Is It Even A Crime?

There are reports in today's news that the misplaced sign attacking as racist those in Prince William County (the sign is in Manassas) who wish to see the immigration laws enforced may have been subject to attempted defacement.

I have my doubts.

First, the instrument of the attempted defacement was a "Molotov cocktail." Now, I don't know much about urban guerrila warfare, but I've always been under the impression that a "Molotov cocktail" is one of the most elementary of home-made improvised explosive devices. Given it's simplicity --- responsibility precludes much of a description here --- it's hard to screw it up such that the device doesn't work. This one didn't.

Second, the race hustlers have been all over this. Vehemently. Immediately.

Mexicanos Sin Fronteras spokesperson Ricardo Juarez Nava was on hand Friday to survey the scene at the property. Juarez said that situations like Thursday are a result of rhetoric from anti-illegal immigration groups like Help Save Manassas and county board chairman Corey Stewart that he believes is promoting hatred towards the immigrant community.

Hmmmmm. "On hand Friday."

Coupling the apparent and perhaps contrived incompetence of the perpetrator, and the convenient excuse that such an "attack" gives the race hustlers to label all advocates for immigration law enforcement as "racist," one cannot help but wonder whether this wasn't contrived by the race hustlers themselves in order to advance their agenda.

In any case, the police are investigating. Hopefully, if a crime was committed, the perpetrators will be prosecuted.

If it was the race hustlers, it will hopefully be for fraud.

But if it was, indeed, someone opposed to the message on the billboard, one hopes that it will not be for the ill-advised contrivance known as a "hate crime" (read: thought crime). If not contrived by the race hustlers, this was a crime, to be sure, and should be prosecuted. But a "hate crime"? For all we currently know, it was a childish prank. Or a political crime, perpetrated by one opposed to the message expressed, perhaps by an advocate for immigration law enforcement, outraged and disgusted at being called a racist.

A "hate crime," this ain't.

At least, no more than any other crime.