Friday night, Sept. 12, at about 11:30 p.m., I was the victim of a hate crime in my own neighborhood in McKennan Park — the quiet block I’ve proudly called home since 2010.
I was startled awake by a neighbor who was breaking branches off my tree while shouting obscenities like “F#&% you, faggot” and “get the f#&% out of here, faggot.” He then screamed “liberal faggots killed Charlie Kirk” while continuing to damage my property. When I opened my front door and asked him what his problem was, his answer was simple: “You.”
Law enforcement responded quickly, and I am grateful for that. They arrested this man. But they also warned me that they are limited in their ability to protect me because of South Dakota’s current statutory scheme. He was charged with disorderly conduct — a misdemeanor — and was likely booked and released within a few hours after the incident…