"Hummer Hate" Crime In DC

The "hate crime" designation comes from a man's Prius owning neighbor after his newly purchased Hummer was seriously trashed and left with an eco-friendly message scratched into it while parked on a DC street. Unfortunately, most of the neighbors don't feel all that bad given this report. Some might find the overly descriptive WaPo lede a bit telling.

On a narrow, leafy street in Northwest Washington, where Prius hybrid cars and Volvos are the norm, one man bought a flashy gray Hummer that was too massive to fit in his garage.

It lasted five days on the street before two masked men took a bat to every window, a knife to each 38-inch tire and scratched into the body: "FOR THE ENVIRON."

"The neighborhood in general is very concerned with the environment," said Liem, whose Prius gets about 48 miles a gallon compared with the Hummer's 14 miles a gallon. "It's more liberal leaning. It's ridiculous to be driving a Hummer."

Liem added quickly that she does not condone violence.

"They've got everything at their disposal in this city to make a statement in a legal way," Fremaux said of the bat-wielding men who struck out at the Hummer. "I consider this a hate crime."

h/t PB.

Comments

[seekeronos]

I'm no fan of the overweight gas guzzlers... but this is a crime.

I wouldn't be so quick to call it a hate crime as much as vandalism and destruction/defacement of private property though. Nevertheless, it goes to show that liberals will take this sort of a crime and wink at it approvingly, because it fits their wretchedly vain idea that another man cannot have nicer toys than the rest of the kids on the block.

[NoVA]

". . . liberals will take this sort of a crime and wink at it approvingly, because it fits their wretchedly vain idea that another man cannot have nicer toys than the rest of the kids on the block"? Did the author bother to read the quotes from this poor schmuck's neighbors? They certainly did not condone the crime, regardless of their feelings about the car.

Personally, I think the "victim" is a loser for buying a flashy car that he apparently can't afford, and one that has no redeeming value at that. (Down payment on a house, anyone?) If you've ever driven the narrow streets of DC, you would understand just how idiotic it is to have a behemoth like that in the city. Moreover, calling a pimped-out, used Hummer "nicer" than a Volvo wagon that cost the same amount is like saying that a diamond-studded Rolex is "nicer" than a discreet Patek Philippe, and says a lot about the victim's and the poster's taste and class.

All that being said, this is a crime that should be investigated just the same as any other defacement of property, whether it's a hate crime or not.

[Dan Riehl]

"a loser for buying a flashy car that he apparently can't afford"

Huh? Read - it was used and who are you to say what someone can afford? Geesh, the pocketbook police? Such tolerance ... taste maybe you have, class? Quit fooling yourself.

[NoVA]

Sorry, I was going out on a limb based on the fact that the guy bought a $38,000 car and is still living with his mother. As for whether I have class, I'm glad to read that you are so perceptive as to have learned so much about me based on an off-the-cuff remark on a blog. I'll refrain from making any similar judgments about you based on your ad hominem attack.

By the way, the point of my posting was that whoever vandalized the Hummer should be punished, regardless of how you feel about the owner or the car. I apologize if this nuance was lost on you.

[Dan Riehl]

"I'll refrain from"

Don't "refrain," it's the summer time , babe, let yourself go. lol Sorry, old inside joke. Read page 2, works for a radio station - notoriusly bad payers and is trying to start a business. Judge not ... blah blah blah

[southdakotaboy]

This whole thing is just another example of liberal tolerence for anyone who doesn't do what they want them to. Many people on the left in this country are just as pron to violence as members of the far right. The only difference between the two guys who did this and members of the Klu Klux Klan is what will set them off. They will both use the same type of language to justify their actions. The end result is that they feel ok using violence to get what they want.
The lady quoted in the article sounded just like one of the women down south blaming klan violence on black people because they provoked it by stepping out of line.

[seekeronos]

A matter of taste indeed.

I'd sooner equate a Hummer with "excessive consumerism" than a Volvo. I mean, the MSRP for a late model Volvo does come around $38,000 USD, but as long as were are comparing Pateks to Rolexes, why not go with a comparison of a Bentley to a Hummer, or a Daimler Maybach to a Hummer?

Reconsider that the Volvo is a pretty standard mass-production automobile marketed to middle income/upper middle income consumers, whereas Hummers, Maybachs, Bentleys and both brand of watchestend to be marketed to the wealthy elites (i.e. rock/hip-hop stars and old money oil tycoons)

[seekeronos]

"The lady quoted in the article sounded just like one of the women down south blaming klan violence on black people because they provoked it by stepping out of line."

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Spot on, SBD!

I could see it now:

(Missippippi, 1957) -- "Yawp, if'n them uppity nigras simply done kept quiet, those klansmen would'na had to string them up".

(Washington DC, 2007) -- "The neighborhood in general is very concerned with the environment ... It's more liberal leaning. It's ridiculous to be driving a Hummer."

[IslamoLlama]

Why don't we ever hear the stories about the Prius owner who didn't trash a Hummer? Seriously, I think this proves that anyone who drives a car with good gas mileage is a criminally repressed and very violent individual, while people who drive their Hummers (often to church, where they can bask in the Lord's warm blessings) are once again the victims of cruel and vindictive brutality.

When will Democrats stand up and denounce this page 12 non-story? When will Hummer-owners band together against injustice? Why hasn't the President done anything yet?! Clearly, the Prius owner was a terrorist, of the most profane and ugly sort.

[joe]

What is an IslamoLlama?

