Judge Gilberto Hinojosa, Chairman of The Texas Democratic Party
Lubbock has experienced a high level of recent vandalism targeting Democratic yard signs. Hundreds of Obama yard signs have been stolen from neighborhoods all across Lubbock. Over half a dozen large 4×4 and 4×8 signs have been stolen, vandalized, or shot. And two 4×4 signs were vandalized with the n-word written multiple times and mustard sprayed all over the signs.
On Tuesday night, Leo Flores watched over some signs with a video camera. Just days prior, Lubbock Republican Party County Chair Carl Tepper had said, “I have a weird suspicion that the Democrats might have damaged their own signs. It’s an outlandish story.”
Leo wanted to capture proof that Democrats in Lubbock County were being targeted, and to disprove the absurd Republican talking point that they had caused the vandalism themselves.
At about 2a.m. four men drove up to attack the signs. Leo was there with his camera on, and called 911. The vandals then jumped in their truck and went to where Leo stood. They attempted to take his camera and punched the volunteer in his face. Throughout all of this, Leo kept his camera on.
The Lubbock police have now released that video, and we share this breaking news and footage with you.
You can catch that video here.
This spew of ignorance and hatred needs to stop. Across the State of Texas, Democrats are being targeted for expressing their constitutionally protected rights of speech and assembly. Meanwhile, the Republican Party will not address this hatred. They deny that it exists. Well, our footage proves otherwise.
The Texas Democratic Party will continue to fight against these hate crimes and stand with our local communities across the State.
We’re won’t let aggressive and hate cause us to back down. Throughout history we have stood our moral ground. And we stand strongly again now.
Yours,
Gilberto Hinojosa
Chair
Texas Democratic Party
Bring back the horse whip.
1Tried to email Mr. Ketner, but got computereeze about not having my email configured, yada yada. I may be lily-livered, but we don’t have an Obama sign out in front of our property for this very reason. We live in the middle of Red hot nowhere (Johnson County, the reddest county you ever saw) and my husband travels frequently and I have 2 young children. And I don’t know one end of a gun from another (I hate and fear them). Republicans and racists/haters working under assumed “Republican values” (mutually exclusive terms) are, as you well know, crazy. I’ve had an Obama/Biden bumper sticker on my car continuously since 2008 and have washed the n-word off of my back window. I’m so angry that, in a multi-party system of government, I refrain from fully expressing my pride in my party because I fear for the safety of my children, my animals, and my property. Good Gawd y’all – we’ve got ourselves a real live white, Texas-drawlin’ Taliban around here.
2I’ve seen more Sadler signs around Bell County (Killeen-Temple) than Obama signs. I don’t know if the TaliTeabaggers leave them alone cuz they just don’t know who he is, or don’t care so much since he’s not black.
3I hear you VintageMomma. My work place is much the same way. My Faux News watching, “Christian” right co-workers seem to think it’s okay to disrespect the President and I have had many a conversation stop dead when I walk into a room. I have been called a communist, had my job threatened by one of our advertisers and ostracized from most lunch groups. I am amazed at the stupidity. Most of us don’t make enough to support ourselves, without a second income, but they’re all for the rich guy. There isn’t a one who can tell you one fact as to why Rmoney is a good candidate. It’s all anti-Obama.
4There is no excuse for this, and no excuse for the local GOP not saying that this is unacceptable and they deplore the lawbreaking and violence, at least.
One of the things that I take pride in as an American is that we can have elections without violence… but I guess that’s only in some parts of the country.
5I could not bring myself to watch the video as I cannot stomach the violence it depicts.
The racism in this country, specifically those people who call themselves Republican and true Americans…and so on and so on, is sickening. And utterly depressing.
In 2008 bumper stickers were taken off of my car. My answer at that time was to spend $50 (a lot for me) on more Obama bumper stickers and to keep putting them on.
This year I taped them to the inside of my car (mostly cause I keep trading my cars in for new ones–the Subaru dealership keeps hounding me for my barely old ones, and if they’re going to give me the same deal with 0 miles on it versus my year old one with 28,000, then why should I argure…). I digress.
