In the wake of Pittsbugh’s mass murder of Jews and the week of terror given the county by the MAGA pipebomber, it’s very troubling to hear reports that hate crimes are rising in San Diego County and across California. Ocean Beach has even been the site of some.
In San Diego County, hate crimes jumped up 27 percent between 2015 and 2017. And between 2014 and 2017, they rose 44 percent within the state.
Specifically, anti-Semitic hate crime rose nearly 27 percent from 2016 to 2017 statewide.
Just this past Monday up north at California State University San Marcos, white nationalist posters were discovered on campus – and then taken down by campus police. The posters were of a hate group.
abc10News cites these statistics from a couple of sources, a new report published in Law Enforcement Quarterly and a new report from the California State Attorney’s Office. The Attorney General’s office reports San Diego County saw 95 hate crime incidents in 2017, compared with 84 hate crimes countywide in 2016 and 72 in 2015.
The hate crimes include an incident in early June 2018 when a sign celebrating a Jewish student center across from UCSD was defaced with an anti-Semitic message, which included the F-word, and letters resembling the Nazi swastika.
Even in tolerant and peaceful Ocean Beach, hate crimes have surfaced. Earlier in February of this year, an Ocean Beach woman had her can vandalized and covered with rude speech and swastikas, causing thousands in damage. abc10News
Of course, these type of incidents are not really new. Back in November of 2016, a hate crime was committed in Liberty Station where someone vandalized two of a museum’s signs out in a public hallway with anti-immigration slurs written in black marker. Part of the hate message stated, “Go back to your country,” with the rest was so bad that the media didn’t disclose it.
Since Trump’s election, the nation has seen a rise in hate crimes. We reported:
On Wednesday, the day after Trump’s election, a Muslim woman wearing a hijab was walking to her car in a parking structure at SDSU. Two males approached her, reportedly made anti-Muslim comments, grabbed her purse and backpack, and apparently stole her car. The suspects were described as a white man and a Latino male. KPBS
That same KPBS article included a reported about an incident up at UC San Diego at a bus stop, also on Wednesday, where someone had painted a swastika and “Heil Trump” on nearby concrete.
These incidents are deplorable.
Yet, San Diego County – especially – has not been immune to hate crimes over the decades (and even further back). This reporter recalls when the County had an active Klan outfit circulating in North County – just for starters.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I grew up in Texas and never, not once, heard someone call a person of color the n word. I’ve lived in SD for 2+ years and have heard the n word directed at African Americans three times. Once in Chula Vista and twice in OB. Its shocking how racist this town is. I started a new job and within the first week the office admin said “he’s just your standard Mexican.”
SD has some ways to go…
Thanks Michael for sharing that. Part of OB has always flirted with white nationalism and racism. See this: https://obrag.org/2018/08/obs-history-of-flirting-with-white-supremacy/
This just in: “A Point Loma elementary school was tagged with two swastikas overnight Wednesday and police are investigating the incident, the San Diego Unified School District said.
The graffiti was found written with surf wax in the parking lot of Loma Portal Elementary School Wednesday morning, according to a letter sent the same day to family members from Principal Mark Morici.”
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Point-Loma-School-Tagged-With-Hate-Symbol-499313671.html
these people are stupid with their racial hate. i am proud to announce my fiacee is muslim