SUV denouncing family's support for Prop 8

When a family in San Jose put out a banner in support of Prop 8, strangers came and parked their SUV across from the house with angry epithets.


From the San Jose Mercury News

At last, the SUV with the inflammatory slogans denouncing a San Jose family for supporting Proposition 8 is gone from Harwood Road.

"They came last night, washed the paint off and drove away," said Bob Sundstrom, whose family incurred the wrath of two gay-marriage supporters after the family hung a huge banner on their garage in favor of the ballot measure banning same-sex marriage. "What a relief, I'm happy it's gone."

Sunday, two women in a Chevrolet Surbuban drove up in front of the Sundstrom's home and painted the sport-utility vehicle's windows with slogans accusing the devout Mormon family of seven of being "bigots" and "haters." So for the next few days, the Sundstroms were forced to reckon with the eyesore. Police told them the vehicle would be towed away if was not moved in three days.

Tuesday evening, however, one of the women whom Sundstrom recognized from the previous encounter showed up, washed off the slogans and then left in the SUV.

"She wasn't in the mood for conversation. It's obvious we weren't going to change each other's view," Sundstrom said. "She brought her own bucket to wash off the paint."

The SUV is registered to Mara McWilliams and Renee Mangrum, who married in 2004 when San Francisco began performing gay marriages. Neither could be reached for comment.

Even now, the entire episode still rankles Sundstrom.

"It astounds me that someone would do this," he said. "It's been quite a civics lesson for me and my friends."

In an earlier article on this, the Mercury News reported:

The Sundstroms, devout Mormons, say they put the large banner on their home only after their lawn signs had been stolen.

"We are not motivated by hate and anger in any way," Michele Sundstrom said. "We think same-sex couples should enjoy the same rights and privileges as married couples, as it says in the California family code. We just don't want to redefine the word marriage."

and

More than 200,000 Yes on 8 campaign signs have been removed or damaged across the state, including about 30,000 in the Bay Area, said Robert Warnick, who coordinates campaign signs for the Yes on 8 campaign. Supporters of a ban on same-sex marriage have suffered more than $20,000 in damage to cars and other property, he said.

The Yes on 8 campaign is shipping in 250,000 signs, which cost about $2 each, for the conclusion of the campaign.