Cross burned on lawn of Obama supporter

**bogustoo** · November 7th, 2008, 01:45 PM

http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/...E/81107007&s=a

HARDWICK —A family who had supported Barack Obama's presidential campaign emerged from their home in the northwestern New Jersey town of Hardwick on Thursday morning to find the charred remnants of a 6-foot wooden cross on their front lawn.

Pieces of a homemade bedsheet banner reading "President Obama -- Victory '08," which had been stolen from the yard the night before, also were found, leading investigators to believe the banner had been wrapped around the cross before it was set afire.

Lt. Gerald Lewis of the New Jersey State Police said his agency is treating the incident as a bias crime.

Police believe the cross, made of two-by-fours bolted to a metal pole like those used to support road signs, was placed on the lawn sometime between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m., and fell over after being set on fire.

Homeowner Gary Grewal said he had noticed the Obama banner missing from his lawn the night before and reported it to police.

Grewal said his 8-year-old daughter, Arianna, spotted the banner wrapped around the burnt cross as they walked toward their car to drive to school.

"She saw it, that's what bothered me the most," Grewal said Thursday. "You can imagine the types of questions she was asking. It was very tough to explain."

Grewal, 51, a management consultant who emigrated from India, has lived in Hardwick Township, a largely rural community of about 1,500 people in Warren County, about 40 miles northwest of Newark, since 2001.

He said Obama campaign signs were regularly swiped off his lawn. He and his wife, Alina, actively supported the Obama campaign in the largely Republican area.

"I'm not going to be intimidated by something like this," Grewal said. "I don't go on anyone's property and do this. God forbid if I was African-American. We're living in the 21st century, and we've got to be afraid to express our beliefs?"

Grewal described his community as a nice place "with many wonderful people." But he said his daughter is afraid to sleep in her room, knowing someone was on the lawn while they were home.

"I'm amazed this can happen in this time and age," Alina Grewal said. "We're in the Millennium, the world has changed."

I'll let you all know right now that I did not vote for Obama. However, I can't believe that in this day and age, some are STILL resorting to cross burning.

Now is not the time to be angry over the election results. We need to pull together as a country and support our President Elect, whether or not you voted for him.

This racist bullshit needs to stop. NOW! I am disgusted to admit that I am from NJ, close to where this happened.

**Athena** · November 7th, 2008, 02:06 PM

This IS disgusting, but we can take solace in the fact that there are fewer of these fucks than there have ever been.

It's a shame that the extreme minority can make such a big impact when attempting to spread their hate.

**Peeperann** · November 7th, 2008, 02:19 PM

Ignorant and disgusting.

And they took away some of a child's innocence. Just sad........

**swivel** · November 7th, 2008, 04:09 PM

I've never understood the symbolism here. Aren't these usually Christians? Why are they burning their own symbol? Shouldn't they be smashing watermelons in the yard, or something?

I feel like cross-burning is something we atheists would do in front of churches (if it weren't for the fact that us atheists are model citizens).

**SMHarris** · November 7th, 2008, 08:04 PM

Definately not cool.

And I'm a hard core Republican and a little bitter at this time...but it's not about hate or race for me, it's just about politics. This is just plain hateful and wrong.

**michelle** · November 7th, 2008, 09:55 PM

I said it before, will say it again. I am a Libertarian. The last two terms I have voted my conscience and gone either Independent or Libertarian (if on my states ballot). I know, throwing my vote away. Still my belief and I have to go to sleep at night. I knew my party would not win, still had to vote for my party because I believe in the political platform. All that said, I was SOOO Happy OBamma won. Was very pleased with McCain's speech and find him an honorable and dignified man. For me personally there was, for a change, no losers in this election. I HOPE. Time will tell. I honestly hope America's choice will unite us and bring prosperity to this country, new prosperity. Let's all hope change is coming. Let's all also dig down deep and remember that a country's government will only work as hard as it's people will work. We need to get off our ass, and find a way to be competitive in this new world economy. It won't be easy!
Okay I am off the soap box.
Back to subject. While most of America's heart is not RACIST, there are still many asshole racist/sexist out there. It's a damn shame and I hope that with time they will be weeded out and disappear in America.
Swivel I agree on the irony of a crucifix being burned in effigy it just doesn't work. WWJD?
IMHO these assholes should be found and prosecuted. It's time for re-education. Let's see how they like Bubba and his protection in prison.

