PaulPallazola
September, 1984
I moved into an apartment on Ocean Street in June 1984. I enjoyed the diversity of Lynn & the people I was meeting there. Apparently one of my new neighbors was less than thrilled about my living there. Within a week of moving in I began finding notes on the windshield of my 1976 Dodge Aspen. ( I got the impression they didn’t like the “Question Authority” & “U.S. Out of El Salvador” bumperstickers) They were written in ballpoint pen on napkins, illustrated with drawings of daggers piercing hearts & blood dripping. The notes generally read like this “Hey Commie faggot! Reagan is gonna get reelected & fuck the shit outta El Salvador! Why don’t you go back there, you f*&kin’ spic bastard?…I’d like to use your eyes for grapes…” I shrugged off the first couple of notes but after 2 months living there this was starting get old. I asked Joni Beasley for advice. She suggested I call the police & have them come to meet me in front of the apartment, during the day. I called them and met them twenty minutes later. After showing the police the most recent note, I was asked, “Are you a communist? Are you a homosexual?” This conversation didn’t make me feel safer, but the notes did stop after that.
It’s just amazing how much discrimination there still is in South Africa against gays. A report is due out in our local newspaper, and I intend to give them a photo of my partner and I, caption to read: “Lois H. and …, close friends for the last 38 years”, just so that we don’t get backlash. It’s so frigging sad, isn’t it?
It is nice to read a real-life sentiment. c”,)
Alex is right, and thank you for sharing this story.
Thank you very much tasartcraft 🙂
The fact that the police would even ask such questions, as if the answers were in any way meaningful to your complaint is troubling…
More than one friend wondered after that if it was a Lynn Police Officer who wrote the notes. I said it was possible, but I think they’d use better stationary.
Or they deliberately used crap stationary as a forensic countermeasure. It wouldn’t be that much of a leap. On the other hand, it does sound way more paranoid…
Well, it’s okay, after all, it was worth reporting to the police, the goal was achieved that they did not continue to bother you with those nasty notes. I congratulate you
It was a relief that the notes stopped but in the 3 years I lived there i was always looking over my shoulder when I parked the car there at night.
I forgot to pay a compliment to the imposing facade, spectacular mahogany tone.