Local woman says racial hate behind anti-Kerry vandalism

Local woman says racial hate behind anti-Kerry vandalism

October 24, 2004

By TIM MILLER
6 News Anchor/Reporter

KNOXVILLE (WATE) -- A West Knoxville homeowner says she's the victim of racial hatred because she's an African-American who supports John Kerry for president.

There are signs for both President Bush and John Kerry on Kenesaw Avenue, a neighborhood in Sequoyah Hills. It's like most neighborhoods in East Tennessee where both parties are represented by their supporters.

But Maimoune Wright says an act of anti-Kerry vandalism went way too far.

Wright was shocked to see what her husband found at the mailbox Sunday afternoon -- their John Kerry signs stacked up and burned, possibly by a blowtorch.

"I know the election is getting uglier, but it's bordering on a hate crime," said Wright.

Wright says she believes she was racially targeted because other Kerry signs on her street have been stolen, but only hers have been torched. And she said this is in the same neighborhood that organized a petition to stop her from buying her house 12 years ago because she's African-American.

"I don't want the next thing to be a cross burned on my lawn," Wright said.

6 News found that other Kerry supporters were also targeted. On nearby Bluff View Road, Bill Judge's sign was torched overnight.

"When I saw it I was thinking, 'I think this is a sad day for America.' I mean, it should be, elections should be our proudest moments instead of people sinking to silly things like this," Judge said.

Judge said he doesn't know if the attack on the Wrights was racially motivated. He thinks kids might have done it, but he's had enough of the anger from both political parties these days.

"It seems to me a poor commentary on our country right now," Judge said.

Maimoune Wright has put Kerry signs back up in her front yard. She told 6 News she's not going to let the attacks silence her from voicing her presidential preference. But she also says there's no way to always keep an eye on the signs. She and her husband both have to work.

In recent weeks, campaign signs from both presidential candidates have been reported stolen from yards in Knox, Anderson and Hamblen Counties. On October 5, glass was shot out of the front doors of the Bush-Cheney headquarters on Kingston Pike, but no bullets were found.