Letter: Hate crime or political dirty trick?

Chuck Marshall, Naples

Crime or dirty trick?

Several years ago, a Georgia Hiller political sign was vandalized with Nazi markings.

This past week a Peter Richter political sign was similarly vandalized with a Nazi symbol.

Peter is running as a Libertarian against a Republican incumbent for Florida House District 106. I served as the secretary of the Collier County Republican Party for 18 months and can assure you that I have never heard the party speak of deliberately defacing another candidate's political sign.

I have never personally experienced a hate crime in Collier either.

One thing is certain: this sort of behavior does not reflect well on our county. The persons performing such an act represent the worst in our society.

I have been wondering why Richter would be the subject of a hate crime involving a Nazi symbol. He is a husband, father and small businessman. He is not Jewish. As a Libertarian, he believes that we should each live our lives in peace with others. So the Nazi symbol is not applicable.

What would be the only other alternative? Political dirty trick? But who would perform such a crime?

Yes, it is a crime. Hopefully our sheriff will be able to track down and prosecute the criminals behind this act.

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