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Vigil promotes love after hate crime report (Police Can't Determine if "Hate Crime" Even Happened)
Lincoln Journal Star ^ | July 26, 2012 | Jonathan Edwards

Posted on 07/26/2012 7:56:58 AM PDT by PJ-Comix

Hundreds packed a Near South church Wednesday evening to promote loving one another three days after a woman reported three men broke into her house, tied her up and carved anti-gay slurs into her skin.

Less than a block away from Sunday's reported attack, some 300 people jammed into the pews of First-Plymouth Church at 20th and D streets for the vigil. Workers brought out folding chairs to accommodate the overflow.

“We’re here to claim love is stronger than fear, hatred and violence,” the Rev. Nancy Erickson said.

Supporters sang, prayed and cried together. Gay and straight couples held hands. Parents held their children. Friends wrapped their arms around each other and put their heads on each other's shoulders.

Then they poured out of church for a silent prayer walk, their numbers wrapping around 1 1/2 blocks as they passed the house where the attack took place.

“The fact that it happened in the first place made me want to vomit,” said Beth Loofe, a 42-year-old Lincoln woman who works as a chaplain at Inclusive Life Church in Omaha. Loofe said she’s been openly gay since she was 15 and thinks it’s important to support Lincoln’s gay community.

“When you’re a part of a community, you support your family through good times and bad times.”

Before the walk, the Rev. Greg Stewart told the group Sunday’s attack rattled him, that he wakes up at night to make sure his family is safe, that all his windows and doors are locked. But walling yourself in and backing down in the face of hateful violence doesn’t solve the problem. That’s why coming together Wednesday night was key to healing and resolution.

“Nothing good comes from shrinking back and barricading myself when hate lies at my door,” said Stewart, who’s openly gay. “Hate, hate, hate backs down when love stands up.”

The Rev. Jim Keck, senior minister at First-Plymouth, told supporters none of them knew what happened early Sunday morning.

Regardless, prejudice exists in Lincoln, Keck said. Wednesday night was not only about helping people heal after Sunday’s reported attack, but about battling discrimination generally.

Police continued investigating the crime Wednesday, a day after the FBI joined the investigation. Police are looking for three suspects, who they say could be white, but they haven't been able to determine for certain that an attack occurred.

“There’s so many unknown facts,” Keck said. “We don’t know the facts, but we know these facts: People are hurt."

Loofe said she didn't think the woman staged the attack. She doesn’t know the woman well, but she said her friends and neighbors love her.

Loofe urged Lincoln residents to calm down and let the police do their jobs before jumping to conclusions one way or the other.

“I know public opinion is hard to stop,” she said. “I think we should let opinion rest. Opinions are so easily formed, swayed and changed, and they get into the way of facts.

Supporters and well-wishers of the 33-year-old woman have donated money to several groups in the past few days, said Megan Mikolajczyk, a Lincoln attorney representing the victim.

“We will make the account as transparent as possible, and the survivor will have no direct access to the funds,” Mikolajczyk said, until the investigation is complete.

“If and when funds are distributed, it will be to cover the survivor’s expenses directly related to the incident."

The woman would be able to give any leftover money to a nonprofit organization of her choice.

Mikolajczyk said her client was “very appreciative” of the community’s support.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: hatecrime; hoax; homophilesonfr; homosexualagenda; whypostifyouhatefr
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To: PJ-Comix
“There’s so many unknown facts,” Keck said. “We don’t know the facts, but we know these facts: People are hurt."

How hurt are they going to be when the facts are known, Mr. Keck? Are they going to feel like absolute idiots for falling for this nonsense, again? What will that do for their "love" and "tolerance" levels?

21 posted on 07/26/2012 8:44:11 AM PDT by Tax-chick (You have all been given written notice of my mid-life crisis. You have, understand?)
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To: PJ-Comix
This story sounds familiar...

Claremont Hate Crime Called Hoax
LA Times (FR thread) | March 17. 2004 | Joy Buchanan, Kristina Sauerwein and Stuart Silverstein

A week after a reported campus hate crime drew national attention, sparked protests and shut down the prestigious Claremont Colleges, police on Wednesday called the incident a hoax staged by a professor who slashed tires, shattered windows and spray-painted racist graffiti on her own car.

Claremont McKenna College psychology professor Kerri Dunn, who had told police that her car was vandalized as she spoke at a March 9 forum on racism, was identified by two eyewitnesses as the person who damaged the auto, authorities said Wednesday.

Professor Kerri Dunn vandalized her own car and then led "Stop The Hate" rallies on campus.


22 posted on 07/26/2012 8:45:54 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: jimtorr

I assume the “Inclusive Life Church” is specifically a gay church.


23 posted on 07/26/2012 8:46:15 AM PDT by dead (I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
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To: Lancey Howard

These stories get national news because they fit the narrative. Then when it’s proven to be a hoax it’s local news only.

Lot of fake racist thought crimes as well.

They should prosecute the hoaxers and have penalties consistent with the crime they faked.


24 posted on 07/26/2012 8:58:47 AM PDT by TigerClaws
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To: PJ-Comix

Sharpton took up Brawley’s cause and defended her refusal to cooperate with prosecutors, saying that asking her to meet with New York’s attorney general (who had been asked by Gov. Mario Cuomo to supervise the investigation) would be like “asking someone who watched someone killed in the gas chamber to sit down with Mr. Hitler.”

According to the Associated Press, Sharpton and Brawley’s lawyers asserted “on 33 separate occasions” that a local prosecutor named Steven Pagones “had kidnapped, abused and raped” Brawley.

There was no evidence, and Pagones was soon cleared. Sharpton then accused local police with ties to the Irish Republican Army of perpetrating the alleged assault.

The case fizzled when a security guard for Brawley’s lawyers testified that the lawyers and Sharpton knew Brawley was lying.

A grand jury investigation concluded in late 1988 that Brawley “was not the victim of forcible sexual assault” and that the whole thing was a hoax. The report specifically exonerated Pagones, and in 1998 Pagones won a defamation lawsuit against Sharpton, Brawley, and Brawley’s lawyers. Sharpton was ordered to pay Pagones $65,000. Johnnie Cochran and other Sharpton benefactors subsidized the payment.


25 posted on 07/26/2012 9:28:58 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: PJ-Comix

Was there no evidence at the crime scene? Like rope? Was the victim tied up when she was found? Was there a carving in her chest? Or was this just something she told the police after she somehow escaped?

Something is not right about this crime or lack thereof.


26 posted on 07/26/2012 10:23:25 AM PDT by formosa (Formosa)
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To: PJ-Comix

I live in the area. There has been a lot of talk on radio and message boards.

It seems that the police have not been able to find any physical evidence that there were any people (let alone three) in the home or touched her in any way (let alone carve her up). The police say that that does not mean that there were no assailants, but they have no proof there were any at this time. Immediately after the police said that, the woman lawyered up.


27 posted on 07/26/2012 10:46:28 AM PDT by jim_trent
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To: Graybeard58

I had the mod delete the post and frankly I don’t care one whit if you believe it or don’t.


28 posted on 07/26/2012 11:28:02 AM PDT by wtc911 (Amigo - you've been had.)
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To: wtc911

How convenient.


29 posted on 07/26/2012 12:29:14 PM PDT by Graybeard58 (Free people, when presented only with evil choices, create other choices.(EternalVigilance))
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