**michelle** · November 7th, 2008, 11:07 PM

I said it before, will say it again. I am a Libertarian. The last two terms I have voted my conscience and gone either Independent or Libertarian (if on my states ballot). I know, throwing my vote away. Still my belief and I have to go to sleep at night. I knew my party would not win, still had to vote for my party because I believe in the political platform. All that said, I was SOOO Happy OBamma won. Was very pleased with McCain's speech and find him an honorable and dignified man. For me personally there was, for a change, no losers in this election. I HOPE. Time will tell. I honestly hope America's choice will unite us and bring prosperity to this country, new prosperity. Let's all hope change is coming. Let's all also dig down deep and remember that a country's government will only work as hard as it's people will work. We need to get off our ass, and find a way to be competitive in this new world economy. It won't be easy!
Okay I am off the soap box.
Back to subject. While most of America's heart is not RACIST, there are still many asshole racist/sexist out there. It's a damn shame and I hope that with time they will be weeded out and disappear in America.
Swivel I agree on the irony of a crucifix being burned in effigy it just doesn't work. WWJD?
IMHO these assholes should be found and prosecuted. It's time for re-education. Let's see how they like Bubba and his protection in prison.

**BluLobster** · November 8th, 2008, 01:50 AM

Ugh, I always consider my state very diverse and accepting, and yet there's still a few pockets of assholes left around. Sadly, northwest Jersey seems to have a large concentration of these jackasses. Hope someone catches the fucks that did this and beat them up, Jersey style.

**SoUncool** · November 8th, 2008, 06:30 AM

This campaign "season", I put my political sign inside my locked gate. Only my neighbors can see it and I see it every time I pull in my driveway. I also live in a very rural area that used to be predominantly Democratic. That seems to have changed over the last 11 years but whatever. Obama lost in my county - by a very wide margin. On Wednesday morning...all the Obama signs that were off the right-of-way on the public roads were obliterated...more than likely by a large 4-wheel drive vehicle. I had to tell my child not to gloat or grandstand at school so she wouldn't get beat up. Isn't that terrible?? She came home Wednesday and told me that her READING teacher said, "The world is going to end now that Obama is president. He is the first sign of the Apocalypse." Yeah. He said that. I told her I'd call the principle is he didn't fucking shut his ignorant pie hole but he apparently had nothing left to say the rest of the week. I am, however, keeping my eye on this nut muffin...

**Gidget** · November 8th, 2008, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by SoUncool

She came home Wednesday and told me that her READING teacher said, "The world is going to end now that Obama is president. He is the first sign of the Apocalypse." Yeah. He said that. I told her I'd call the principle is he didn't fucking shut his ignorant pie hole but he apparently had nothing left to say the rest of the week. I am, however, keeping my eye on this nut muffin...

I would call the principal anyway. Just one incident is enough for me.

**swivel** · November 8th, 2008, 09:54 AM

I don't get why Republicans can't just embrace the white half of Obama.

Wait a minute... The two greatest African Americans alive today, Tiger Woods and Barak Obama, are both only HALF BLACK! What the fuck does that mean? Is it the other half that makes you drop out of highschool and rob people?!

Maybe forced integration didn't go FAR ENOUGH. Perhaps we should madate that two generations interbreed to create a super-race of people that can hit a perfect draw 350 yards and speak eloquently! Racism is another word for "in-bred", people. We have too many recessive genes overlapping. Go out, find the person that looks the LEAST like yourself, and start FUCKING!!

**Pete Bondurant** · November 8th, 2008, 03:03 PM

Go out, find the person that looks the LEAST like yourself, and start FUCKING!!

There is a flaw in your plan, Swiv. Since the A-A's are seven times more likely to be HIV positive, as well as having higher rates of various other venereal diseases, the white people in your scenario are just going to be more likely to get infected with AIDS. Sterilisation

**swivel** · November 8th, 2008, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Pete Bondurant

There is a flaw in your plan, Swiv. Since the A-A's are seven times more likely to be HIV positive, as well as having higher rates of various other venereal diseases, the white people in your scenario are just going to be more likely to get infected with AIDS. Sterilisation

I'm promoting vaginal sex, not anal sex. The chances of getting AIDS with vaginal intercourse are laughably small. (unless you throw clitoral mutilation into the mix)

**michelle** · November 11th, 2008, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by swivel

I'm promoting vaginal sex, not anal sex. The chances of getting AIDS with vaginal intercourse are laughably small. (unless you throw clitoral mutilation into the mix)

Shit Swivel, Let's throw clit manip into the shit. Only no mutilation. NO Mutilation. Ow!
I am blonde haired- blued eyed- and white as snow. They say opposites attract. I fucking adore a dark handsome man with some swank!

**swivel** · November 11th, 2008, 11:31 PM

Originally Posted by michelle

Shit Swivel, Let's throw clit manip into the shit. Only no mutilation. NO Mutilation. Ow!
I am blonde haired- blued eyed- and white as snow. They say opposites attract. I fucking adore a dark handsome man with some swank!

Until you post pics in the Ta-Ta's thread, I'm calling bullshit.

**crickett** · November 12th, 2008, 04:22 PM

They're just inbred assholes who need to get over it. If I catch someone desacrating a cross on my lawn, they better be able to outrun 12G slugs....stupid inbred country fucks