friday, october 3, 2003
news
the university daily kansan 5A
Bumper sticker-covered vehicle target of vandalism
By Amanda Kim Stairrett
astairett@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
Maggie Beedles, Lawrence senior, sat next to the vandalized passenger side window of her pickup truck which read "Fag." Thieves stole brochures and spray painted anti-homosexual slurs on her vehicle Tuesday night in the 1600 block of Kentucky Street. Beedles' pickup has been vandalized four times in the last year.
A bumper sticker on Maggie Beedles' pickup truck reads "Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes." And after someone vandalized and stole items from her vehicle being outspoken has shaken her up.
Sometime between 12:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning someone spray painted "Die" and "Fag" on the windows and hood of her vehicle, which is covered in bumper stickers expressing her views on sexuality, the war in Iraq and the environment.
"This is violent aggression," she said. "It is a totally malicious crime."
crime.
This was not the first time Beedles, a Lawrence senior, was a victim of what she called a hate crime. Her pickup has been defaced three other times since November 2002, when she moved to 1614 Kentucky St. In December, someone broke the windows out of the vehicle and ripped off bumper stickers relating to gay rights.
On July 4, "Fag" was spray painted on the hood, side panels and tailgate of the pickup.
ing to gay rights.
In February, bumper stickers speaking out against the war in Iraq were spray painted.
and tongue. This time the burglar also stole thousands of brochures and posters that Beedles was preparing to distribute for October's National Domestic Violence
Awareness Month. She is Outreach Program Director for Women's Transitional Care Services. WTCS provides victims of domestic abuse with a safe-shelter and peer counseling.
She said the shelter often received homophobic criticism, although no one had been a victim of this type of vandalism.
"It's kind of a liability with my truck because it is so visually recognizable," she said.
She thought that the vandal was associated with WTCS because the learning materials were the only items stolen from her vehicle. She kept expensive camping gear and a cell phone in the pickup, all of which remained untouched.
She said a person who had battered a woman showed up at the shelter the day before and the batterer could have remembered her vehicle. Beedles said she usually parked away from the shelter to ensure the safety of the women.
Sgt. Mike Pattrick of the Lawrence Police Department said the department was trying to develop a possible suspect, but the department was limited in options because Beedles knew little about the perpetrator.
Patrick said the vandalism caused $100 in damage and the theft was valued at $250.
then was rattled Beedlew was discouraged that the vandalism and robbery occurred in her hometown. She grew up in Lawrence and said the city did not live up to its image.
"I am perpetually offended about the lack of embracement of diversity," she said. "We are supposed to be open-minded."
posed to be open-minded
She said most violence and discrimination against homosexuals was not reported because people were nervous about bringing
awareness to the subject
Beedles said she wasn't sure how the center could afford to replace the donated materials.
replaces the
"It's scary to have to figure out
how to do my job," Beedles said.
The organization is part of the United Way and is funded by state
and federal grants.
As for her pickup, Beedles said she would probably paint over. "Fag" with a purple female symbol.
Her philosophy was summed up with a sticker just five inches from the painted "Die." The
"All I want to do is eradicate violence and ensure peace on Earth," Beedles said. "Why would people want to stop that?"
- Edited by Shane Mettlen
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