[Phoenix]

I don't know what disgusts me more - the act itself or the sanction of the community for the act.

SBD is right-on.

[joated]

I think the appropriate response would be something along the lines of climbing into the Hummer and driving over the GD uneconomical Prius of all the stinking bunny-huggers in the neighborhood. (It takes years to make back the $ saved on gas due to the inflated price/maintenance required of two engines.)

[NoVA]

As one of the few commenters who bothered to read the Washington Post article, I'm curious as to how Phoenix concluded that the community "sanctioned" the act. The summary above is blatantly misleading in that of two people who were interviewed besides the victim, one was visibly upset by the vandalism and the other said she doesn't condone violence. I'm not sure how one could reach the conclusion that "most of the neighbors don't feel all that bad" after reading the article. Admittedly, the reaction of one neighbor was less than an outright condemnation, but the article does not even suggest that any of the neighbors somehow sanctioned this act, much less had anything to do with it as "joated" suggests.

It seems that many of the posters are eager to conclude that the left-of-center neighbors had something to do with this attack, when the fact is that most of us who lean that direction are as appalled by eco-terrorists, PETA wackos, et al. as we are by the nutjobs who blow up abortion clinics. As an aside, I find it ironic that many of the same people who are first to jump to the defense of Hummers also try to claim that they are more patriotic than the center and left, stronger against terrorism, etc. Here is a site that is worth checking out, for people who think that left-wing treehuggers are the only people who think gas guzzlers are a bad idea: http://www.iags.org/about.htm

[Dan Riehl]

"The summary above is blatantly misleading"

It most certainly is not. The one neighbor said they were mostly "liberals." If they really cared we'd have a "save the hummers" rally, several street protest arrests and a special colored ribbon for Hummers, maybe even SUV's by now. Clearly they embrace this terrible violence. ; )

[NoVA]

OK, Dan, at least you have a sense of humor about it all. Of course it logically follows that since the neighbors are mostly liberals, none of them care about vandalism in their neighborhood if the car happens to be one they dislike. How could I have missed that obvious conclusion?

[Dan Riehl]

"How could I have missed "

Perhaps because you don't read the WaPo. They serve armed robbers wine and cheese these days in DC, or maybe you missed that one?

[southdakotaboy]

seekeronos my comment was about the fact that there was a certain level of indirect approval of what those two people did. While you jumped to the lynching conclusion I was thinking more along the lines of cross burning. What these two environmentalists did was just as bad as Klans men burning a cross on a black families lawn. Their intent was to strike fear into their victims. The ladies statement is a veiled approval of this.

[NoVA]

The "how could I have missed" was an attempt to make light of your equating liberalism with tolerance for vandalism. Of course, the reason I missed your logical jump is because no logic was involved--it was based on unfounded assumptions about how people feel that was not supported by the article or any other evidence.

Yes, I do read the Washington Post and am familiar with the wine and cheese story. A bizarre story, but personally I'd rather see a thug get away than a 14-year-old girl shot in the head, which could easily have happened but for her quick thinking. (I'm sure your answer is to arm everyone who is old enough to walk, which would of course eliminate violent crime, but since DC hasn't come around to your way of thinking on that point, things could have ended a lot worse.) If the thug is found and arrested, then the happy ending will be complete.

[southdakotaboy]

NoVa you would be absolutely suprised how little gun violence there is in South Dakota considering how many guns we own and carry around.

[Srekwah]

This man is incredibly restrained in a way that would be beyond me (probably why he can afford a Hummer and I can't). I think they'd be collateral damage in that revoltingly pious street if it were me.

[NoVA]

SDB, I actually wouldn't be that suprised how little gun violence there is in South Dakota. I grew up on a farm, own guns, and enjoy shooting. Having lived in both major cities and in the country, I fully appreciate the importance of guns in America but also understand the problems caused when big-city criminals have cheap, easy access to assault rifles and cheap handguns. I'm not an anti-gun crusader, but I'm also not convinced that more guns equal less crime--there are lots of other factors; if more guns equaled less crime, you'd expect gun violence to be high in Europe, whereas it's actually much less than it is here. Basically, I'm just someone hoping to see a little more common sense on both sides of the spectrum (but having lived in the DC area for the past 9 years, I'm not holding my breath!).

[seekeronos]

"--
The "how could I have missed" was an attempt to make light of your equating liberalism with tolerance for vandalism. --"

I think the point of all this is:

Liberals tend to look the other way more willingly -- or at the very least, downplay the offensive quality of the vandalism when the message that the vandals leave behind endorses a position that liberals generally tend to give value to.

[NoVA]

"Liberals tend to look the other way more willingly -- or at the very least, downplay the offensive quality of the vandalism when the message that the vandals leave behind endorses a position that liberals generally tend to give value to."

I wouldn't agree with the foregoing (nor is it supported by the Post article) any more than I agree with vast generalizations about conservatives. I think we can agree on this:

Some liberals and some conservatives tend to look the other way more willingly -- or at the very least, downplay the offensive quality of the vandalism when the message that the vandals leave behind endorses a position that liberals or conservatives, as the case may be, generally tend to give value to.

I'll be the first to admit that if the car that had been vandalized had been a Prius, and it had been sprayed with some kind of right-wing graffiti, you would probably see more traffic on the left-wing blogs than you will about this guy's Hummer. However, I think you'll agree that no one would be writing on this post if not for the fact that a Hummer was targeted and the vandals were allegedly "environmentalists."

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