Community, Lawmakers Denounce Swastikas Displayed Outside Sacramento Home
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CBS13/AP) - Lawmakers are demanding that a California man take down poster-size swastikas displayed in front of his house, calling the signs racist and vulgar.
At the house, the symbols used by German Nazis in World War II have replaced stars in one American and two Israeli flags.
State Sen. Marty Block, chairman of the Legislative Jewish Caucus, said at a news conference Thursday that the symbol desecrates the memory of 6 million Jews who died in concentration camps. He said the homeowner has the freedom to deface his own home, but that doesn't make use of the swastikas right.
"It is disgraceful to our country to have this symbol up," he said. "We have learned that they purveyors of hate often follow their vile speech with criminal acts of terror. We've seen it in France; we've seen it in Copenhagen; we've seen it around the world. I pray that's not gonna be the case in this instance."
Other lawmakers, veterans and labor leaders joined Block in calling for the signs to be taken down.
Protester Robert Dixon was outside the house Thursday morning demonstrating against the symbols of hate. He held signs saying "God Bless Israel" and other messages.
"It's uncalled for and obviously he's trying to…I don't know what he's trying to prove or what he's trying to do," said Dixon.
The leaders believe public outcry will eventually cause the man to take the symbols down.