http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/1821303 Anti-France backlash grows ugly Vandals strike Kingwood home Residents of a quiet, quintessentially American subdivision in Kingwood laughed about "freedom" fries and the petition to rename New Orleans' French Quarter. They hardly expected their own neighborhood to be invaded by the anti-France backlash spurred by American and French differences over the threat of war with Iraq. But when Francoise Thomas took out the garbage Saturday morning, she saw the angry red letters spray-painted on the garage door of her townhouse. "Scum go back to France," it read. "I nearly had a heart attack," she said. On Sunday, a neighbor who declined to give his name was repainting the white garage door. Others brought Thomas flowers and chocolates to show their support. "It's just the right thing to do," the neighbor said as he dabbed at then-pink marks still showing. Thomas considers the graffiti a hate crime and is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrator. Thomas has lived in the United States 23 years and made her career as a real estate agent here. She recently retired and plans to stay in Kingwood. "I love France and I love the U.S.," she said in her slight French accent, adding that she has tried to stay out of politics on Iraq. Neighbors lambasted the vandal and said they fear it was someone they know. "Who knows she's from France?" asked Sandra Winkler. "Only the people in the neighborhood."
Great, first we had the cheerleader bandits and now this. I'm glad Ms. Thomas' neighbors are showing their support. Maybe this will convince everone that this French bashing can get out of control if we're not careful.
Although I disagree with the French, I don't condone any crude acts like this. It is a coward who would do something like this. She pays the same taxes we do and deserves the same respect. She has been in the US 23yrs and plans to retire here, I wonder if she doesn't have her US citizenship?
I thought this was going to be about how the Kingwood folks tried to run the Rockets out of town a few years back bc of their bitterness over being annexed. Stupid people need to stop breeding.
typical Kingwood story. i am embarassed to say i graduated from there, but glad to say I got out as soon as possible. probably some punks with "nothing else to do"
I definitely don't agree with what these vandals did... An innocent person should take the brunt of her Country's stupidity and ignorance... But I still don't agree with what the Damn French Govt. is doing to block the resolution...
I thought the thread was going to be about the God Hates Fags people since we heard they were going to protest a play. So, I was ready to be pissed off. But, seeing what it was, now I'm even more pissed off. If someone did this to my mother, I don't know what I'd do.
Another interesting angle to the story is that the very woman victimized here is the daughter of a woman who was given the Meddle of Freedom for risking her life sheltering several downed American pilots in occupied territory during WWII....
I guess that's what she gets for meddling. I'm sorry for that. And I don't understand the sentiment painted on the garage. If anything, wouldn't these people want more French folks to move over here and assimilate into the U.S. culture? It would be one thing to want someone to go home (though painting on the garage is not the way to express such opinions) if they are citizens of other countries enjoying the benefits of the U.S. system while badmouthing the way that system works (not saying that opinion is necessarily right. I'm just saying that's a different scenario that's perhaps more understandable), but to target someone who have been living here for years and who, for all intents and purposes, is as much an American and anything else at this point, is exceptionally stupid. And to top it all off, I heard the lady's homeowner's association is talking about assessing fines because the graphitti was painted with a color that's not on the approved colors list. Okay, I may have made that last part up.
No doubt rH, these people are r****ded. In fact, I hope they rename American Cheese to Idiot Cheese while they are at it.
The least you could do is spell my name right. And I don't approve of this action at all. I would have suggested a gasoline soaking followed by some matches.... ONLY JOKING
