Readers are reacting to the antics of a guy who leafletted cars and multiple surfaces with anti-semitic/anti-Italian/anti-Canadian/anti-cop literature overnight and people are understandably quite upset.
The language, mostly stream-of-unconsciousness hate speak attacking various religious groups but also naming some local people in an uncomfortable way, attracted the attention and derision of residents who realized it wasn’t a coupon for takeaway at a downtown restaurant, and who would like to see something done about it.
The Leafleteer, reportedly wearing a not-exactly-under-the-radar Santa Claus cap, was spotted at work and approached by at least one local who asked him to cease and desist. As so often happens when these people are approached logically, the guy’s eyes began to spin and some threats were made and another bundle of leaflets was retrieved and plastered.
So today people are uncomfortable and skittish and the Mad Hatter is safe and warm behind the First Amendment (we like the First Amendment, so we guess we’re partly to blame for all this) as public agencies wash their hands and say there is nothing they can do about a person exercising his or her right to free speech.
We’ve heard that before, encountering people of this ilk on a couple of occasions now and drawing from the experience. And while these people are uniformly unpleasant to deal with and while it may be disconcerting to realize law enforcement or the boy scouts or local 4H’ers aren’t going to rise up and do something about them there are ways to to – gently – let them know we’re not happy with them or their handiwork.
If you see any more leaflets out at Lafayette BART let us know, we’d be happy to join any interested parties in a cleanup effort to remove this blight, just as we’d remove the work of graffiti taggers, or someone smearing a swastika on a wall in the middle of the night.
Because while it may be their right to spread their disease and threaten people, it’s within our rights to make sure we don’t have to see it.
These were obviously written by a disturbed person. They called out local people by name and made some pretty bizarre accusations.
He’s local?
We believe so. If you picked through the junk he was spouting you could find several local references.
Not someone you need to upset yourself with but I would help pick up his trash.
How is it that mental illness only ever seems to inspire hateful diatribes?
Why is it we don’t see crazy people handing out leaflets saying, “Love Thy Neighbor” or some such?
I’m skeptical.
From your lips to your Gods ears… we’d love to see some Love Speak out there! Tired of the other kind.
I’m pleased that someone is finally going after Canadians. If you dig a little bit, you’ll find the country a bit troubling. https://youtu.be/bOR38552MJA
Trolls… both you and David. Posted only because we’ve had a heavy past few days and we’re looking for some humor!
Canadians? Nobody doesn’t like Canadians.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Guilty! It’s not funny. A lot of very disturbed people walk the streets of the Bay Area, and I seldom see them personally. More needs to be done. They often can’t care for themselves, and they have little to no representation in government.
David, I was thinking exactly the same thing, the man must be deeply disturbed if he is hating on the Canadians. Although I’m not really crazy about that weird Canadian bacon thing, that’s so not bacon.
Threats, including verbal and written, that promote physical harm are NOT legal. The First Amendment is not a blank check, even if News 24-680 seems to think so. Further, if anyone is seriously labelling this guy as deeply disturbed AND local, it’s time to involve the LPD before something really bad happens.
Mad Hatter? You think this chap worked around mercury?
B. Lee – think you missed the thrust of the opinion piece.
@Marybeth—I guess I did so please tell me what do you think the thrust of the article is?
@BLee – taking a stab at it I would say its because while this site is behind the 1st amendment it also takes a pretty decisive stand against this sort of hate talk, to the extent they were volunteering to help clean up???
OK, thanks Bob. I didn’t get that from reading the piece. I could try to alibi my way out of this by saying English isn’t my primary language but that wouldn’t be exactly true.
Every community has at least one and most are limited to the pain they inflict with their words. That doesn’t mean we should just turn our heads and I agree it is important for a community to take a peaceful but forceful stand against their brand of hate. I can think of points in our history where this was’t done and the whole world suffered because of it.