graffiti hate crime in vallejo, ca

This is news is a couple of weeks old, but worth mentioning... In Vallejo, California, a woman recently returned to her home to find a racist message waiting for her. Someone had spray-painted "Fuck Asians" in foot-high, red letters on the white picket fence outside Maria Bitagon's home. What the hell.

The neighborhood has apparently had it's share of problems, and it's possible that Bitagon—who is described as a very outspoken—voiced her opinion about people hanging out in front of her place. The graffiti could be retaliation for that. Either way, it's plain stupid racism, and Maria will not be intimidated. Hell, you write something like that, it's not just directed at one person—it affects all of us.

Fortunately, Bitagon is using the incident to rally other residents in the area to improve their neighborhood and make positive change. The original news article has been taken down from the Vallejo Times-Herald website, but here's the Google cache version: Hateful words spark positive change for area neighborhood