. My husband is a very brave man, I think.

[mattfromnossa]

50. thats awful

[OneBlueSky]

51. precisely why my car carries no bumper stickers . . .

I can't afford it either . . .

[and-justice-for-all]

52. What cowards they are...

they are not smart enough for dialogue so they do what repigs do best, through a fit and tear something up.

This is what I do, I have all my stickers on magnetic stripping so I can change them periodically and taken them off if I think I need too, but I never do. This is a good idea if you do not have a garage to park in. You can get the magnetic material at a sign shop.

[KharmaTrain]

53. Check Your Local Wingnut Blogs...

My bets are the "hero" who did this is proud and bragging about what he/she did. If there's a local wingnut blog, I'd play fly on the wall and see if someone comes forward to talking about what happened or takes credit for it. You may even try to google...you may be surprised how stupid and arrogant these shitsticks are.

As others, I never put bumper stickers on my car...the less people see of me and visa versa when I'm driving the better.