Mel Distel, a student at Long Beach state, showed up at the Santa Ana office of Equality California on Thursday night, this week, to make phone calls on behalf of Democratic Assembly candidate Melissa Fox. But what she found was disturbing. There was a small noose hanging from the door handle.
To understand the full implication of this you have to know that many young gay people have died this year, often hanging themselves, in reaction to being bullied at their schools.
Since it was founded in 1998, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation.
Obviously the noose that was left on the EQCA office’s door handle was not left there accidentally. Someone wanted to terrorize them and that is exactly what came to pass.
Distel called the Santa Ana Police Department, according to a note he wrote on Facebook. Unfortunately the responding officers didn’t understand the full implication of what had happened.
Here is how Distel described what happened:
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I’ve just received this statement from Melissa Fox (although personally I prefer not to give pricks like this any attention)
“The noose that was left last night at the Equality California office in Santa Ana is a despicable and hateful act, clearly intended to threaten and intimidate Equality California and other supporters of marriage equality from exercising our Constitutional rights to free speech and free association.
“A noose is an historic symbol of lynching. It is no coincidence that it was left at the Equality California office just days before Election Day.
“I condemn this act of hatred and threat of violence in the strongest terms, and I call on the Santa Ana police department and the Orange County District Attorney to conduct a complete and through investigation.
“I also call on every elected official in Orange County, and all candidates for elected office, to publicly and unequivocally condemn this reprehensible act of domestic terrorism.”
Melissa Fox
Well how far are we from Mexican stile civil violence.
Only Mexicans can commit such hate!
Next will be decapitated heads, the Mexican favorite hate crime.
Last week about 10 decapitations south of the border and over 100 killings.
Nice people your people Pedroza.
Stop over reacting to stupity, because all it does is inpower more dump asses to do the same.
Most likely it was some dumb kid that did it!
As far as suicide; no amount of bullying can make a child kill themselves if they are stable mentally! Give me a child that has kill themselves and I bet their home life was dysfunctional. The biggest problem in this country right now (Santa Ana being a prime example) is single families and a severe lack of perental support!
Thank you very much for writing this article it means a lot to me and many others that people are taking the time to bring this hate crime to light.
Nicole,
You are most welcome! Thank you for standing up for civil rights and against bullying!
We should all condemn hateful speech, or actions that are meant to intimidate any of our citizens, such as the hanging noose.
We should also demand an investigation be conducted; and that our SAPD be better trained on how to properly respond to this type of crime, especially given that many of our youth have been bullied at schools across America and that many, including gay youth, have committed suicide because of this.
I encourage people to speak at City Council meetings and share their views on this with our elected leaders.
Francisco “Paco” Barragan
(My opinions only and not those of any group)
Commander of a veterans organizations and Business Leader and Community Volunteer
Ditto!
I should add that the SAPD training of Mexican police officers should include also, not to shoot Korean mothers in front of their children and then cover-up the crime by lying.
The Santa Ana’s Chief Walters should spike his pension and resign for that.