Neal Anthony didn’t have a very relaxing weekend.
For the eighth time in a year, the Tennessee-based man found his farm assaulted by anti-gay agitators, who hit the side of his barn with some distasteful epithets. We reported on an earlier attack last June.
While Anthony’s repeatedly contacted the police, he claims they’re disinterested in solving – or stopping – the crimes:
Just as he’d done many times before, Anthony notified the Warren County Sheriff’s office on Friday morning about the hate crime. Two investigators came out and Anthony said they looked around, told him they took some finger prints and then left.
His partner also notified the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), but Anthony said he had little faith that much would be done to catch the criminals.
“They’ve not done much up till now,” he said. “This is a small rural area. You know that people know who’s doing this. I think if they wanted to find out who was doing this and put a stop to it, they could.”
Of the hateful messages, Anthony’s most disturbed by “Dorothy In Hell.” No, it’s not a reference to Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz, but a nasty note about his mother, who died last year. Classy!
A local news station covered the story and, for some reason, coppers didn’t return their call for comment. Queer, no?
How about we take this to the next level?
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heathen
You know it’s a small town when they know your dead mother’s name and, yet, can’t spell it. I guess what would make this most annoying is wondering what else the vandals might try when they bore of spray painting.
Buzzkill1974
Security camera, electric fence, landmine? This would solve the problem.
Bob R
Might I suggest a little agitation from our community? Perhaps if the local media, police and TBI were inundated with angry phone calls and emails from the world-wide Gay community, they might take action of some kind. I stopped buying Tennessee whiskey and other Tennessee products years ago because Tennessee and Kentucky have been such hateful states. Maybe someone from the area can post local contact numbers and the phone calls and emails might let folks know the world is watching. Also, where’s HRC, GLADD, ACLU and others on this? If these guys were black, I assure the NAACP,CORE and other organizations would be raising hell. Why are our “organizations” so quiet when things like this occur?
Darth Paul
Buzzkill 1974 (rather than PC tittybaby Bob R) has the right idea. A few rottweilers, CC cameras, and a few other affordable unpleasantries could fix the vandals’ wagon once and for all. I’d totally help a local brother or sister out in that capacity if it were brought to my attention.
emb
Darth Paul & Buzzkill, as satisfying as such proactive measures might be (I’m all for rottweillering homophobes, myself!), the law’s pretty settled on such home protection schemes–Neal could end up in prison and/or sued by the sickos if they were injured. The law is sometimes stupid.
gregg
meh file this under the “whats new” news section
q
disgusting and prob wont be considered a hate crime in TN
http://www.queersunited.blogspot.com
John McLaren
In Tennessee the anti-gay spray painting would probably be considered “free speech” By the way, the county sheriff in this community is the pastor of an evangelical church. Enuff said!
tvonthefritz
1-615-744-4000 TBI Headquarters
Main office number to contact TBI directly.
TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION 901 R.S. Gass Boulevard Nashville, Tennessee 37216-
(615) 744-4000 TDD (615) 744-4001
Warren Co. Sheriff
Jackie Matheny
108 Security Circle
McMinnville, Tennessee 37110
(931)473-7863
Bob R
Darth Paul, I’ve got your tittybaby swinging, you asshole. Yeah, I’d like to see Rottweilers and maybe even a couple of loads of buckshot, but the end result will be a prison term for the homeowner, which is just what these punks would like. There is a time and place for a violent response, this isn’t it.
I’m armed and well trained in the use of firearms (11 years with the Marines and a Viet Nam vet). Break into my house “brotha” and I assure you, you’re a dead man. Not wounded, but dead. I also had a concealed weapons permit and carried when I lived in Miami. Not everyone you see is always PC, you arrogant judgmental ass.
foofyjim
Dogs are a great answer. They don’t have to be let out to actually attack anyone, but they do tend to make a heck of a noise when something goes bump in the night.
I don’t need a gun and won’t be killing anyone, but no one will be breaking into my apartment either. Two dogs barking their heads off in the middle of the night should the door knob jiggle or a window slide up will keep anybody out.
Brian
Go Bob R!
I would hate to use a gun, but if anyone broke into my house to mess with my family they would be dead.
Steve
Video cameras. Get pictures of the vandals spray painting the barn. Show the pictures to the sheriffs deputies. Video of the sheriff refusing to investigate would be good, too.
Don’t be surprised if the vandals are sons of well-respected people, like the sheriff, the preacher, or the county judge. If you’re really lucky, it might BE the sheriff, the preacher, and the judge.
Get an ACLU-type lawyer from out of town to file the suit. Immediately petition for a change of venue, since the suit is against an elected official. And then, show the pictures to a few national television and newspaper companies.
But, in the end, be prepared to sell the place and move elsewhere. Don’t keep anything valuable in that house. They might burn it down.
Whatever you do, DO NOT resort to violence unless they are actually inside your house.
Tra
This is very disgusting how can so many people be so dang ignorant and just do this if its been going on this long with this crap I am surprised the biggot hasnt killed anyone yet because of ones sexuality….Their are more haters in this world then there are lovers anymore because the way people love to bash others because they are different and they think that everyone has to be just like them…I think the person who is being herrased shouldnt have to fear someone who is idiodic….this type of crap is happening all over the world for no reason at all people being hated on and being murdered because they are either homosexual,bisexual or transsexual what is this world going to come to next……How could anyone just sit their and just judge someone and push thier biggotry and hate towards the bible….