6Anyway, I had a total of 5 taped to the inside of my window, including one at the rear passenger window where my daughter’s booster seat is. It said “Obama Girl.” Too cute and she was SOOOOO proud of it.
Last weekend, I left work at the hospital and walked to my car in the hospital garage. Smacked on the back of my car was a bright orange “DEFEND FREEDOM, DEFEAT OBAMA” sticker. ?!?@!?!@?
I carefully peeled it off and threw it on the ground. Yes, I littered. I’m sorry. I was pissed. (sorry, that’s crude)
I called my mom to vent who then cautioned me that perhaps I should be careful as the next “attack” could be much worse. As in, something that would physically harm myself or my daughter.
I stewed for the entire 2 hour drive home. Then I took them off and put them away.
I caved.
And I’m even more mad about that…caving.
But reading this post makes me think it was the right thing to do.
How sad is that??????
p.s. I just read the other comments. On one hand, I’m glad to know I’m not alone. On the other hand, again, I ask “How sad is that?”
7I forgot to tell you where I live…southeastern, rural Wyoming. The hospital is in the capital of this redneck, backward state. The conversation stops when I enter a room as well. My husband’s coworkers at the ranch use the n-word all day long…he comes home super-frazzled. I am proud to say he’s a 100% Obama supporter now.
Can relate. In red Klickitat County, WA, our Obama signs are being stolen and defaced. The east side of the county is actually afraid to put out signs. The west side puts them out, has them stolen and spray painted, and puts up new ones. The police make jokes that if we’d only put out Republican signs, they’d stay put. Very funny. Trying to focus on getting out the vote. The signs are symbolic. They serve a purpose. But at this point in the election season, we MUST focus on getting out the vote. At this juncture this is all a diversion. The signs won’t change anyone’s vote. The signs don’t vote. Get the people to vote. That is the power we hold against this insanity.
8Can relate. Here in Klickitat County, WA (red, 65/35 or there abouts) we are having Obama signs stolen and defaced as fast as we can replace them. The police make jokes that if they were R signs they’d still be up. People are getting mad and focusing on the signs, the law, and punishment. But the power is in the vote. Let’s focus on GOTV. Don’t be diverted from that mission. If we expend energy on this, we won’t be phone banking. We won’t be canvassing. The VOTE is what counts. Signs don’t vote. And they won’t change anyone else’s vote. Especially 10 days out. STAY FOCUSED!
9Thanks, fenway fran. I live in eastern Washington State (are we talkin’ RED here or what?), and I can tell you now that I am too intimidated by the right wing nut cases. I’m afraid to put up a yard sign, and there’s no way I would be ok with putting a sticker on my car. And the GOP stands for the Constitution ?!? My husband and I will vote tomorrow, and for those of you who are unaware, Washington State votes entirely by mail. At least we don’t have to produce some hokey ID. We just have to trust the USPS and the people who open the ballots on the other end. (sigh)
10What terrifies me, is what if these folks actually come to power again? Violence like this is an addiction, and once it starts…of course we know where it leads, just ask any European Jew Who is fortunate enough to have survived the holocaust…. Fascism is a beast that can’t be controlled once it’s let loose, Folks we got to vote, all the way down the ticket so these folks have no power at all… and of course Pray for them….
11Well, I reported to ya’ll what happened to me when I called Carl Tepper (I was very polite, btw).
Something very odd has happened to me here in Middle TN – for some unknown reason, the Lt. Guv of TN is following me on Twitter – dunno why – he is elected by the State leg here and I have never even emailed him. Kind of kreepy and I have let him know that I feel like he is stalking me.
I have emailed other candidates and elected state reps who have sent me filthy emails. Of course I am saving all of these to produce when the next election comes around and the lies start up again.
12Well, I live in a very RED S. Colorado town and I have my OBAMA 2012 sign in the front bedroom window. I was scared to put it in there but went for it anyway! My neighbor has his Romney/Ryan sign out front of his place! Not many signs at all in this mobilehome park … I think him and I may be the only ones! Not many signs either way around town either! Most everyone I know at church are Repukes … If the R & R ticket win, I’m considering a move to Canada!
