In a frightening tale of hate, two gay fathers and their four children in Gilbert, Arizona have been targeted in a malicious series of assaults. The family moved into their home a year ago, but for about two months now, they have faced an escalating amount of attacks that have left the kids living in fear. Pounding on the front door. Bushes set on fire. Profanity keyed into the family car. The last straw was a break-in where the criminals scrawled graffiti all over the walls in the children’s bedroom. All that’s needed is a burning cross on the lawn, and we’ve gone right back to the 1960s.
According to a poster on the blog Democratic Underground (who contacted their local media to break the story), the police have acted nonchalant about the family’s hellish ordeal. Authorities dismiss it as delinquent youth, or an attack on the neighborhood, rather than the family. Police need to investigate wee bit harder.
Anyone with half a brain can see these are targeted attacks purely because the victims are a gay family. These are premeditated hate crimes, not just youths being rowdy. The perpetrators of these crimes needs to be caught ASAP and the government officials of Gilbert, Arizona must be told so.
daeve
Is anyone even surprised??
Arizona is the new Third reich where, gays, blacks, mexicans…. are targets.
Z
I hope these fathers are well armed and willing to use violent force to defend their family against those who wish them harm.
LaTeesha
Dads – Buy a gun and shoot the fuckers the next time they show up.
What the f**k
@Z: @Z: Agreed, remove the kids from the home and when they enter …shoot them….the problem is these people think we won’t do anything…I would hope that’s a misconception that,if they get the chance, they can disprove!
jabaroo
Breaking and entering is considered an attack on the neighborhood in Arizona/delinquent youth? Fucks sake…
dvlaries
This is a state that liberalized their ‘carried concealed weapons’ laws after Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head. If this couple can move someplace with fewer Neanderthals, do it; if work circumstances keep them, then get armed. In Arizona, it’d be no surprise if the perpetrators have law-enforcement relatives.
Megan
Unfortunately, fighting violence with violence would probably land the victims behind bars rather than the perpetrators, and these guys have their kids to think of. If they can’t get the support they need from their community, they should consider finding a new one. Phoenix is a big metropolitan area; surely they can find somewhere that the neighbors and law enforcement are on their side.
Joe stratford
Buy a shot gun and defend yourselves! Enough is enough!
If the police won’t enforce the peace, the people will. Shoot their foot and have them implicTe their enablers.
Bob
Just Googled Gilbert, AZ and clicked on the Wikipedia site and read Gilbert (in 2010) recognized as the “36th best place to live in the U.S.” Also as among the nation’s “top places to live and learn” by GreatSchools.Org. Washington-based C.Q. Press rated Gilbert the “safest municipality in Arizona, and 24th safest in the nation. Me thinks someone needs to do a little more research. Arizona is a beautiful place (North & South) but I sure didn’t know there were so many assholes living there. Jan Brewer must really be breeding them.
Belize
I hate stories like this; they always lead me to question my beliefs. As much as possible, I don’t want to condone extreme measures, but if you’re faced with a bunch of subhuman hicks and a completely useless police force, what else can you do aside from fighting fire with fire?
@Megan: Yes. Moving is also an option. But if I have two considerations. The harsher of the two revolves around the fact that it would send a wrong message to the poorly educated hill-billies harassing this couple. They cannot go around thinking that they have the capacity to shoo us away.
The second and more practical consideration revolves around money. Usually, when people move to hick towns like this, it’s because they are in need of a nearby institution (work, special school) or it’s the only place they can afford. Of course, I’m not surprise that property value is low at a hell hole like this.
Belize
I know it sounds a bit out there but can’t the LGBT community in the US start some non-profit organization that would help people in situations like this? I mean come on. A lot of us are well off, intelligent and influential. Surely, we can help this couple resettle to a safer environment. I know that it is also capable of starting off a negative precedent but why not develop a tough screening process that can eliminate if not minimalize the exploitation of that particular system.
Tavdy79
The sentences for the federal hate crimes law are in three bands. The bottom band is either a fine or up to a year in prison. The middle band, for offences involving firearms, explosives or fire, is up to ten years in prison. The top band, for offences involving sexual assault, murder or kidnapping, is life imprisonment or the death penalty. Setting fire to bushes places these hate crimes into the middle band, so these youths (assuming they are youths) could be facing a much heavier penalty than they realise if/when they get caught, especially since there are four young children involved.
Shannon1981
It’s Arizona, is anyone surprised?
Timmeeeyyy!!!
Motion-activated video cameras are relatively cheap these days. Would be great to get the criminals caught on tape so they can be publicly identified.
PTBoat
@Megan: Arizona has the “stand you ground” law. They’re pretty much fine if they shoot an assailant.
RainbowWarrior
I say put the laws the Republicans so love in that state to good use – like, for instance, the right to own a gun and use it to protect home and family. Set it up so it looks like the whole family is leaving, and have one dad stay behind. When the vandals turn up, hold them there at gunpoint until the police arrive. Bonus points if they break into the house, because then you can legally shoot them.
Kym Abbey
All political/governmental power of entire East Valley of Phoenix metro area is held by members of Morman Church. Your article doesn’t state if they live within city limits or unincorporated Maricopa county. If it’s unincorporated, then you have Joe Arpaio’s sheriffs to thank.
(Former resident of Queen Creek).
Tom
From the limited information in this article it may just be time to call in the FBI. Don’t screw around with local law enforcement, get the Feds involved NOW.
Ogre Magi
I bet whoever it is will do something to their pets next!
Jozef
When Mormon’s run the Police Department…
Scott
Get an alarm system with an outside siren and floodlights. Get motion activated cameras with DVRs. Put cameras and DVRs in your vehicles. Keep a movie camera/smart phone with you at all times. The police in my area won’t do anything without video. Record your phone calls in case you get threatening ones. Include your neighbor’s house in the camera sight-lines because most likely they’re the culprits or know them.
Eddie89
A Facebook page has been setup to help give support to this family: http://www.facebook.com/groups/275755969189179/
!what the F**K!!!!
@Belize: Interesting.. constructive.
B
No. 21 · Scott wrote, “Get an alarm system with an outside siren and floodlights. …”
Something else too – in addition to a DVR, you should be able to find hardware & software that will take a still image of whatever triggered the motion detector, and email that. Cell phone services typically include a gateway that will convert email to SMS messages. To find your phone’s email address, send a text message but give your email address as the recipient instead of a phone number. When you read your email, the address will be the one for your phone – a common scheme is your phone number as a user name and a host name that the phone company provides. Then you’ll usually be notified immediately, and can look at the picture to make sure it isn’t the mailman and decide if you should call the police to report a crime in progress or suspicious activity.