hatemobile vandalized

[ranger1.livejournal.com]

Some of you might be familiar with a house that my neighbors have dubbed "the House of Hate." It's the one on Cherry Street (between Highland and Summer) that's covered in large signs with various fundamentalist Christian slogans. The owners also have three (?) cars with similar signs mounted on the roof of each.

Anyway.... coming home from work tonight, I noticed one of their cars had been vandalized. Someone spray-painted anarchy symbols and "Satan" on the car. I've always disapproved of their signs, especially the one about gay people going to hell, but I thought that was pretty lame.

I wonder how the community has reacted to their presence over time. I've only lived here for 2 years, but I get the impression that people generally leave 'em alone. (Well, except for last night.)

Comments

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

yeah i always heard it called the "bible thumping house." here's my philosophy: they are passive in their hate. sure, the property value has plummeted on that street because of them (great for renters!).

but i mean mostly they throw hateful stuff up on their house. and that's their right to free speech. if they were out harassing people or yelling at passerby or otherwise actively causing torment to others i might condone in-kind actions.

but they're just expressing an opinion on their own personal property, hateful as it may be. the true in-kind gesture would have been from the vandalas to express *themselves* on *their own* private property.

"i may not agree with what you say, but i will fight to the death your right to say it" -- who said this??

that i think sums up the situation here.

[unferth.livejournal.com]

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." is widely but apparently incorrectly attributed to Voltaire (the French philosopher rather than the goth musician.) It's at best a paraphrase.

This glossary site (http://www.plexoft.com/SBF/V02.html#Voltaire) has the full story with the correct attribution.