I’m putting this on my Facebook page!! Because it’s not just in Texas, but across the entire country that this crap is happening!
13Trying to have a rational political discussion with my friend’s relatives from Lubbock is a useless endeavor. They are so convinced that President Obama is a Kenyan Muslim Communist out to destroy their Christian country that it is useless to continue any further discourse in a calm manner. It’s no wonder that vandalism and hatred are rearing their ugly heads in Texas, especially Lubbock.
14I live in a red county on the blue side of Washington State. I get screamed at at stop lights for having a Planned Parenthood and a pro-union sticker on my car. I don’t have an Obama sticker because they have not arrived yet from the Obama shop at his campaign site.
I can only attribute the utter polarization in this election to racism…and everything attributed to the Progressive/Democratic platform is being tarred with the same hatred that Obama gets for daring to be black in the White House. It is a sickening return to the attitudes of the America of my childhood when black children couldn’t attend my school and eat in the same cafes.
I am ashamed of my country.
15Good Grief. Lubbock. Remind me to never visit.
We voted yesterday. Long line, moved fast, asked for ID, creepy hoverers. Told one guy to back off he was in my personal space. No one bothered me other than that.
We had 1 Obama sign stolen in 2008. The next day hubby put up a new one. He glued it to plywood, screwing that to 2x1s. Drilled holes on each side & ran thick wire thru it, put in in the ground in front of a tree, and wired the sign to the tree. He left the tips of the screws exposed out the back of the sign in case some moron wanted to leave DNA. Then we added a second sign to it: Sweet Jesus Says Thou Shall Not Steal. Last month we changed it to the 2012 model.
Don’t mess with a Philly girl.
PS – Our neighbors must not be happy this year. They put out a McCain/Palin sign last month. They took it down yesterday.
Remember, Signs don’t matter. Voting does. GOTV!
16And in the very BLUE State of Vermont, there are occasional signs for Republicans, but we let them be, first it’s their right to be wrong, and it also helps us to identify them later on. Nary a GOP sign is touched.
17Just skimming both the comments and the news, there’s a lot of ignorant bigotry out there. That has been the case for the last 300 years, but it was generally either kept under wraps or at least condemned by public figures. What’s different today is that the Rightwing caters to it, seeks its votes, encourages it and convinces the bigots it’s okay to go public with their hatred. There was a time when certain behavior was off-limits, but that no longer seems to be true.
This is about what it looks like when a empire starts crumbling around the edges. It’s going to get worse – a lot worse – before get gets better (if it ever gets better).
18Hinojosa to the contrary, this is NOT a hate crime. I have friends who have been victims of actual hate crimes and calling defacing signs a hate crime demeans what happened to people who are actual targets of hate crimes.
19Carol, you’re right about all the signs blossoming here in bright blue Vermont. Repubs and Dems, nobody bothers them. So what that tells me is the majority Libruls get the concept of free speech.
20I’m surprised that the sign defacers in Lubbock didn’t wear white robes and little pointy hats. Phooey ! What a bunch of immature, testosterone-motivated males with pea-sized brains !
21Here’s an interesting article about right wing hysteria from Salon. Worth reading. http://www.salon.com/2012/10/28/fear_and_loathing_in_campaign_2012/
22This really punches me up about the panhandle. In the early 80s I contracted in Amarillo, Plainview and Dumas. On the one hand these are some of the friendliest people one on one you have ever seen. An occasional curmudgeon shows up but in general fabulous. In a mob of two or more different story. “f-ing n” this and “f’ing M” that. I retain my anti anything in or from panhandle prejudice to this day.
23Looks like the Zombie Apocalypse has started early: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/10/28/firefly-creator-joss-whedon-praises-romneys-vision-for-a-zombie-apocalypse/
24Hey Fenway Fran and Rubymay – if it makes you feel any better, Mittens will get crushed in Washington thanks to the Wet Side of the state – so let them steal all the signs they want, because Microsoft and Starbucks alone will outvote them all.
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