By Charles Layton
Equality flag, symbol of Human Rights Campaign. Photo by Charles Layton
At least three equality flags were stolen from homes in Ocean Grove over the weekend.
A man named John, who lives on New York Avenue, said he and his daughter went out to dinner on Saturday night, and when they got home he noticed that his flag had been ripped off. “They literally ripped it off the side of the house with such force that the metal of the flag holder was broken in half.”
He said the next day, when he called the police, a neighbor said, “Oh my gosh, mine is missing too.”
He figures the thefts occurred between 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Saturday.
Irene, who lives on the western end of Heck Avenue, said she only noticed the theft of her flag, along with its pole, on Sunday, while looking at photographs. She said she had taken a photo of her granddaughter’s lemonade stand on Saturday and the flag was in the picture. Then she took a photo of a flower in front of her house on Sunday and saw that the flag was missing. “So I’m pretty sure it happened Saturday night,” she said.
Both Irene and John said that when they reported the thefts the police asked questions that led them to think the police were trying to establish whether or not the thefts could be classified as hate crimes. The blue and yellow flags are the symbol of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the country’s largest civil rights organization for gay equality.
Irene said she was particularly disturbed because the thief had to unlatch her gate and come into the yard, “and he came right up to my front steps and took it.”
“And my dog didn’t bark, which I’m not too thrilled about either,” she added.
After hearing of these three thefts, Harriet Bernstein, co-chair of Ocean Grove United, sent out emails asking whether others may have had their flags stolen. If so, she was urging that they report the thefts to the Neptune police.
“A number of people have had flags stolen in the past,” Bernstein said, “but it hasn’t happened in a few years.”
Over Labor Day Weekend on Stockton Ave – My rainbow flag was vandalized (torn in half). Next morning my American flag was gone.
Coincidence? Yeah, most likely.
My niece had two “Autism Awareness” flags stolen off her lawn. I don’t think the thieves were against autism awareness; I think they either wanted the item for themselves, or were just acting maliciously. Stupid people do stupid things.
I had a rainbow flag torn from my house in Ocean Grove a few summers ago. I didn’t fly this flag on a pole; instead, I had nailed it flat against my house – directly into the clapboards – with about 20 flat head nails along the perimeter. The person (or people) who removed it had to first walk up onto my porch and then pull on the flag hard and repeatedly along all four sides to take it down. Or perhaps they used tools like a flat head screwdriver & pliers or a hammer. However they did it, removing this flag required substantial effort & determination. It was not a casual undertaking. Curiously, the flag disappeared one day after a group of teenagers walking by my house stopped & chatted with me while I was sitting on my porch. They asked me if I had “Accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord & Savior.” I politely told them “No, I have not.” They asked, “Why?” I replied, “I’m not a religious person.”
It sounds like kids…..what nonsense a hate crime. I have had some lawn ornaments stolen from my garden over the years along with other items. I hope it wasn’t a hate crime against heterosexuals and i missed it…..LOL
If I caught the guy who stole my husband’s expensive new bicycle off of our front porch, (which was locked to the porch), I would commit a crime! I hate him! But a flag? Maybe they were quilting or needed to make some drapes…
Well said Doubting Thomas.
My next door neighbor had her American flag (and flagpole) taken last Summer. I doubt it was a hate crime either — just stupid people doing stupid things.
We woke up Saturday morning to find an equality flag that did not belong to us planted in our bushes. I left it leaning on my fence hoping its owner lived nearby and would find it. That did not happen and it was still there today. I attached a note to it explaining it was not ours and if it looked familiar to please deliver it to its owner. When I came home from the beach today it was gone…hopefully back where it belongs. I never once considered this a hate crime. I still don’t think it was. I think it was kids having some end of summer fun….happens every summer.
You gotta be kidding! I had an American flag stolen. Was that a hate crime? People have stuff stolen all the time in this town. None of those victims have worried about hate. Even when those kids terrorized homeowners here with their rock throwing, no one spoke of a hate crime.
Now that the Kirk situation is over, is this going to be another pretense to find hate in Ocean Grove? Give us a break. We do not have a hate problem in this town! Look elsewhere if you want to find real hate.